The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-23
A D DECISION AND IT'S
FRUITS.
The system OF Reckless Viola
ton Of Law Pursued by
the Crosby Gang.

Silver Bow-The County
Printing Lot to tho
Highest Bidder.
Helena Independent, 10th inst.
Perhaps in ali the history of Mon
tana, there is no instance of more
reckless and unblushing disregard o.
law than that recently perpetrated BY
the Butte County Commissioners
Making q pretense of Judge Wade's
recent decision in the made up q 8 Of
Fisk Bros. vs.. Joseph +. Woolman,
Territorial Auditor, the County Com.
mis.iOners of silver Bow concluded
to disregard the printing law and the
MINERS contract hereunder. The
MI YER bad its contract on file to.
gether with its bond FIR $1,000, duly
approved, for the faithful perform.
ance of its contract. This contract
Was in full force and in no way eff
fected by the decision In the made up
case of Fisk vs.. Woolman. The
MINER Publishing Company was not
q party to that SUR. 1t was entitled
to its day in court before its rights
could be effected by 1t. At most only
one district judge had decided in the
case of Fish vs.. W0olman, and that
judge was one who from his known
prejudices and partialities involved
In this particular Question. was least
entitled to respect.
The decision was thoroughly re-
viewed in the Independent at the
time,and we have yet TO meet q law.
yer who sustains 1t or considers it
worthy of the slightest respect as q
legal opinion. Be that as it may,
neither the MINER nor the Inde-
pendent could be bound by a made
up case to which they were not par
ties and from which they had no
right of appeal. The facts in that
case may not have been, and indeed
were not set up so fully or SO we'll as
they would have been had the MINEB
or the Independent been a party to
the suit. Besides, this was a case of
Territorial printing, while the
MINERS contract was for county
printing alone.
But the Commissioners of Silver
Bow were bent upon
REVOLUTIONARY MEASURES.
They were assured of the sanction
and support of our carpet-bag Gov
ernor aud his ally and confederate
Judge Wade. In fact they had be-
fore them the example Of our chief
who has in like manner
disregarded the printing contract of
the Independent on file in
the Auditors Office. True,
they wer- less guilty than Crosby.
because as Governor Of Montana he
's CHARGED with seeing that the laws
Of the Territory are enforced! He is
least bound by virtue of his office
10 treat the laws of the Legislature !
with decent respect. lie should not |
out of respect for his office
nave been the first to disregard q law
Upon the statute book and contracts
made hereunder.
Outside of the printing law there is |
10 provision for the public printing.
Ind If it can be set aside at will. there
. no legal restraint upon our ofti-
'ials. If they disregard this Law
hen they can fix their own terms for
printing, as there is no law left to
tguIate it. This is
EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE
" the Silver Bow Commissioners.
they set aside the printing law, and
ave the c'unty's printing to the
inter- Mountain, Notwithstanding the
that the MINER put in a bid to
!" the work at from Is to SO per cent.
So than the rates allowed the Inter
fountain, and rendered q bond of
100 tor the faithful performance of
be contract