The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-08-07

District Attorney bailey Wants Moro
ss0azy sa kzxsh tazs frsRkhstAea kaEiHszra !
other News
sroux FALLs. y. D., AUG. e-spsciat
The district attorney of this county has
written q letter 60 the county commission
ers asking for raise Of salary 30 ~, 900
ana clerk hire. The letter was published
In a morning paper, and as IL deals to q
great extent with the prohibition question,
some extracts from 1t may prove OF inter-
est. Mr.. Bailey states In the first part OF
his letter that the commissioners reduced
his salary to $1,000 after his election, and
that the increased population of the county
and the consequent increase OF business,
iustihes him in asking for raise. A large
part of the extra work now put upor the
public prosecutor he attributes to the state
prohibitory Law, and alludes TO the fact
that the Law was passed after he had been
elected. After requesting that his own
salary be increased to S2,500 year. he
asks for clerk ut $50 per month, stem
ographsr OF $40 month, and an amount
set apart for Office expenses. After stating
that he does not believe any attorney OF
sufficient ability can be found TO take the
Office at the present salary, he concludes as
follows:
AS you very well know, there is vigor-
ous demand fFeRaa large aasnbef OF the
citizens of this county, for the prompt and
effectual enforcement of she prohibitory
Law. To attempt TO enforce this law with
out the necessary clerical assistance, and
without money TO pay the necessary at
tendaht expenses, would be farce, and 1
am too poor 30 pay the expenses and clerk
hire out of my own pocket. / am not Will
ing either to hold the offiee OF district at
torney and be held responsible for the
action which may betaken In this matter
| by attorneys employed by private organiza-
| tions. So long M / am district attorney, i
do not propose TO allow the Office to be
| used for political or blackmailing purposes.
| / am perfectly willing TO enforce any and
| all laws, without regard to what niY pri-
vate opinion may be as 10 the wisdom OF
THAR enactment: but am not able 10 sup
mort NV family and attend properly to the
duties OF the Office Of district attorney IN
this county for $l 600 year. do not
intend to.hold any ofiice the duties of which
are such that cannot properly perform
them. and certainly do not intend 20 be
made q cats paw Of and blamed for the
nom n-enforeement of any Law when such
| non- enforcement arises from the fact that
You do not give me the necessary facilities
to enforce Il.
II have stated this matter 10 you az
plainly rs know how. 10 you refuse me
the facilities necessary for the enforcement
OF the Law, and wish to take the RESPONSE
bility of deciding that the laws OF thif
state are not TO be enforced In this county
Won viii very certainly have an early oppor.
tunity Of flling q vacancy In the ONCE oi
district attorney. Yours respectfully,
@. o. BAILEY"
The publication Of Mr.. Baileg's lettel
has caused great deal Of comment. On'
prominent lawyer, IN speaking of the sub
iect, said: It's blufF. The matter esr'
tainly develops a new phase In the prohi.
bisicn question. for IL win be remembered
by the danny TIMES readers thai In tn
published interviews with Mr.. Bailey fev
says ago, he stated that the county com
missicners were anti prohibitionisfs. suci
being the case, will they increase the dis
, trict aatorney's salary allow him clerk hire
. aac., for thu purpose of enforcing an Oh
, isctionahle lawY Nevertheless $1,000 ~
small salary for district attorney In
county a. large 40 Minnshaha, end VIM