Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-03-09
"Conspiracy Against the People. I"

When SO grave charge is brought
against the principal printers of
Iowa county as that they entered into
a conspiracy against the people of
the county. The Tribune, as one of
the condemned p. p's., feels called
upon to defend itself Especially is
it demanded that the charge be rec
ogniZed when it is made upon the
high authority of the august, learned
and patriotic Printing Committee of
the county board. See report of pro-
ceedings of special session of the
| board published in this paper, and
read our poor defense with hearts
| attuned To mercy,
It is true that the~ TrihG&e agreed
with other printers of the county, Gas
also with Hon. : w. Reese and the
Supreme Court of Wisconsin, that
the Printing Committee had erred
in Incorporating in its invitation to
| as publication of delinquent tax lists,
notices of election, nominations, etc,
the authority fer which publications
Is not vested in the county board or
any committee thereof, and the COM
pensatlon for which is fixed by state
laws and no committee can dimiu-
ish it. Being agreed upon this point,
and the form of proposal submitted
specifically providing that no amend
ment or alteration thereof would be
allowed, The Tribune could but agree
with other printers of the county
that no bid could be made with safety
to the bidder or benefit t. the county,
and therefor we decided not to sub
nit any bid. That other printers
should come to the same conclusion
from like view Of the facts should
not be accepted by the distinguished
gentlemen of the committee as indi-
eating any lack on our part of respect
for that important body or apprecia-
ton of its valuable services; and
with the supreme court supporting
them the printers of the county may
be pardoned for unanimity of opinion
adverse to that of the committee,
and although the gravity of our er-
ror in so doing may not be denied,
charitable view of it might warrant
less severe verdict against us than
that of conspiracy against the peo-
pie of Iowa county" We plead guilty
to the next lesser crime, ignoring
the committee when it summoned
US to bid and WE failed to do so. and
appeal for mercy to that high tribu-
nal Of wisdom and Justice.
The County Board, after careful
consideration, also agreed with the
printers and the Supreme Court, that
the Printing Committee could not
control otiicial publications required
by law to be made in newspapers, and
directed the committee to omit such
publications from future sch dulles
on which bids are to be invited. This
action in effect endorses the course
of the printers in declining to bid on
the schedule first submitted by the
committee.
OF the S2yO639l paid by the county
for printing in 1898, as stated in the
report of the committee, fully 80 per
cent was on account of official pub
licatIons over which the committee
had no control, and less than 10 per
cent. thereof was or could be let on
contract That aggregate for PRINT
ing and publishing was made up OF
the following items, substantially:
OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. BEYOND CONTROL
OF COUNTY BOARD OR COMMITTEE.
General File, tion notices and bank law, $1,000
Notices of Nominations Gen. Election, -4p
Notices of Judicial election 80
Nominations tor Judicial Election ......" 81
Canvas ST elections ............'..-.. 25o
Delinquent tax lists - ........ ..s..,. ~
Miscellaneous publlcations......... ...''''''.. IW
Total for publications ....... ......- ... : 500
Printing su ject TO contract ,....'.'''-'.' 500
1t is not claimed that these figures
are correct in detail, but they are
substantially so as "A wnole, and we
confidently offer them as fairly eX-
hibiting the amount Of printing sub
ject to control by the printing com
mittee yearly, tabout $3OO,) to secure
less than market price on which the
erudite committee has already en-
tailed an expense upon the county oi
probably $500. And still the great
work of economy goes on, Mr. John
| c. Martin. foreman of the commit
tee. being in Madison this week al
/ the couuty's expense, presumably TO
/ induce the Supreme Court 10 change
l Il IL. L.