Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-02-05
County Physician.
Mis- Legal" Status.

supposed to edit the Independent has.
some how, absorbed the idea that the
people are interested in the matter of
county physician" and yet, withal,
they are quite ignorant of the merits
of the case. Then with characteristic
generosity he opens his great heart
and enlightens them:
During the campaign and since
there has been considerable discus
sion relative to the question of county
physician"
Just so, there was. And why? Sim
ply because you thought it good poll
tics to hammer Clones" and divert at
tention from your own designs upon
the county treasury. And for the
same purpose you keep t up. For this
purpose Frakes made what he admits
was an anti-JoneS campaign, claiming
that the county physicians services
cost too much, but when it came to a
show of hands, the real point was that
the county printer was paid too little
and the job must be given to OlcOXen
& Gang, firm who knew how to
charge more. They were accordingly
given the contract at an increased
price, much in excess of what it might
have been if saving money to the
county had been the commissioners
object.
Now, where is Jones? Did FrakeS
GUST him? No, not by Wilcox Jug
full. He never intended to do so and
made no motion to displace him until
he was sure it would fail to pass. Did
Jones nominate HinShaw or depend
upon his election for anything? No!
The events of the past months and
years have proven that DemO-pop
commissioners serve his purpose as
well as any and the fellows who
stabbed their best friends in order to
get financial revenge on Jones are
welcome to all the satisfaction that
belongs to an assassin in the dark.
eve have given the matter some
consideration and have not the slight
est doubt that the commissioners
have no legal right to make contract
with any one for services as county
physician. We simply contend that
as matter of law that the commits
SiOnerS in counties having no poor
house have no authority to make such
a contract"
Well that is Strangei If Frakes was
really in earnest about contracting
with $500 doctor was he preparing
to violate the law? Would he do so
in the face of two columns of ''legal''
advice from his friend and crony, the
man who knew how to Jew up on
printing? Would this great and good
man. Frakes, really violate the law
which is so plainly laid down? Would
he even import a nonresident and
give him a bounty for assisting in the
nefariouS business which your paper
called .'Steal" all summer long? No!
mol Perish the thought! Perhaps
you have 'priyate adviceS" that he
never intended to do anything of the
kind. No doubt there is hardly a
word of truth in it,
fit is illegal to create an office and
pay the incumbent 5000 could the COM
missioners, or one of them, make the
Office illegal" by paying $500. Would
the taking of 5000 from the county
physician" and giving it to the .scoun-
ty printer make the office legal sin
counties having no poor house?"
Would it help the poor taxpayer with
whom you are so much in sympathy?
Or would it be just little matter of
convenience to the printer?
This is just what FrakeS proposed
to do, and did do, so far as the printer
was concerned. He always takes care
of his friends" does Mr.. Frakes.
.sThis discussion. however. need not
be prolonged, for, as said at the start,
OUR supreme court has, in substance,
already sustained the position we
take
Indeed! The court is to be congrat-
ulated on its good luck in getting into
line.
1--WE do not make these statements
to antagoniZe any one, or to make ;
fight on DIR. Jones. We do not charge
him with doing any more than an.
one else would have done under SINH
lar circumstances
Oh! Mol OF course not No more
than you and Frakes have alread,
done.
ssNeither do we criticize the actions
of the board in trying some plan tt
reduce expenditures"
Well mol They made no such effort
They have increased expenditures sew