Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-04-16
Robbed by Alleged Reformers.

The county printing matter came up
before the county commissioners last
week, and it was settled by the Medi-
cine Lodge Cresset being awarded the
contract, at prices lower than the actual
cost of the material used, to say moth
ing of the labor required. The matter
came up in this way: When the pres
ent board qualified in January, Of this
year, the members Indicated that at the
April meeting they would ask for bids
on the county printing. On the 9th
inst, the commissioners requested one
of their number, Capt. Pierce, demo
crat) to notify the publishers of the
BARBER COUNTY INDEX and Medicine
Lodge Cresset to be present that night
"wednesday to see what could be done
about the county printing for the ensu-
ing year. Accordingly, L. NJ. Axline
appeared for the Cresset and E. p.
Caruthers for the INDEX, at the time
agreed on.
Chairman SLranathan, (republlcan)
called the board to order, and requested
Com. Pierce to explain what was want
ed. Mr.. Pierce did SO, by saying that
the board wanted the publishers of the
two newspapers Of Medicine Lodge to
submit written bids for doing all the
county printing for the next year. Com.
Stranathan acquiesced, asked questions
and made suggestions concerning the
printing.
1t was then agreed that Axllne ana
Caruthers should prepare schedule of
the classes of printing that should be
bid on. They did so, and after some
unlmportant changes were made, AK
line and Caruthers were told to prepare
and submit to the board on the next
day their bids as suggested.
Asked by Caruthers if it was under
stood that every class of printing to be
paid for by the county, no matter by
whom controlled, was to be included.
and if there would be any gaps left
down by which any county officer could
ignore the contract when once let to the
lowest bidder. the commissioners agreed
and so informed the two bidders, that
the lowest bid would take all the print
ing.
Axllne and Caruthers then prepared
duplicate copies of the schedule agreed
OBJ stating the regular prices for the
different classes of work, each took a
copy and went away. agreeing to have
their bids ready the next morning,
which they did. The bids were handed
to the chairman of the board, James
Stranathan Republican with a big r
and refOrmer with little r.) The other
two commissioners, d. l.. Pierce (dem-
ocrat) and j. B. Cool (R. r. like Strana-
than read the bids with the chairman,
and the latter folding them up stuffed
them in his private drawer. To the re-
quest of Caruthers that the bids be filed
by the clerk, Mr. Stranathan remarked
that 1t was not necessary, and that if
he, Caruthers, wanted to withdraw his
bid he could do so. The bid was not
withdrawn.
The CresSet bid was as follows: He
would print all legal notices paid for by
the square, at per cent. of legal rates;
the delinquent tax list and final tax no.
tice at legal rates; all blank work at go
per cent. of Hall & O'DonaId's prices;
job work, such as letterheads, envel-
opes, ETC., at 60 per cent. of regular
Fprces.
/ The INDEX bid, submitted by Caruth-
ers, was: Legal notices paid by the
square, 1-lQth of ! per cent. of legal
rates; delinquent list and final tax no.
tice at legal rates; all blank work at 40
per cent. of Hall & O'Donald's prices;
Jobwork, such as letterheads, envelopes,
ETC., at 40 per cent. of regular prices.
The INDEX bid was then $40 of one
per cent. cheaper than the Cresset bid
on the first item; exactly the same on
the delinquent list and final tax notice:
II pei cent. cheaper on blanks and IL
per cent. cheaper on iobwoFk. The diff
ference would have probably amounted
to 800 in years business.
The commissioners. had they been
acting in good faith. would have then
and there awarded the contract on the
lowest bid to the INDEX but they did
not do It, Capt. Pierce endeavored sew
eral times during the day to get the bids
considered, but the majority was against
him, and both Stranathan and Cool re-
fused and failed to act. - -
They were nervous, restless, and in
frequent consultation with the republi-
can county officers and other members
of their party. That night they held
other caucuses and consultations with
republicans and alleged democrats, and
| before 10 O'Clock representative of the
INDEX was told by republican that he
need not expect the printing; that the
commissioners had decided to give the
contract to the republican organ-the
Cresset-at all hazards, and that some
way would be found to do it and create
as little talk as possible. The result on
Thursday showed that this gentleman
knew what he was talking about.
On Thursday, after repeated efforts
on the part of Capt. Pierce and requests
by Caruthers, the chairman told the
other two commissioners to fire away. -
The bids were resurrected and read by
Mr.. Cool and Mr.. Pierce, and when the
latter reminded his colleagues that If
good faith was practiced but one thing
could be done, and that was to let the
contract to the lowest bidder, then it
was that reformer Cool resorted to the
subterfuge of all weak men who have
no argument, and moued to adjourn
Wanted to quit at the supreme and i'm
portant moment. No one would second
his motion, and it was not put. Capt
Pierce proceeded to again remind his
colleagues that they we're acting In bad
faith, and he made them a speech on