, 1891-04-12
The Question to be Settled by the
the District Court.
County Supplies Must be Bought at
Hoyt's Store.
The Chairman of the Board Places
Himself Above the Law,
But Construes the Statutes Strictly
in other Cases.

Be Il Enacted Ly the Legislature Of the
State Of Wyoming:
SECTION l. 1t shall not be lawful for
any person. now or hereafter holding any
Office, either by an election or appoint
ment. under the constitution or laws of
this state, to become IN any manner inter
ested, either directly or indirectly. in his
own name, or in the name OF any other
person or corporation, in any contract, or
the performance of any work in the max
ing or letting of which such officer may
be called upon to act or vote, and 1t shall
not be lawful for any such officer to
represent, either rs agent or otherwise,
any person, company or corporation
in respect of any application or bid Tor
any contract or work in regard to which
such officer may be called upon to vote.
Nor shall any such officer take or receive,
or offer to take or receive, either directly
or indirectly, any money or other thing of
value, as a gift or bride or means OF
Influencing his vote or action In his
official character; and any and all contracts
made and procured IN violation hereof
shall be null and void.
The officials concerned have paid
absolutely no attention to the law and the
county commissioners, it is understood. had
even gone so far as to decide to entirely
ignore it. 1T is - fool law anyway,
SO where's the use OF bothering about
it." one of the board is alleged to have
said.
1t is likely that some attention will be
paid to it after all for the matter has
been brought to a focus by an application
~.Ja rastoxd.v Ior n ~ ;p;nnot,or 70 ~
strain the county treasurer from paying a
warrant for $55 issued In favor of George
w. Hoyt, chairman OF the board of
county commissioners. Usually Mr..
Hoyt believes in a strict construction of
the law. When it presses close on some
one else it can't be construed too strictly
to suit him. A few days age Prosecuting
Attorney Davidson asked to be allowed a
clerk. As Judge Davidson is the official
legal adviser OF the board Chairman Hoyt
asked him to present a written opinion on
the snbjeSt. Davidson would up his
! opinion BY a statement to the effect that
the matter was entirely within the dis
erection OF the commissioners. ut being
within the discretion Of the board"
Chairman Hoyt ~jauntily observed after
listening to the reading of the opinion
the board declines to grant the applica-
ton.
County Treasurer Stone belie9es that
under the law he is entitled to a deputy.
He applied 10 the commissioners for one
aud the request was refused with a good
deal of promptitude. You see, under
the law Stone, we can't do anyth ng OF that
sort," said Hoyt without any waste of
words. "My idea is that Of Gen. Grants.
the best way to secure the repeal OF an
odious law is to enforce it. II this law
is unjust the best way to show it up is to
eonstrue it strictly and enforce it"
HoYt smiled pleasantly at Stone.
The idea is E good one" asserted
Stone, only it should be carried out all
around. Now there's a little law on the
statute books to the effect that no public
official is allowed to sell goods to his own
board. How about enforcing hat law so
as to secure its repeal two years from
now"
Mr.. Hoyt did not smile; in tact he
meyer moved a muscle of his face, but
turned abruptly and without a word quit
Mr.. Stones presence. Somebody's OK
had been gored.
The injunction suit is brought by B. B.
David, A. Roedel, D. q. Rhodes and A.
r. Troxcll. The application states that
the bill had been allowed at the last meet
ing of the board of county commissioners
aud a warrant was drawn for the same.
The bill is alleged to cover four prescrip-
tons, supplies furnished tho county as
SCISSOR, to the court house and medicinal
supplies for the county hospital. The
papers will be forwarded to Judge Scott
so that the county treasurer may be re-
strained from paying the bill until the
court passes upon the merits of the law.
Under the last county administration
ME-. HoYt occupied precisely the same po-
sitiou that be does now. Every county
officer was forced to get an order for any
supplies needed but the rule was invarI-
ably relaxed when without an order a
county officer purchased any public sup
plies from Mr.. Hoyt's pill palace. While
John Morrison remained a resident of tIle
town and member of the board the drugs
and supplies were purchased every quar-
ter from a different drug store, SO that
each of the four stores got one quarters
business each year. When Mr.. Morrison
left town the business had got around to
MIR. Hoyt's store and there it remained
until the end of the term as it took two to
make a change and Hoyt wouldn't con-
sent to it..
Now the question is going to be tested
as to whether Mr.. Hoyt can sell goods to