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

the first time we had ever heard of him
resorting to an undetermined proceeding
in PLAIN and fair business proposition.
So, he offered to do the work for fifty
dollars less? Caruthers then announced
that if new bids were in order, he
would do the work for one dollar less
than Axline had offered. He, Caruth-
ers, then told the board that if that was
not sufficient reduction, he would re-
duce his bid five hundred dollars. And
still there were no takers.
The chairman then announced that
promptly at 100 p. m, the board would
again hear from the representatives of
the INDEX and Cresset. At 2 O'Clock
the board met, or rather the members
were there, but the two reformers could
not get settled down to business. They
had frequent and long conferences out
side of the room, and, do all he could,
Capt. Pierce could not get them to do
anything until O'Clock, and by that
time reformer Stranathan had retired
to another room with severe headache
that prevented him from shouldering
any responsibility in the printing mat
ter! The other two commissioners then
got together and Capt. Pierce asked the
INDEX and Cresset representatives if
they would agree to put In new bids.
The INDEX representative, knowing
that he could not expect his other bid to
be considered further by the two unfair
republican commissioners, announced
that he was ready to bid again. Axline
finally consented, too, and Cool prom
lsed to let the lowest bid take the con-
tract. Another hour was spent IN con-
sultation with the republican bosses;
the new bids were handed in, Axline
having, in the meantime, deserted the
building and entrusted his interests to
his foreman, Otis Lorton. On opening
them the Cresset bid was at once found
to be away below the INDEX bid, and
Caruthers admitted 1t, ''toOk his medi-
cine," and Cool and Pierce (Stranathan
still absent) awarded the contract to
Axllne-just as any fair man, not blind
ed by partisan prejudices, would have
awarded the contract to the INDEX
when the first bids were opened.
The Cresset bid was as follows: Lee
gal printing paid by the square, at 1-2O
of per cent. of legal rates; tax list,
cent per tract for lands, and cent for
lots; final tax notice at same prices;
blanks and jobwork at 25 per cent. of
regular prices.
The INDEX bid was: Legal printing
paid by the square, free of cost to the
county; delinquent list and final tax
notice at cents per tract and l cent
per lot; jobwork and blanks at 40 per
cent. of regular prices.
The latter bid barely paid for the ma
terial used on Jobwork and blanks, and
barely paid for the expense incident to
publishing the tax list, while the other
legal printing would not have paid even
one cent.
This, then, IS statement of the
printing matter. We are willing to
stand by the record we have made in it.
We clearly won in the contest, but were
counted out. We were counted out 10y
Commissioners James Stranathan and
j. b. Cool, refusing to consider bids they
had invited us to make. We were de-
frauded of our rights by these two men
who are posing as reformers and re-
trenchers; by these two men who raised
their hands in holy horror at what they
termed the corrupt acts of their prede-
cessors in the county deposit matter;
counted out by two men so bound to
party that they cannot give justice to a
political opponent. What inducement
is there for anyone, not of their politi-
cal faith, to attempt to bid on county
work ? They are the county, the gov
eminent, the law, the justice, the equi-
ty, the might and the power.
We can stand the disappointment at
not receiving our just dues if they can
stand the imputation that must ever
follow them of being narrow, scheming.
unfair, bungling, and weak politicians.
The county has gained about $500 by
robbing two of its citizens and taxpay-
ers Of that much.
If the contract with the Cresset is
strictly enforced, though we have rea-
son to believe it will not be, that paper
will lose money on it.
The New Council.