Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-11-22

The report was adopted.
The CHAIR-The question is upon the
adoption of the resolution.
Mr.. KrDD-Thep practice of the county
officers of oyersteppiEg their authority
in expenditures is not good one. Ii
has been done here on building and
public improvements heretofore. and
do not think it a good practice and
want to do away with it. and hope the
resolution will be adopted.
Mr.. BEEBE-I would like to say that
you attempt to carry this matter TO
the extent that the resolution implies,
it would cover all minor matters, and il
is therefore impracticable. A great
many things ought to be done without
running after the Chairman of the
Board. 1t has been customary to make
| little improvements and put in the bills
and save the trouble of hunting up an
official authority to get leave. If such
necessary expenses are to be disallowed
for informality, no officer will want to
take the chance of getting his bills
! passed, and these little matters will be
neglected. If the resolution passes,
these accounts cannot be allowed or
Here is prisoner or an insane person
for instance. Under the resolution, if
the Sheriff finds that fifty cent shirt
is needed, he must hunt up the author
ity before he makes the purchase. II
prisoner or an insane person is
brought in b. the Sheriff, who is not
properly clothed and the Chrman can
not be found he can do nothing. ] do
not think we need the resolution, neith-
do / wish to concentrate all purchasing
power in the hands of the Chairman.
Our paper never goes begging and
think our financial matters are well
run. This whole thing has grown out
OF some expenditures made by the
Sheriff within the last few months. 1t
has always been customary for the
Judge of the Circuit Court to indicate
what was required in and about the
courtroom. The practice has been re-
cognised in other cotinties as correct
and should be here. Our present
Sheriff at the recommendation of
Judge Clementson, put the improve
rlents upon this Court House. 1t was
not good looking outside or pleasant
inside, excepting Green county; as d.
lapidated looking temple of justice as
any in the state. The improvements
were much needed. There was not a
square foot of ceiling that was not
cracked. Window castings and base
boards were Scared and Clipped and
walls penciled over until it was
not fit place to hold our court.
The county needs courtroom in
better shape than this was | think
the two hundred and forty dollars was
well expended and the courtroom pre-
sents much better appearance. Mr..
Rewey ordered this and he knew that
he was taking his chances on having
his bills allowed as presented, and if he
made mistake he was liable to paw
for that mistake out of his own pocket
The Chairman would have to say that
this or that must be done, and if he
did not say so we must disallow the
bill. The Court House is not much
better than first class barn and we
are able to keep it in much better shape.
MIR. WILSON, hope the resolution
will pass. The resolution gives every
officer his rights under the statutes of
this State. System is what should be
looked after in the government of bodies
of business houses and private affairs.
The resolution takes away none of the
rights of the Sheriff under the statutes.
Judge Cooley says ''the right to do any
thing carries with it the power to make
the right effective" The officer has
the right to take care of persons in his
charge, and the Board has not the right
70 70 Ii
The Judge of the Circuit Court has
perfect right to put the courtroom in
good shape, and we must allow the bills
Legal authority is the word used there
The law does not give all the power to
any one person. but to each officer his
correct place and duty in this and other
matters. 1t defines the limit, and each
must keep in his proper sphere in ex-
penditures, and il we do not allow
proper bills the court will compel us to
do SO. The Sheriff acted consistently;
he was ordered by the Judge; the job is
a good one, credit to the county, and
see no good reason why there should
be any difficulty over it. Much larger
amounts of money have been expended
by other parties, on behalf of the county,
and have been allowed. do not think
the Sheriff would have expended the
money except for the best interest of the
county. If our chairman has failed, it
has been because he was too careful of
money and tries to save too much. We
want definite limits for each officer in
his proper sphere.
MIR. RoDoLF-The committee does
not wish to censure anybody; but | have
Investigated the matter, and am salts
fled the Sheriff exceeded his authority.
The resolution is not meant to curtaiI
any officers legal rights.
MIR. BEEBE-You were appointed to
carry out certain design. | am glad
it is admitted by you there is some law
to follow.
Mr.. KIDD-You went beyond the de-
sign.
MIR. RoDoLF-That was altogether
different matter, and there was great
necessity that it should be done. In the
matter under consideration, we do not
seek to censure anyone, but want to
provide against expenditure without le-
gal authority. 1t is not meant to curtail
anyone's legal authority | am in
formed that the Judge had talked about
the improvement, but had not ordered it.
We do not mean to censure the Sheriff
at all. 1t is not intended by the COM
mittee to insult anyone, and | do not
think the resolution interferes with the
legal authority of any officer.
If we exceeded our authority in build
ing the insane asylum we did not do it out
of disrespect to anyone, but because of
the necessity of the case. | talked
with the committee and was instructed
to introduce this resolution. The gentle
men who opposed us in the matter of
the expenditures on the asylum, cannot
consistently oppose us on this resolu-
ton.
Mr.. BEEBE-I wish to reply to one
or two things that Mr.. Rodolf has said.
He says that no censure is intended,
yet in his remarks he says it is to pre-
vent this thing from happening again.
As much as to say, the party who did
this did wrong, therefore it is a censure
If the resolution is adopted it will be a
censure to the Sheriff. Ordinarily |
might favor that resolution, but for the
purpose it appears to be offered, for
shall oppose it. The gentleman from
BoScObel says, can a man who has paid
out money or purchased GOO Dis, or spent
time, stop to argue with the grinding
committee as it is called, at each ses-
sion of the Board and take his chances
OF losing his claim because the commit
tee does not understand the powers of
the Sheriff. No one wants to do any,
thing that should be chargeable to the