The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-10-23
An EXPENSIVE OFFICER.

The office Of County Attorney of
county so large and we'll settled a
Stearns county is very important one
Questions requiring thorough lega
knowledge are frequently presenting
themselves, and cases where careful ane
correct advice to other officers of tn,
county save, unfortunate results ant
much expense. 1t is very apparent tt
all who have any knowledge of the
matter that the present County Attor'
ney is sadly lacking in the quali6ca'
lions necessary for the proper discharg,
Of his duties, and that to continue hin
longer in the position would be. ex
tremely uowise. Mr.. Brick has Meth,
or tho legal knowledge nor the expert,
enoe 4 County Attorney should pos.
sess, and the results Of the past txo
years should have satisfied him of the
propriety of allowing the Office to BE-
filed by some ono else without any op.
position on his part.
To relieve these statements of the
charge of being general and vague, We
will instance few cases in which Mr.
Bricks incapaclty has caused the
county unnecessary expense
1, Through neglect or ignorance Of
what was necessary to be done, no failed
to answer in the Fowler case. Judg.
ment vas entered against the county
for over $500. L. w. Collins was then
employed to secure the opening of the
judgment, which was done on paymeu,
Of the costs over $45, by the county
2. de neglected to attend the meet.
ing of the Grand Jury 10 1872, when
the jury unanimously requested that
other counsel be assigned them. l..
W. Collins Was employed, and render.
ed . bill of $50 against the county
for his services. At anoeher term 10
the 50 me year, the jury unanimously
requested other counsel, and H. L. Cor.
don was employed.
3. He was incompetent to draw =
deed from the county to the Methodist
Episcopal Church for the lot on which
the new building now stands; Hamlin
4 Searle we're employed, aud their bill,
IS Was paid by the county.
4. He Vas unable to prosecute in
the steiuburg case. E. O. Hamlin
was employed, and his bill, $84, was
paid by the county.
5. In Z vsll-knuvn road case in the
town Of St. Cloud he failed, and O..
Taylor is now employed BY the county.
6. In recent School District case
in tho Town Of lynden the incorrect
advice be gave other county officers,
and upon which they acted, involved
tho county in law suit with $50 costs.
We think enough has been given to
show that Mr. Brick is not fitted for
tho position of County Attorney. 1t
will be seen that, in addition to paying
HIM salary of $500 per year, the
county is obliged to engage the servi.
ces of other attorneys whenever any
matter of more than passing imr ort.
aDce REQUIRES attention and that in
the most trivial AFFAIR.", his advice, when
followed, has led to law suits aod coats,
while bis neglect of duty has been
equally as expensive:
The people Of stearns county owe it
to themselves to elect to this office
lawyer Of ability and experience, who
viii protect the interests of tho oouu.
ty. MI. Brick is very evidently not
the person. Capt. L. W. Collins, the
opposing candidate, possesses all the
necessary qualifications, h.viog already
served as County Attorney with credit
to himself aud to the satisfaction of the
people. 1t is not a political matter !;
it is a matter of dollars aud
cents. Let all who have an interest 10
seeing this important Office properly and
creditaoly filled vote for L. W. Collins.