Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-23

850I 92 %
> qaI!aln. .. ,o9
Lewis and Clarke. "... .... 26s
Madison ..........-..... LIZ l05il u
, Meagher ............."s.s. SoSl W -
! mls5OuIa. ...-.. ~
, fafk ...... 11S
2 silver bow. ......... 800
YelloWstOne.. 43u III Al
Il Total.........~-..... 80. ...... 1892
Majorities. 48
WILL HE DIsGORGE7
Sitting in his majesty as chairman o
the board of canvassers for Silver Bow
county, the attention of W. M. Jack wa
called to the apparent fact that the re
turns were in the handwriting of one o.
the judges. This excited the indigna
ZION of Attorney Campbell, and stune
VIM. e. Hall to the quickest to him it was
proof positive of o damnable fraud, al
least he said so by his vote. But Mr.. Hal
did not believe any such thing. He
knew that there was no intent on the
part of the judge to do q
wrong and that none had been
committed. He knew further that
the judge was not, nor was he supposed
to be, familiar with the details of the
law. The chance however was too good to
be lost, and in pursuance of the conspir-
acy to which he was a party Mr.. Jack
boldly proclaimed by his official act,
that the judge was a violator Of law, was
a dishonest man, and that the vote
should not be counted. In making his de-
cision Mr.. Jack with swelling bosom,
took occasion to advertise his own SUI
p~erlative honesty, he had previously ad-
vertised his hardware shop, and to say
that he would do right though the heav-
ems should fall. Then Attorney Camp
bell snickered, and little Billy Hall
found courage to say you bet we will do
what is just" he should have added, just
what we have conspired to do. Now if
Mr.. Jack is IS honest as he arrogantly
declares himself to be, let us call his at
tention to some facts, and preface them
with a question. IF a judge of election.
appointed but for a day, is supposed to
know the details Of a lengthy election
law and is rated by MIR. Jack as a thief
because he does not execute them to the
letter although he has conformed literally
to the spirit, will Mr.. Jack apply the
same rule to himself, and his conduct as
county commissioner. Surely a man ele-
waited to that important position, in
which he is clothed with legislative as
well as administrative authority is sup
posed to know the laws he is called upon
to execute, and there is no excuse for his
not knowing them. If MIR. Jack can
make a thief out of the election judge
for the slight mistake of which he was
guilty what shall he say of himself when
he is judged by the same ruling that he
applied to his fellow man. and when the
wilful violation, on ..his part, Of a law
long upon the statute books Injured
greatly to his financial benefit. Yet this
is what he has done. In the compiled
statutes Of Montana, enacted at the reg
ular session of the Fifteenth legislative
assembly, embracing the laws of a gen.
eral and permanent nature, in force. at
the expiration of the fifteenth regular
session Of the legislative assembly, and
published by authority Of the United
States, can be found the following:
Section lilo. No county commissioner,
other officer, shall acquire, in any man
ner, against any corporate municipality, or
against the territory, any claim, except
or official compensation fixed by law,
ted by the board, Dr. body, or Office which
10 holds, or Of which he is a member, but
n the hands Of such person. or his.assignee,
,r partner therein, the same shall he wholly
,oid. II
There is tho law as it was enacted Feb
uary Is, 1874, and it is still the law.
urn to the books of the board of coun "
commissioners from the time the county 1
organized until the present time, t
nd see whether it has been wilfully, 9
ersistently and extensively violated by =
Vim. M. Jack. He said in his stump ,
peech that the goods on his shelves were =
aid for. We're they paid for with the c
lonies he thus received from the tax d
ayers of Silver Bow county? It is t
report, and generally believed, u
nat Mr.. Jack has furnished large sup
lies and been paid for them while he y
as in Office. If this be true the books e
ill show it, and he will stand before r
le people as a wilful violator of the law a
II his own benefit. Some 60 further CT
Ian this, and claim that in known in
ances he has let contracts to his own y
ouse, without the trouble of inviting 81
'mpetition. This may not be a legal 81
'quirement, but it would look better. c,
o sum up u proposition: Has Mr.. :,
ack received monies for goods furnished
le county, which is in violation of Sec Ii
on lilo. If he has, what will he do &
bout itp Will his sense of honor cause "
IN to return these monies to the county @,
or will the county attorney q,
I'VE to institute suit to compel him to ~
axe restitution of such as are not out N
wed by the statutes Of limitation? This u
Ill be a good chance to prove his faith I'll
his works Will Mr. Jock ho onuol IN -
Q drafts that will be made upon his ;r
nscience and his pockets?
Messrs. Jack and Hall ignored the calm D,
dicial opinion of Judge Knowles ut
led from the supreme bench that a Ill
ard Of eahvassefs have no power to dl
luire into fraud in returns and lent a pc
ling ear to the same gentleman when TT
descended to the level of a pettifog- ~,