Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-04-10
PAR MOBILE FRATRCM.
& Review of Root and Scobey by
our Court Reporter.
ED. STANDARD:

When the County Attorney wrote
his two articles, one published in the
Oiympidn of the 3lst and the other ir
your last issue, he paid high compli
ment to your paper in presuming thai
slang and pillingsgate would he more
palatable to the readers OF Scobey':
organ than to those of the STANDARD
By not signing the former he would
indicate that he had sought level o.
which he was ashamed and by adopt
lug it as editorial the tax-lister as
sumed the paternity of veritable
caliban. The dlt renee in the length
OF the essays is suggestive. Root may
rise TO dcccncy ami remain in good
company to inditc u few lines, in d
more extend d effort sinks to his nor
NAL sphere for city delegates?
In pursuance OF their plan, the
Mgmpian is constantly and openly
booming Root and Scobey, giving the
former the lions share. NV neighbors
have been flooded with free copies con.
tanning Mandatory articles of each oil
the firm, seasoned with scurrilous at
tacks upon me-five copies in some
instances to one address, one for each
member OF a family. Does the pay
for these extras come from the would
be Judge or from the Republican cam
paign fund?
Who is this Root that anticipates
decisions on questions of law, and
boasts that the "Supreme Court de-
cided exactly as Judge Root and gave
the same reasons?
IL this the same Root who endeav-
ored to hold an Indignation meeting
to denounce the Republican Governor
of this State for not appointing him
Judge OF our Superior Court?
What did he care for the interests OF
Thurston county unless he was its
chief magistrate?
What did he care for the city OF
Olympia or the State capitol building
unless he was Chief Mogul at the
Courthouse?
The case of Hunt VS.. Fawcett was
decided March 9, 1894. 1t penetrated
the Uranium OF this would-be Judge
by the 1lth day Of August. 1894.
Thereupon this same Root gravely in
formed the public, that the days OF
warrants were over, and in his wisdom
and the plenitude of his power, drafted
and procured the passage by the Thurs
ton County Board of Commissioners
of verbose set of resolutions ANNOUNCE
ing that this county was beyond its J
per cent. limit, beyond its per cent.
limit and prescribed certificates for
jurors, witnesses. etc.
He then declared that the $50 900
Courthouse bonds must be included
in fixing the limit, quoting Sec. 6 of
Article VIII. of the State Constitution
as his authority. Some who read his
grandiloquent resolutions wondered
why he had allowed the sacred instru-
ment to be so long violated, and con-
jectured that he had not seen it until
it was cited in Hunt vs.. Fawcett when
every lawyer in Olympia who had any
interest in the decision in the Barton
case was at sea as to the amount Of
warrants validsted-a prominent
lawyer" giving his opinion in the
Olympian that none were. In another
lengthy opinion Root pompously over
ruled himself and ordered that war
rents issue for all certificates.
A reference to Hunt vs.. Fawcett
was a reminder of the constitutional
twist he gave to that case in his former
opinion and struck very sore spot.
When o. C. White, the originator of
the delinquent tax asset idea, asked
his assistance in combating the APP
preparation OF current revenue for spe-
cial purposes, he declined the use of
his name until Mr.. White assumed the
cost, including attorneys fee, not OF
Root but of q competent lawyer, James
A. Haight, who had sole and exclusive
management OF the case for Thurston
county.
After Roots manifesto, Mr.. Haight,
and his opponent, w. l. Agnew. united
in a request to the proper and the
competent tribunal to decide the
points that Root had so pompously
expounded both ways, and upon a de-
cision, possibly OF more financial BEN
eft to myself than any other attorney
in Olympia, up pops old woman Root
and quotes one OF his decisions and
says, Z" l told you So"
1t would have been pitiable case
indeed, if the Supreme Court had not
agreed with Root, but as he had held
both ways it could not help it. He
not only held both ways but boxed
with the compass three or four ways:
First, no warrants; I'd, part OF Incl
dental fund for Barton; 3D., current
funds for court purposes; 4th, war
rants al Hbitum.
Into how many more devious paths
he would have led the commissioners
will never be known as he has gravely
informed us that the Supreme Court
has appropriated one Of them and
thereby signed the knell Of the other
three and the others that were to
come.
At each new route the Olympidn
cried out Eureka! We have found
our Moses to lead US out of our finan-
cial difficulties to the promised land !"
How many farmers, dragged from
their homes to serve on juries, getting
for their pay at Roots instigation, 33
cent dollars under his wise interpreta-
ton of Hunt vs.. Fawcett want him for
judge?
The Olympian now AYERS that am
ignorant Of law, but that Root is other
wise and knew all things and can read
the minds of the most august tri-
bunals OF state. What OF those large
retainer fees that it has formerly as
signed TO me?
To those acquainted with the
County Attorneys ambition to be
seen and heard, it may appear incredi-
bic that he did not take up the time
of the Supreme Court with one of his
rodomontades. A reference to page
900 of Al Pacific Reporter will fully
explain the reason OF his modesty.
Root had devised plan and acting
thereon the County Commissioners
hod ,,ossod rasOlutiop, drau;pr upop