1901 Bio - Bennett, I.W., Larimer County, Colorado Transcribed and donated by Marta Norton Jan 26, 2000 The Berthoud Bulleton Newspaper Saturday, October 19, 1901 Republican Favorites Portraits and Biographical Sketches of the Candidates on the Republican County Ticket I.W. Bennett There is not more important office in Larimer County, nor one in the filling of which greater care should be exercised, than that of county commissioner. He comes nearer to the people in the discharge of his official duties than any other officer in the courthouse, and vast responsibilities fall upon his shoulders. The tax payers of the county annually pay to the county treasurer about $175,000, and it is the duty of the board of county commissioners to see that every cent of this large sum is properly accounted for and disbursed as circumstances and the law requires. Members of the board cannot avoid this care and responsibility, if they would, without danger of throwing the financial affairs of the county into the utmost confusion, with consequent loss to the people. The reports of all the other officers of the county have to be examined and scrutinized with the greatest care and passed upon to see that the duties of these officials have been duly performed and that not a center of the public money passing through their hands has been misspelled. The commissioners also have the appointment of all the minor officials of the county, such as road overseers, poor house keeper, court house janitor, judges of election, etc, and they are also charged with the filling of vacancies, caused by death, or otherwise, in some of the elective offices. They have full charge of all the roads and bridges in the county, the letting of contracts for public works in addition to to general supervision over the court house, jail, poor house, poor farm, and all other property belonging to the county, see that the public buildings are kept in repair, and properly heated and lighted, that the prisoners confined in the jail are fed, clothed and cared for, and that the jail and its furnishings are kept in clean and healthful conditions. Keeping his duties and responsibilities in mind, what kind of a man do the people need, then, for county commissioner? The response to this question by a very intelligent citizen of the county must be that he should be a man of affair a mature man, a man of the strictest business integrity, a man thoroughly alive to the best interests of the county and the tax payers, a man of first clean reputation, honest, incorruptible, approachable in manner and possessing a theoretical and practical business education. That such are the attributes of the man whom the republicans have nominated for county commissioner no citizen of the county, be he white or black, republican, democrat or populist, christian or pagan, can truthfully gainsay. We candidly assert and believe the I.W. Bennett will prove to be one of the very best county commissioners Larimer County has ever had-and that is saying a great deal, for some good men have filled that position-for he will be elected, mark the prediction, by a rousing majority. The farmers, stockmen, tradesmen and workingmen are almost unanimously for him. Mr. Bennett was born in Dane County, Wisconsin, forty-six years ago. At the age of seventeen, he came to Larimer County, which has since been his home, and is recognized as one of the county’s sterling citizens. Although not a rich man according to modern ideas, he has been fairly successful in all his undertakings and is moderately well off in this world’s goods. His business relations with others have always been of the most satisfactory nature and there is not a man in the world who can truthfully say that Will Bennett ever wronged him out of a cent. He is the soul honor in all of his intercourse with his fellowmen and his business integrity cannot be questioned. Mr. Bennett is a vestryman at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and an esteemed member of the Masonic fraternity of this city. We have every reason to believe that he will bring to the discharge of his official duties the same progressive and enterprising spirit so manifest in the conduct of his personal affairs. A vote for him is a movement in the direction of good, efficient, economical and honorable administration of the affairs of the county. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.