Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-09-13

some heasobs why ne should be Defeated.
In the vain endeavor to bolster up
Tom Irvine's hopeless cause thee Courier
Of last evening devotes a column OF
not very valusble space to an argu-
meut that IL is most desirable to select
for the Office OF sheriff q man who hes
had u large experience as a detective
and thief taker, and having to It's own
satisfaction established this theory IL
draws the curtain and introduces Tom
Irvine a- the man. Tom Irvine ss a
detective will certainly be q surprise
to the people of Custer county. II he
gets telegram or letter describing a
fugitive criminal by complexion.
height and other physical peculiarities,
or II he gets postal card describing
stolen horses by marks and brands he
will no doubt keep his eye oIen for
each or either and possibly be as quick
to recognize them II passing under bis
observation, as any other man, but no
quicker. In all our long acquaintance
with Tom we have never yet heard
him accused of being q detective, or
knew of his doing job In that line
that dozen, yes fifty other men in
town could not do, and as for his su-
perlative excellence "a thief catcher,
whatever qualifications he may have
possessed In this line In times past, II
Is well known TO every resident OF
Miles City that with the one excep-
tion Of the train robbery year or sc
ago, he has not been out Of town on
the trail of q criminal for the pssI
tbre. or four years. He has absolutely
aud entirely put this part Of the busi-
ness In the / a,ds of his deputies, and
when they were out Of town and 9
necessity arose 10 send man out on
an errand OF this kind he has specially
deputized Louis King or some othel
man. IL will not do to argue Tom,
cause before the people Of Custer coun
ty from this standpoint. The taxpsy'
ers know that he regards and seek,
the office solely rs soft snap. withou
any intention of personally perform
ing any of the duties attached to i
save and except the laborIous acts o
signing bis name to legal papers anC
receipling for his quarterly warrants.
Tom has been In the secure ENJOY
ment Of the emolumeDis and perequi
sites Of the sherifi's Office for perioC
coeval with the memory of the oldes
inhabitant Of Custer county. III,
probably assumes the Office and H.
Prerequisites TO be his by right Of dis
covery, but this claim the taxpayer
Of Custer county are now prepared b
contest. They know that the aggre
gate sum reseiveu from the county b,
Tom Irvine during the long perio'
that he has served as sheriff is enougl
10 have enricbe I any man. and the,
have a right % feel that they have ii
this regard done enough for him. tn
Courier in recent article extollin
him mentioned 30 n remarkable cir
cumstance of his long career as sheriff
that his accounts bad been found cor
rect. Asa matter of fact, the record
of the county will show that many {
his accounts were the subject Of revis
ion and correction by the board G
commissioners, but even assumin
that the Courier's statement was tru,
In II any superlstive credit TO swor
officer that his accosnts were foun
correct, and is II any reason why b
should ask to be continued In ofiic
indefinitely? We believe that W
voice .he sentiment Of a majority G
the taxpayers Of this county when W
say thatTom has been sheriff lon
enough. IL Is time for MIN TO ste
down and out. 1t was In 1878, th
Courier tells us, that he fastened hi
octo pus grip on the Office, since when
with the one interval OF two years, h
has hung to II with vigor that is II
no wise weakened by declining years
Nine years In the past, and he no,
asks for renewal Of the lease for thre
years more. The Old Man Of the Sc
who straddledSindbad's neck and rod
him nigh unto death was no more un
relentIng than is Tom Irvine In tn
pursuit Of bis personal ends. We be-
lieve the time has at last arrived whel
we can shake this terrible load frou
us; we have tried Il before and fails'
because Of the sympathetic supper
given 10 Tom because he 10 . goo
fellow and can Amuss Q crowd Will