Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-10-31
THE CONDUCT OF THE OPPOSITION
PRESS.n

THE CONDUCT OF THE OPPOSITION
| PRESS"
Under this caption, the Bellinsham
Bay Mail complains that the opposi-
ton" press has vilifed and abused
Judge Jacobs, an assertion which is not
sustained by facts in single instance
that has come to our knowledge. The
STANDARD has commented upon Mr..
Jacobs official record, and exposed
some very ugly transactions, but in do
ing this II has not exceeded the limits
OF journalistic propriety. The acts of q
public officer are always legitimate
subject for criticism, and if the conclu-
sion drawn jar the sensitive feelings
Of their author or bis friends, they
must blame the record and not the
people for the damage to reputation
which must ensue. We have shown
that Judge Jacobs, while serving in the
capacity of guard under Sheriff Carson.
received fourteen dollars per day for
that service; that he approved Carson
bill against the Territory for that
amount for himself and like allow
ance for another heightened guard j.,
and sundry other items-such as $35
for hotel bill at country inn and $40
for lodgings in Portland and 500 for
board while at Vancouver, besides q
charge for travel by two separate routes
on tho trip from Monticello to Stella
coom-amounting in the aggregate to
81 ,O3l, but we bad no idea that we
were "abusins" or vilifying" Judge
Jacobs by thus exposing the public
records, the approval of which is in
the Judges own handwriting. We
likewise published (from the original
documents, likewise in Judge Jacobs
handwriting the swindle that was
perpetrated on the Territorial Treasury
by the allowance of an exorbitant cost
bill which should have been paid by
kitsap county, and the Judges subse-
quent attempt to make the county pay
for the maintenance of prisoners re-
turned and paid for as a Territorial
charge. If all this hurts" if it soils
the judicial ermine and smacks of COM
plicity in fraud, are we to blame or are
we amenable to the charge of "abuse"
and utilization" for placing the facts
before The people, when the Judge
mounts the rostrum to secure higher
office, and is heralded by subsidized
press as the pink of perfection in hon.
esty and integrity "Facts are stub
born things" and it is not within the
power of Judge Jacobs or his friends
to give a satisfactory explanation Of
either of these matters. The only at
tempt to do so has been with reference
to the first charge, that Judge Jacobs
approved the hotel and guard bill has
tily without ascertaining its contents,
and this is really worse than no excuse
at all. It is, in vulgar parlance. alto
gether "too thin for general belief.
If Judge Jacobs had been thus deceived
by Sheriff Carson. and had unwittingly
aided him in perpetrating fraud, why
did he not adopt some measure for
bringing tho guilty party to trial and
compel restitution of his ill-gotten
plumber If he had used the Judge
against bis will to perpetrate fraud,
and was thereby criminal to all intents,
why was it that the Judge with his fam
lily subsequently visited Carson, and re-
manned with him for many days in
Steilacoom And how does it happen
that he again deceived the Judge into
giving his approval to the Kitsap county
swindle," and why did the Judge be-
come an active attorney for Carson and
advise the counsel for the county to
abandon the defense? The fact is, Car
son was engaged in q systematic at
tempt to raise the wind" by false bills
anu vouchers, and he found faithful
ally in no less dignitary than the
Chief Justice of the Territory, the man
who now claims promotion for having
sacrificed the public interest while draw
ing high salary from the General
Government. The evidence submitted
proves that the Judge kaeO what he
was doing, and acted premeditatedly.
The people are the jury, in this instance,
and if all the facts are canvassed the
verdict will not fail to he GUILTY.