People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-12-10

attorneys lees, at the end of a law
suit, so on $4,000 and get the
money at the end of the suit. we
think it preferable to rebate the
claim Of $4,000 so and get the
money now.
The following from an editorial in
the VOICE of October 81, 1895, just
before election, reads like prophecy:
The company is no doubt perfectly
solvent, but the fact that it is a large,
well organized corporation might
serve as grounds for some fear that
the county might experience some diff.
hculty 10 securing its money il the
company saw lit to play for compro.
mise and fight the case. Corporations
have a habit of desiring a full warrant
Of law for everything they d.. eSpec-
tally when it comes to paving out
money on contracts. Should they de-
eide to take this course they could at
lease put the county to a great deal of
expense and thus lay the foundation
for compromise. Then, with the ad.
1ltl0n OF little Doodle, a very inter-
estlng phase OF circumstances might
be developed. Should suit have to be
brought the company could easily get
a change of venue, as has been done
in the Harper county case, then would
come heavy costs, special attorney
fees, etc.
This was hooted at the time by
Republicans and classed as political
capital on the eve of election but
just how much OF it has come true we
leave our readers to Judge. The
bond company are 81, 900 ahead by
their bluff, and by their apparent
conniving with our officials, to say
the least.
We have excellent reasons for the
opinion that this same settlement
could have been made months ago.
Mr.. Espy has been in constant cor
respondence with the company or its
attorneys all the while and as a
result this proposition came from
the Board, not from the Company.
The same reasoning which impelled
it to make the proposition now has
existed for the past fifteen months,
and applied with even greater force
all that time than now. Because
the Board prior to August, 1895, had
made no arrangements to get along
without the money due from the
banks and this company.
But in August, 1896, the Board in
making the annual tax levy took into
consideration the condition of these
funds and raised the levy so as to get
along and have plenty of money
whether these funds were paid dur
ing the year or not. We thus crit
else the action Of the Board, or that
part thereof which is responsible for
1t, tor not proposing to settle this
matter in this way before the levy
was made in August, 1896.
We think we Can see why it was
not settled that way then. Ever
since the First National bank failed
in October, 1895, the most abstruse
legnl points have been urged against
the Company's liability, and the
prospect of a big lawyer fee was
viewed in certain directions with
much satisfaction. This feeling was
intensified by the failure of the Sum-
ner National, giving two cases in
stead Of one.
These fees were wanted to 70 to
County Attorney Woods and his as
sociate to be by him selected, but in
this a majority Of the Board con-
cluded to take a hand and as a result
a whole coterie of lawyers were by
Woods induced to pool and propose
to collect the money. "Half loaf is
better" ethan no bread" in these dull
times.
AT this point our readers know
how County Attorney-Elect Rogers
appeared and notified the Board Of
his election and intention to handle
the case for the fees provided by law
and that the result was that the Board
left the matter as they found it.
lnasmuch as any emoluments re-
sulting from the collection by suit
would fall into Mr.. Rogers pocket
and as it would not do Tor a plum
OF that size to distend the pockets Of
either a Pop or Democrat, it was
necessary to prevent such a catas-
trophe.