The Goodhue volunteer. [volume] (Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minn.) 1861-1864, 1863-03-18
Comfy Printing.

County Printing.
Our readers viii have seen before This, bv
the proceedings Of the County Commission
ers, which we published last week. that the
County Printing has been given to the lie
ruI|'cuN. W. propose now to tell them
under what circumstances, by whom: and
for what reason it vas given to that paper.
And if we are not greatly mistaken in the
character Of the tax payers Of GoodAue
county, they will inquire why the Commits
sioncrS squander their money by giving The
public patronage 10 favori,es at u hiyhcr
f''lc9 tlnn alters Aa1 r.6srcI t. p:rftrm he
service TOR. At the meeting in January,
Mr.. Davis offered to do the County Print
Ing at the rate Of five cents per description.
l'earning Of the offer that bad been made
b. him to do the printing for less than the
rate established by law, we Immediately Of
iorcd to DO it for four and one half cents
per description, all Of which we have here
to!oFe laid before our readers, and lorbear to
do so again. Bwo members of the Com
missioners thea wanted to give it to Mr..
Davis, bat were restrained by the others
Mr.. Davis refused to lower his bid, and then
and there Stated that he would not do so,
so that the slightly different wording of his
last bid is TO be taken qualified by his dec.
laration then made before the Board, that
lie would not do it for less Than five cents.
1t is so lnanfestly for the interest Of the
County that it get its work done the cheap
est that it can, that it requires no argument
at our hands to dem >nstrate it.
The County Commissioners are the SER
wants and agents Of the people. They are
bound by every consideration Of moral hon
csty, TO do their labor we'll and faithfully,
and to promote the public interest in every
way they can. Not only are they thus DO und
but they arc bound by the still more SOL
cmn obligation of an oath so todo. II they
do not faithfully perform their duty, they
arc guilty Of bctraying the trust of their
fellow men, and before God, they are guilty
Of perjury.
There can be no doubt that the plain du-
ty Of the Commissioners was to. let the
County printing to US a. four and one hall
cents, it being half a cent on description
cheaper than was bid by the other Office
But when we take into consideration the
fact that We authorized the chairman to
state, and he did state to the board that we
would run our bid down even much lower
but that We would have it, it will be- ap
parent that the tax payers Of the County
have been swindlcd out Of no small sum,
and are IN a fair way 10 be swindlcd ou,
Of much larger ones, by those members Of
the County board who voted to elect Mr.
Davis County Printer a, Mt least three cents
more per description than we authorized
Mr.. Brand to state to the board that We
would do it for. and at half cent Der dcs
cription more than We had actually bid il
writing.
. Luther Scofield and Fletcher IIacler ar,
the men who controlled the whole thing, am,
who have thus stamped their already guilty
souls with tho blacklist p"rjury become
guilty Of the most glaring mal:casance in
Office, and earned the contempt, scorn and
hatred Of the already ovcrburlcncd tax pay
crs. whom they have, for the qualification Of
their private malice, and in their blind big
otc1 zeal to feed aid keep alive worthless
party organs, betrayed and wronscd.
Mr.. Smith, Of Kenyon, was not present.
Mr.. Brand was Chairman, and could only
vote in case Of tic and Mr.. Post was only
ono against two. Mr.. Scotield and Mr.
ilager were both rampant to give the print.
ins, for which the public wiz have to pay
70 the highest bidder, for private and mcr
cenary reasons. let them take all The
glory, with the weight Of shame.
In the first place they committed perjury
snd arc TO longer worthy Of the confidence
Of the puhlic. Each Of the Commissioners
bcsore they entered up IN the duties Of their
otRss, took and Subscribed the following
cath, which oath is now On file in the ) I'D.
TORS Office, where those sworn 10 and sub.
scribed BY Messrs. Scoticld, Of Stanton, and
uasler. Of Roscoe, will remain a lasting me
moGial Of their dishonor and shame.
SrArk OF MISSEsorA,l .. l. -, do
County Of Goolhue. 81 solemnlv
swear that I will support the Constitution
II the United States, and Of the State o,
Minnesota. aad 'aa: I ,sili J,s!tAitsNg ana
'~R ~.'sIa serferas tie auti.s # M e5Ecs a,
.eo~mi.'i"asr cf said Cass's, h a. 5<x. q,
my ABILITY, 30 hep sae Gsts. =
Dsss any one doubt that, BY the terms Of
the oath. the last clause is just as binding
A the first Than - 81. 80, $500. -. :