The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-09-21

Forbes had brought the Indians to
me, and told me the accounts were all
right. He persisted in not paying
them, however, and 1 told him that
had taken his word to be as good as
his note, and left him. The liens had
expired, through what turned out to
be my foolish confidence in Mr.. Nc
Phail's word. He paid VIM. Wyatt
the small sum due upon his lien.
Mr. McPhail may be the good friend
to the loggers the Tribune describes
him to be, but those Indians laborsd
for, and were justly entitled to their
money, and if Mr.. McPhail doubted
it, he should have informed me while
the liens were pending, when the
question might be properly tried and
determined.
I consider that Mr.. McPhail's ill
will to me springs from the fact that
| was not subservient to his interests,
and quietly swallow his action in
denying my clients their money.
The cose of Peterson ct al vs. Say
ward has just been decided by the
Supreme Court. This was an action
by 16 lien claimants joining in one
action to recover damages for the con-
version of the liened logs by Sayward.
Judgment was rendered in the lower
court in their favor, and that jugd-
ment has just been affirmed by the
Supreme Court. The case was almost
exactly like the Malaney lien case, and
the Court established the principles
that the converter of the logs must
pay the damages to the value of the
logs converted, and that all the lien
ors should Join in one action. This
case being thus decided the way 10
now open to bringing our action. /
had been informed of the tendency of
the action, and, of course, until the
important point was decided as to
whether all the lienors could join and
thus save expense, prudence COMPEL
ed pause, rather than undergo the
expense in each individual suit.
I have noticed a remark in the
Tribune, about some of the officers Of
the County forgetting the ticket they
were elected on, and from the other
statements made at various times, l
infer that Mr.. Nance, Mr.. Rodenber-
ger and myself are the parties meant,
and that we forgot our democratic
principles when elected. It may be
that my idea of what is democracy
has been incorrect, and the coming
convention by their action can decide
if it were so.
Was it undemOcratic in advising
the Board of Commissioners that Mr.
Lotz's bill for printing the tax sum-
mons list had been barred by his not
entering suit within the statutory
limitation after the Board had refus-
ed his account. If the advice wal
mistaken Mr.. Lott could have brought
| his suit successfully.
| Was it undemocratic in advising
the Board of Commissioners that they
should follow-the law in letting thu
printing contract of the County and
in their so doing?
Was it undemocratic in defending
suit against the County, brought
for services rendered, when the
County had already paid the lega
officer his legal salary for said services
which he performed by deputy?
Was it undemocratic in prosecuting
suit against an officer to recover
fees due to the County for making
abstracts, when that officer showed
his sense of the law and it, nature BY
refusing to answer the interrogatories
which would have elected the facts
on the ground that the answers would
criminate or tend to eliminate him?
Was it undemocratic in bringing
suit to enjoin an officer from violating
the printing contract of the County
and the law under which that con.
tract was made?
These are the only things which
have occurred upon which the charge
made by the Tribune can be sustain.
ed, and my opinion is that if the
Democratic Convention, in the face oil
the County, shall declare those mat.
tiers to be undemocratic, then it,
sense Of democracy is that it is the
opposite of law, of order, and of com.
mon honesty. JOS. A. MCDONALD