Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-06-19
PERTINENT QUESTIONS
And n Very straightforward An.
SWer.
ED. STANDARDS:

4 tOil county, "Ohlu like space w Houi
columns to ask what | consider few
pertinent questions, and knowing you
to lie very much in favor OF retrench-
ment am sure you will answer them
in a straightforward manner without
equivocation or party prejudice.
First, am anxious to know by what
authority the Commits sioners can ex-
tort $500 out of the pockets of the peo-
pie and give it to J. OBJ. Scobey? II
they haven't done it, then Mr.. Price
lies and | don't believe he is that
kind OF man. lie says ne offered TO
do the county printing for $275, and /
see thai Scobey received a warrant for
81 096 for the same work. | believe
his plea is, that the Olympian has
the largest circulation. The same
plea could be set up for the STANDARD
or Capital, if, just prior to the letting
of the contract, the editors of those pa
pers would scatter their papers gratu-
itously over the county as Mr.. Scobey
does and then claim a wonderful cir
culation. This is just what Mr.. Scobey
does and I'll venture the assertion
without fear of contradiction that the
paid-up circulation Of the Olympian is
no greater than that of either the
STANDARD or the Capital.
Now | claim that Justice Miller was
about right when he asserted that " To
lay, with one hand, the power of the
government on the property of the
citizen, and with the other to bestow
it upon favored individuals to aid pri-
vate enterprise and build up private
fortunes is none the less a robbery be-
cause it is done under the forms of law
and is called taxation" / ask, in the
name of common sense, if this is not
just about what they did. 1t is plain
case of downright, contemplate favor
itism. and on the principle of "You
scratch my back and III scratch
yours" On the same principle they
might just as we'll have doubled it. 1t
wouldn't cost them anything for they
would receive it all back in SIS per day
fees and mileage and such other gra-
tuities as Mr.. Scobey could well afford
to bestow, and the poor devils all over
the county who have TO toll three
hours to their one every day in the
year would have to foot the bill. In
consequence of the piratical legislation
of the past 30 years and more, the
values of all property except bonds,
notes and mortgages have deprecated
so to 70 per cent. and the creators of
wealth have had to retrench and cur.
tail their expenses accordingly. The
salaries of clerks have been reduced by
those very Commissioners. Have you
heard of their refusing to accept
their little five dollars per day and
mileage for the benefit OF the public?
In the good old days of our prosperity,
the Commissioners got only So per
day and there was no whining about
it either. Five dollars now is equal to
ten dollars then, so they certainly
have no reason to complain. About
all one has to do in Thurston county
il he wants a soft snap and cares moth
ing for principle is to whoop it up for
the d. o. p. and he'll "get there Eli"
no matter what his abilities are, if he
is only pliable enough to be moulded by
the bosses. / think the result of the
last election will bear me out in this
assertion. These d. o. p. soft-snap-
hunters take wonderful interest in
in the welfare of the people just before
election, but afterwsrd their memory
becomes suddenly impaired and they
sing the song of Vanderbilt, called
L" People be id"
Now, Bro. Murphy, there are no
strings on me. / have no political Ak
to grind. am not hunting for Office
never did. IT'S true l ran for Sher-
if two years ago, but the man who
says solicited the honor is liar and
q demagogue and bribed with British
gold. ! was nominated by the party
of which am proud to be an antegral
part and 1 accepted it, and notwith-
standing the fact that had served in
the war OF the rebellion from 1861 to
1866 l was defeated by this d. o. p.
that has always protested such won.
derful zeal for the soldier, the kind of
zeal the vulture has for the lamb, or
the hawk for the dove.
Now, in conclusion, allow me to say
that think it is high time the people
were getting their eyes open. The
lamp of experience" is great eye
opener if people will utilize it and l
am glad to see that it has been utilized
in Portland and Tacoma. $50 mote
it be-" Yours muchly,
J. G. Coo.
Yelm, Wash.
In reply to the first question OF Mr..
Conine, "by what authority the
Commissioners can extort $500 out of
the pockets of the people and give it
to ]. OBJ. Scobey," when lower bid
was submitted by the Capital, for the
same work, we will answer in the
straightforward manner, without
equivocation or party prejudice" that
Mr.. c. gives US credit for possessing.
That bill was rendered for publica-
ton OF the delinquent tax list OF 1892,
which was let, under fair competition,
to the Olympian in May, 1893. L.
will be remembered that the Legisla-
ture extended the time for collection