The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-06
CORRESPONDENCE.
County Bonds &c.
Editor GRAPHIC:

County Bonds &c.
Editor GRAPHIC:
Our worthy County Commissioners, G. NJ. Aus
tin, in the last issue of the GRAPHIC, published
an article entitled County Taxes in which he
calls attention to the report of the doings OF the
Board of Cocnty Commissioners ut their
last session. We have been much gratifed
with the articles Mr.. Austin has taken the pains
to write and publish at different times regarding
our county affairs. 1t shows a deep thoughtful
ness OF the interest he takes in good government
ard in the welfare of the people. Such men are
always safe to trust and a blessing to any COM
munity; and how fortunate could they always be
selected to fill the places of public trust. But we
do not intend to moralize on the rise OF de
cline" OF public virtue, but desire to cnll atten-
ton to two or three things referred to in Mr.. !
Austin's article. For our own part we care but
little about the funding of our county debt.
For, vote it as the people may it will have prac-
tically no significance Of value or detriment to
us individually. If we had our safe full of coun-
ty warrants purchased Mt q shave of IL to 80 per
cent, we doubt it would be greatly to our inter-
est to have the county borrow money and cash
these warrants at their face with the accumulated
INTEREST,"; orif we were engaged in contracting
with the county for services or materials, then
perhaps our interests would be in voting the
bonds. But we are in neither of these positions
and do not desire or intend to be, not that we
regard it dishonorable. We presume our position
whether fortunate or unfortunate is that of the
mass of the people of this county. If this be true
in what, we ask, consists the profit to the mass
of our people to vote these bonds? We will not ar
que the question here but leave it. as Mr.. Austin
has, q matter for our people to think of. To our
own mind there are several serious objections to
this whole bonding business, say nothing of any
legal objections, and we cannot hastily approve
the measure. The matter referred to by MIR.
Austin us to the position Of the Board heretofore
taken md embodied in a resolution requesting
or prohibiting the various magistrates of the
county not to allow criminal preliminary pro-
ceedings to be commenced before them until the
matter should be first submitted to Mr.. Stroube,
a member of their Board. and no witnesses sub
pnned until he should have time to get upon the
ground and conduct the same, we think quite ex-
traordinary and unjustifiable. Because list: 1t
has no authority in law. End: 1t would tend to
defeat the very object for which our criminal
codewas enacted. As OF the bonding matter, go
of this we do not desire ut this time to argue the
force of these two propositions. The Board no
doubt thought it was acting justly and in the in
terest of public economy. But it did seem US
though there was a little just cause of criticism
for Mr.. Stroube sitting on the Board and while
drawing his salary as q commissioner. to vote
himself or allow himself to be voted prosecutor
of all the criminal business in the county where
by he In fact draws from the County Treasury all
the fees that had heretofore been paid attorneys
in different parts of the county for doing similar
business. The records will show whether the
hundreds of dollars audited by our County Board
to Mr.. Strouba for this business is in the line of
economy. And they will also show whether our
i criminal law has been more faithfully enforced.
Had Mr.. Anstin's family been murdered last
night perhaps tho Board could show that the
murderer would have less time given him in
which to escape by Mr.. Austin going 25 miles 10
consult with Mr. Stroube us to the prorriety OF
getting ont a warrant of arrest than for him to
step up to Klmball-3 mics awas-consult III
attorney and ha.e the wurrant issued at once
And perhaps they could show that to go to MIR
Stroube at Chamberlain would he attended witt
loss expense nnd the business far more intelli
gently and successfully accomplished. Person.
ally we have no Objection to Mr.. Stroubo huyi..s
done this business and his drawing his fees fo
the sumo for we much esteem him. He SHOULD
tF0o pow III pAESNCA y Y RCh AAito tAAio ~
should every other nttorn ay for doing like bust
: ness. But we protest against the defencelessnes
of the general public made possible by the actiol
: of the Board in passing that resolution referee
to by Mr.. Austin. Any one can see that there j
a class of crimes that demand an immediate nr
rest-if any arrest at all shall be possible. Thi
! is why the law provides for tho election of mag
| istrates in the different towns in the county
: that facilities may be at hand to arrest and pun
18Th criminals at once. This resolution of tn
Board could have no other effectation to defea
or delay this important purpose of the Statute
And we protest against this action of the Boar
t for the injustice it has done Justices of the Peuce
7 witnesses, jurors and the members of the Bar o
I the county. The law points out the duty of tn,
respective Justices and they cannot disregard
because the Board assumes authority to lay dow
q different rule for them to act BY. Lawyer
witnesses and jurymen are also under legal obi
gationsand have some rights that even Board
9 of Co. Commissioner ought to respect, think q
! them as they may. And when these magistrates
, , attorneys, &C., honorably perform the dutie
u required of them by law, no Board willact wiseI
G or for the public interest by refusing to aud
should remember that it is one thing to reject
!. claim, but that it il quite another to defeat il
payment. Our courts are open to all just claim
y and a law suit for u county generally BODIES II
good.
4 W. H. CuRrIss.
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