, 1891-04-17
ECONOMICAL GEORGE.

Commissioner George W. Hoyt has
now come to the conclusion that the law
prohibiting public officials from making
contracts for supplies for bodies of which
they are members does not apply to him
or the county commissioners This Is a
conclusion emiuently characteristic of Mr..
Hoyt. There is a popular impression
that Hoyt's tlleuts and experience are al
together 10 the direction Of compromising
pills, This, 1t appears, Is a mistake.
With modest difhience Hoyt couiesses
himself a universal genius. He even
knows more law than the lawyers. The
fact that County Attorney Davidson, the
Official adviser of the board, stated to the
commissioners that Mr.. Hoyt could not
under the law furnish supplies to the
county makes no difference to Mr. Hoyt,
as he himself happens to be affected BY
the decision This Is the test Of all laws
with Hoyt It they can be construed to
affect somebody else they are gleefuIly en-
forced If thew affect him 20 attention is
paid to them.
Mr. Hoyt is now challenging The
LEADER to produce an affidavit from any
one whom he has coerced into buying
county supplies from his store. This
might be much less difficult than Mr..
Hoyt affects 60 believe, though the county
officials are naturally not inclined 10 take
such a step. The reason is self-evideut.
They do not want to be IN a state Of con-
tinuh turmoil for the next two years.
They know Hoyt's disposition aud the
petty little meannesses to which be would
resort in the case of any one who took
such q course. He would even carry it To
the extent Of postponlng the allowance Of
perfectly legal bills, for salaries for 10.
stance, particularly if he knew they
needed the money.
No supplies found iu IIoyt's store are
now bought elsewhere by any county
official Il is not because the goods are
better or cheaper because goods equally
good and much cheaper can be bnusht
anySherc else 10 town. as THE LEADER
has already shown, OF this fact there
can be no contradiction: any county
official may select for his office anything
10 Huvt's store aud be absolutely certain
that the bill will be allowed by the county
commissioners lfthc same official asks
Hoyt for an order for some article which
he can scarcely DO without but which he
has selected ia some other store the
chances are ten 10 one that he will be re
fused the order. This NAV not be coercion
but there may be deduced from 1t some
thing dangerously near It.
On the score Of Mr. Hoyts economy,
we have never seen him crowd three days
county business into two. but he has been
known to exc out two days business into
four. He IT, the most economical man in
relation to loyt that we have ov,
known. On the district court record Of
June lq. 1889, the court ordered the
absolute forfeiture Of q certain rec, gni.
zaucc 10 the sun Of $500. George W.
Huyt. our own economical George 10 tact,
was the surety in this amount which
should nave been at once paid into the
county treasury We find no rcsord that
this has been done. Hoyt Is too ccouom
ical perhaps. He probably argues tina.
he needs the money worse than the
county docs This ism a very good rcn
son, but a. it concerns Hoyt's pocket
book, u as Hoys is a remarkably eco,
nomical man, 1t Is qoite satisfactory t.
him.
It's a mist,ke to think tha: Georg,
Economical Hoyt is gradually bankrupt
ing himself through his transactions with
the county. So long as be keeps economy
in its present point of view he i, emi
nently safe in any country, aud anybody
who knows him will trust Ecouomica
George to 30 that.