Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-14
Tk0 smith Case.

Yho smith Case.
To-day Ne present to our readers >hs
fall text Of tho Referees Report, upon
tho action sgainst Sylvester Smith,
brought = little more than two years
ago, by the County Commisaioners. A.
We promised to do, IN tho beginning,
We have rsfrained, wholly, from max.
ing any comments upon the facts in
volved in the issue deemiug It unjust
to both parties, that anything should
be published which might tend, in any
degree to prejudice tho Referees, or to
unduly impress or excite the public
mind. The facts have been ascertained
BY 4 judicial inquiry, made in the duo
Observance Of al the formalitiss en-
Joined by legal science, aud with tho
assistance Of counsel, eminent tor their
character and learning.
These arc now given to the pub
lie, to whose eousiderats judgment they
are commended, by every circumstance.
It will be observed that the report IL
xxa~imo..-that it 10 signed by erery
one of the referees. This vas scarcely
expected. It is known to all, that Or
mauso Aliens relations 70 the defend
ant, were such - TO make him Z firm
friend, and no ono entsrtains = saspie-
ion that no would unite in presenting
. report, charging Mr.. Smith with sp-
pro.tins 81, 900 ofthe peoples money,
and requiring him to refund i, Nm
leas The facts in The case, and The Oh.
lixatioa Of his sacred cath compelled
him 60 do %.
This il an ssservation by Mr.. Allen
And Of his fellow referees Who have
40 established character for honesty,
aud manly iudepsodenee-th.t the
defendant has disregarded bis official
obligatie us-the most sacred Of any
that 4 man can assume-and delib-
erately embe,sled the people. money,
to the amount Of over SEVENTEEN
THOUSAND DOLLARS. This crime
Vas - we'll known three years ago, ~
it u to-day. A few earnest, honest
men aseertained tho truth aud pub
lished it, but they met only derision
aud expressions Of contempt. Know.
ing the right, and daring to maintain
it, they began an investigation, and pur-
sued it through 4 perfect storm Of in
vective, and threats Of violeucs-to =
contamination 10 fiightiul that even
the friends Of the perpetrator. today,
stand .ghast and horriaed At the dis
closure.
The Rega.er w.s tho principal mouth
piece Of this ssupendous corruption, I.
kind Of automaton machine, which,
At the behest of = single man, set it.
self to work, and forthwith there oosed
from its slimy r.ges, lies, slanders, in
nusndoes, ridieule, derision, vulgarity,
profaasuess, and every conceivable
expression Of hate; then suddenly
changing it, tone, and assuming the
role Of virtue, it was redundant in it,
laudation Of the life and character, and
official integrity Of. it, great iuspirer.
Poor thing. When there il nothing
left but the truth for it to utter, ito &C.
cupation il gone.
It has constantly represented the de-
feadaat, ~ anxious 70 bring tho case
to trial, and :. wiling to refund every
dollar; if b had taken money that
did not belong to him, when It knew
that he had availed himself of every
possible dil.tory plea, and would avoid
the payment Of any judgment that
might be rendered against him, If it
we're in bic power. It hss, from
time 10 time, repeatedly alleged that
the action vas brought and, being kept
ia court, for political purposes ; that
the movement was made to persecsse
Nh. Smith; that it vss the fruit Of 4
demons spite, and had no foundation
in any honest conviction that the de-
PENDANT had never vrongsd the county,
Such have bssd the sxaggsratious Of
that sheet, and it IL not crsditabls 70
ito intelligence to suppose that it knew
no better; nor to it, honesty, to Id
NIT that It understood the facts. Il
has snsnared itself in the meshes Of 4
false position, from which there il M
possibility Of an honorable escape
unless it be BY confession, but such a.
sct involves the employment Of an hon
orable motive; hence, 10 think it i'm
possible, for want Of capital. We Or
now prepared for it, explanation o
I the nov dilemma, and to witusss it
tostuous retreat. .
! OF Mr.. Smith We can further say
There rests upon him, now, only tb
orr. Of paying the judgment which ha
been rendered. Through the leuieue!
Of the authorities, the time With
which he might have been held crimi
n,lly responsible for bic defalcatiou
has been permitted to expire, aud D
visions Of life in State Prison nee
hereafter torture biz sleep, if he vii
but permit experience to illumiue hi
future lie, aud show him the path q
virtue.
TUE Inst number Of the Regi.te
contains TRADE which some lunati
has written, over tho signature Of on
ID. 8. b. Mollison-the man who pr
posed "three cheers for Donnelly an