Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-12-10
COURT VS.. COUNSEL.
Some Trego County History.

OOulC llCSO NOuuIy IlISIOI y
Since the latter part of October we
have waited patiently, expecting (?)
each week that the Independent
would inform the public as to what
became of that Olson suit for debt
against Trego county, the same hav-
ing been appealed to and decided by
the Appellate court where parties
litigant go for Justice and get it.
Believing it to be of general interest
we present herewith a complete his
tory of the case as, written by the In
dependent and the courts, with a few
annotations of our own.
Speaking of the action of Mr.. Mar
quand in ''holding over'' to award the
county printing to the Independent,
that paper says March 6, 1897:
Had Mr.. MarQuand pursued anv
other course he would have failed in
doing his sworn duty.
WORLD has no quarrel with Mr.. NJ.
and only invites comparison of the
above with what the Appellate court
says regarding his rights and duties
in the premises.
Because Barclay and Hinshaw re-
fused to pay Mr.. Olson's claim for
county printing the Independent of
April II, 1897, says:
If the county is forced to squander
several hundred dollars in costs and
damages, the taxpayers Will know
where to lay the responsibility.
Well the taxpayers do know and
most of them have known all the
time and yet that paper had the ef-
frontery to say, May l, 1897:
In that respect we are not unlike
taxpayers, in general-anXious to see
that the public fund is properly ap-
piled where it has been honestly
earned.
That is just what the commission
ers thought, so they paid the WORLD
printing bills and were given the fol-
lowing nice compliment and vote OF
thanks by the Independent, July 10,
1897:
When the long end of the board OF
county commissioners can be thumb
ed about by a set OF INSCRIPTIONS de-
SignerS, and be made to allow Spuri-
Gus bills without warrant of law, then
the attitude of the taxpayer is not
enviable.
Who, if any one, thumbed the Pop
ulist Appellate Judge and made them
conclude that the Olson claims were
spurious bills, based upon the greed
of an INSCRIPTIONS designer? In the
light of known facts and the mani
festly sincere decision of the court,
the attitude of the claimant is not
enviable; hence, there is nothing said
about it. If Judge Monroe and Com
missioners Barclay and Hinshaw had
been reversed there is no doubt that
the fact would have been heralded
from the housetops without delay.
Shame on such Journalism, that
suppressed facts and attempts to
cover up fraud when public interests
are at Stake.-Independen July 81,
1897.
As an excuse for dragging "Trego
County In Court" The Independent
of October 23, 1897, INDUCED in the
following bit of pleasantly:
There has, in all probability, never
been such a display of arrogance, i'm
pudence and ignorance exhibited by
| the Board of Commissioners in TregO
county, as has characterized the acts
of the present Board since its incep-
tion.
The county attorney is elected by
the people of the county, for the coun-
ty. He is the counsel for the county
and cannot be ignored or superseded
by the county commissioners.
Mr.. Hinshaw and Mr. Barclay KNEW
MORE than the county attorney and,
disregarding his counsel and advise,
they allowed the claim of the WORLD
and rejected that of ours
We continued to carry out our con-
tract and as soon as we had claim of
sufficient amount to enable us to get
to Appellate court we presented the
same to the board, when it was re-
lected. Then we filed our suit in the
n;ctrict cOurt
1t Is further charged that lit was
the intention TO keep all knowledge
of the case from the public.
If our position is sustained land we
have no doubt it will bel we will re-
cover upon our contract. Ii
we recover, and the county is forced
TO pay for the work the second time,