, 1874-06-18


Seattle w. T.. June s 1874
IRRESPONSIBLE LY1NG.-An Anonymous
writer occupies the largest portion of
The lending editorial department of the
last issue of the Intelligencer, (that pape,
has no responsible editor in misrepre-
senting facts and assailing the editor OF
this paper.
He commences by saying that we as.
sailed the County Commissioners solely
because they awarded the county print
ing to the Intelligencer instead of the
Dispatch. That is absolutely false
The Commissioners did the same thing
year ago and We uttered no complaint,
though, through the stupidity of the
Commissioners aud the connivance of
the Auditor, delinquent taxpayers have
been compelled to pay one dollar where
the contract price for advertising was
7 not to exceed twelve cents. and the
County has paid at least doable the or
: dinary rates for its blanks, which were
not specified in the proposals issued by
the Auditor for bids for County Print
irg. s,s
What We assailed the Commissioners
for. was for making false record, certi
fed to by the Auditor, which is conclu-
sive ovidenceof stupidity or dishonesty.
They put upon record that "the Court
having notified the publishers of both
newspapers in the county to present
proposals." etc. The Court did no such
thing. directly or indirectly, and took
no measure to comply with the law. at
their regular meeting in May. as. the
law contemplates. and their action has
no force of law binding upon any one
( Our assailant says that the Chairman OF
the Board gave the required notice. and
Thereby saved the expense of adyertis-
.ihg, as the law required. The Chair
man issued no proposals, made no spe-
cifcations,- gave no notice that bids
would be received, and consequently no
bids were received. ALI this could have
been done by written notice, by their
Clerk, without any expense to the Coun-
ty; but it was, not done, and hence eve
ry county officer is, at liberty to order
his printing wherever he chooses.
q Anonymous says we received $75
q, for publishing tax list when the Intel
ligencer received SIS for one nearly th e
same length. The tax list which We
published for $75 was fully as long as
the one published by the Intelligencer
the year before upon which the delin-
quent tax payers were charged over $3.50
for advertising. Not a cent more has
been collected from the individual tax
payers for the advertisement which we
published than was collected for the
advertisement in the Intelligencer con-
tractsd with heCounty for about II cents
a description. We have but one price
for official advertising and make no
ssteaiingsto divide with officials.
4 We are accused of assailing the Com
smissioners for taking measures for sup
pressing the notorious Mad House, "
by purchase and compromise; and this,
too, through the editorial columns of
the same paper which was subsidized to
apologize for and defend that institu-
tion when we we're laboring to abolish
it by law and public sentiment. This
accusation has no semblance of truth.
We uttered no word of censure upon
the action of the Commissioners in that
connection. but we did object to the
subsequent sale, to the same party, of
the county farm, worth $4,000 for half
that amount. The Intelligencer is but
true to its uniform habits of defending.
for consideration, every transaction
by which the public is swindled for pri-
vate advantage.
AS to the charge Of being actuated by
desire, to place our son in the office Of
Auditor. we will say most emphatically.
that no son of ours ever did or ever will
hold public Office by our wishes, ad-
vice, influence or aid in any manner.
We have striven hard to educate our
sons to nobler views and higher aims
in life.