Dodge City times., 1889-03-14

the discharge of their duties. Any
one who will take the trouble to refer
to the general statutes of the state may
learn that any commissioner in any
county having thirty thousand inhabi-
tants who shall divert any part of any
fund raised by taxation to any otner
purpose than that for which it was
raised. shall be oeemed guilty of mis-
demeanor, and on conviction thereof
shall be fined in sum not less than
one thousand dollars.
This particular section applies only
to counties having over thirty thousand
people; but another section in this same
act provides that every person who is
either elected or appointed to the office
of county commissioner of any county
in the state of Kansas who shall will
fully violate any provision of law, or
fail to perform any duty required of
him by law. shall be adjudged guilty of
mlsdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined in sum not less
than fifty nor more than one thousand
dollars, or by imprisonment in the
county Jail not less than thirty days
nor more than one year, or by both
such fine and Imprisonment. 1t ap-
pears thus, that the diverting OF any
fund raised by taxation to any other
purpose than that for which it was
raised is misdemeanor, and that the
only difference in this respect between
counties having population in excess
of 80, 900 and those which have less is
difference in the degree of punish
ment for the infractions of the law.
The limits of all powers, except
those necessarily implied, must be
found within the statutary provisions.
IF the commissioners transcend their
powers the people have their remedy.
The statutes elsewhere provides that
every officer of any county who shall
commit any fraud in his official capaci-
ty, or under color of office, or who shall
unlawfully and wilfully exact or de-
mand and receive any fee or reward to
execute or do his duty, or for any Of
fetal act done or to be done, or who
shall be convicted of any misconduct
or misdemeanor in office, shall be pun
ished by fine not exceeding five hum
dred dollars or by Imprisonment IN the
county Jail not exceeding one year, or
by both such fine and imprisonment
During the past four months We have
heard more talk about steals, jobs, boo
die, etc., in which our county commits
sioners were connected, than we have
heard during the past ten years, unless
it was the $l7, 900 grading contract;
and now We propose to investigate.
When we say Investigate, we mean
that we intend to present to the tax
payers of Ford county what the CON-
missioners have done in the way of ex-
pending the people money during the
past year, and what the people got for
it. With the evidence already before
us, We believe that we can show at
least to the taxpayers of the second
commissioner district that thev have
had enough of Geo. F. Mckinney, as
far as one commissioner is concerned.
The prominent part that he has taken
when the different contracts have been
let during the past four months, have
been such as to convince those who
have had "eyes to see and ears to hear
that it always required something more
weighty than the IBID to procure Mr..
McKinney's approval. 1t has also
been noticed that Mr.. Mckinney did
not necessarily have to figure long on
voting when the commissioners met to
let a contract, as he seemed to have
his mind already made up. The ''wise
ones had learned this fact and Mr..
Mckinney received considerable help
in making up his mind before hand.
We understand that Mr.. Mckinney,
fearing something would be exposed,
has already notified the newspapers
where he hires most of his county
printing done, that he should expect
them to protect him, but We will give
them a splendid job to perform, as We
gradually unwind the ball.
Above We tell what the law and the
people expect of county commission
er, and it will only be necessary to
show how far Mr.. Mckinney has over
stepped the line, to convince all of the
fact that the time has come in which
to call a halt.
There is not contractor in the city
who has made bid for any contrac.
or work from the county, and got the
job, but what We have heard say, "that
they would have to fix Mckinney or
else "they had Mckinney alright,
long before the contract was let. The
caucus Of four to appoint d superin-
tendent of the poor farm, ''the borrow