Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-10-29

testing to the correctness of the as
sessment roll. He says: "There
has been no decision of any court,
in relation to the legality of the as.
sessment ROLL" Did not Judge
Hoyt Intimate that if he were to de.
eide the case at the time it was
brought before him, he would be
obliged to decide against the county :?
He did.
The reasons for keeping the de-
cision secret may be the same that
prompted the powers that be-" to
keep the report of the Grand Jury
secret.
Mr.. Billings says in relation TO the
transaction with McAllister, wherein
McAllistcr loaned him 81 900 some
eight or nine years ago, of which
he has only received $115, (unless
it has been paid within three weeks)
that "h he has placed at one time
more than 81 ,000 in my hands to
handle and manage for him, within
the last two years, and since the
transaction alluded to by Mr.. Kratz."
Ut was probably your old note for
81 900, that he placed in your hands,
that you might manage" to renew
it, Mr.. Billings; that he ever pla ced
any other $1,000, in your hands
within the past two years, you will
have 10 go out of Thurston county
tc find believers forj. Next you say
you have paid several hundred dol
lars on that acorthiess Judgment"
for which you hold receipts from Mr..
Judson, attorney for prisoner. If
you haze, you have done it within
the past few weeks, and for the
same purpose for which you paid
your tax, since this campaign began,
to patch up your badly besmeared
reputation.
Next comes the "little affidavit"
of j. X. Smith, which simply states
that in the Spring of 1879, Mr.. Bill
ings rded an assessment blank to
Mr.. Smith, and he (Mr. Smith) told
Mr.. Sbead " for what purpose it had
been left" But he does not tell us
what the purpose was; whether it
was for "blind' in case they were
discovered in trying to shirk their
lust portion of the public burden, OF
what 1t was. f4s. ..'..,
Again, he says: "l nei,o ..-,.,-
you, and l think you will believe me,
that there was no desire on my part,
oi fnGT oi If1Ie company, Is aToid the
payment of taxes. believe the
citizens of Thurston county will give
me the credit of always acting fair
and honest in the discharge of my
official duties"
Not if they will take the trouble
to go to the Auditors oMce, and
see your many mistakes" on the
assessment rolls, or will look into
the reports of the Prosecuting At
torney and of Grand Juries and
take note of the amount of advice,
and the many admonitions that you
have received from those whose duty
it was to instruct you and still you
continued to blunder. It is very
hard to believe that you did it ignor-
antly, after all the instructions you
received. Still you go on:
Think, nay fellow citizens. what would have
been the consequences 10 some of you, had held
you strictly to the letter of the law, during the
last season of assessing this county. The law
placed in my hands the power to have had at least
and costs of suit, for failing TO comply with the
odious provisions of the revenue law passed by the
last legislature; and remember my friends, tha, for
each violat ion OF said law, had | made complaint
against the parties. which would cost me ten min
u;es tine. would have received for nv trouble
$25 in each case, or in tho aggregate 81, 500 more
money than the office now hold is worth in three
years"
But hold, Mr.. Billings! Did you
not tell many of the people to do Just
what you say now you could have
fined them for doing? Most as
suredly YOU did. You told them to
stay at home, just as they were in
the habit of doing, and YOU would
come around and assess their prop
erty as you had been in the habit of
doing. Do your suppose that the
people think that you did this purely
out of the sympathetic feeling in
your great big heart? NOT much!,
1t was doubtless the same feeling that
has prompted you in time past to
pay mems taxes for them, (and let
your own go unpaid,) to get them
under obligations to you to get their
votes.
But to go back a little, Mr.. Bill
ings "regrets that his business has
not afforded him the means to pay
his debts, but thinks that he will
soon have the means to pay them 10
full" That won't do. Billings; you
can't play that little game any more.
Your debts have elected you the last
several terms. "Elect me this time
and I'll pay you" That's played
out; they won't believe you any more:
And to wind up the "little letter."
you indulge in a little self.congratu-
lation in regard to your enterprise.
Many of our citizens regret your en-.
terprising habits, to their sorrow, in
sums Of $40 and upwards. -
In conclusion, Won ask the people