The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-13
RESULTS OF FUSION RULE.
cHrHAIrs COUNTY ILLUSTRATES
IT'S rxconrETExcY on WORSE.
Andftor and County Commissioners
Called to Task by Prosecuting
Attorney of Their Own Faith Tor
u,.uanasem~nt OF Public Affairs.

Special Dispatch to the Post-infeliigeheef
ABERDEEN. Oct f2.--The Democratic
eounsy convention held al Elfpa, AUGUST
u. p@ssed tire following resolutions;
ave point with pride % the honest.
economical and efficient administrator q
The affairs OF the state Of washington
bv the officials elected By the reform
forces Of 1895.
sYf "a with feeling Of pride that we
refer che taxpayers 80 the beneficial ef-
fe-.. mas followed the redemption Of
eh~haris county from Republican mis-
rue IN 1875, and demonstrated that pub
Tic office was public trust, not pri-
waite snap"
The campaign in this county has yet
n month TO run hut the foregoing boast
ing assertions have been already complete
" exploded and that in way 70 cause
confusion ana di.may in the ranks OF
the fusionists. The fractional fight In the
fnsfon camp. with the county auditor
and the prosecuting attorney as the heads
~ the rival forces, has cuininsted IN
strong charges filed against the auditor
before the county board OF commission
ers, the county attorney standing spon-
sor for the charges n reveals star
thing condition Of affairs. and the meth
obs which have obtained In the manage
ment Of county business by the fusion
is,s ffnperattvely demand their retire
ment.
The auditor Il charged with lgnaring
the law In the matter Of fling contracts
ana bonds IN specified cases. one Of which
was the bond Of Savage a Schofield for
the Block house bridge contract, invoiv-
Ing the expenditure Of S.no The con-
tract for building the Wynooche bridge
In accompanied by no strain sheets dia-
grams or specifications. az required by
law. and the bond Of the contractors is
Declared 10 he worthless. The surety
company. whose seal the bond bears
never executed the bond. II being merely
attested by the assistant secretary. The
bond bears no date. IL refers to plans
and specifications hereto attached. and
on said date, and al this time no plans
nor specifications nor contract was. nor
In, attached nor does II Indicate what
contract II n extended as security for,
nor what bridge IT IN not stated at all
except that the documentary stamps
thereon have certain figures Impossible
to distinguish.
The cofintv commissioners are criticized
in the statement by the attorney In that
thu contract for the wvuooche bridge
was entered into without specifications
being required and. Notwithstanding the
largo sum q money involved. no bids
were called Tor. the contract being en-
tir~iy ex parte. The charge is made
explicitly that the hoard promptly allow
cd bill, In this bridge matter. s., zoo In
exoNss of fhe contract price.
The statutes nf the state expressly pro-
hfhit the issuance OF county warrant
until ten days after bill has been pre-
scented, yet three cases are cited show
ing warrants In the total sum OF $40
90DW which were issued on the same day
that the Bills were fled and allowed,
And the auditors haste to Issue the war
rants was such that he also failed to
comply with the law reQAiring him to
faie with tina treasurer certified Hist
Of AL warrants issued by him, and no re-
port Of the issuance Of these warrants
has b~en made 20 the county treasurer.
A yet more serious error charged
against the auditor is In connection with
hts abstract nf the tax rolls FOR the
war lsN Tho original rolls show the
total valuation OF all real and personal
and sauaiisad by the board at $500 sss
The law requires the auditor 10 send an
abstract 10 the state board OF equaIixa-
tsen, vet the auditor certified the total
vsiuc OF al taxable property for that year
al ~ -. 800 thereby giving as official 10
the state board Hgures authorizing them
70 equalise taxes upon the basis that
Ch~hatis county had x.En.a2a worth Of
prcpersy more than X actually had. by
reason Of this error. the county has had
70 pas an excess In state. taxes amount
Ing 70 ul.tso more than the value Of Its
property required The county attorney
recommends that suit be brought against
the auditor for the injury sustained
Aside rom this showing ~ ineompa-
tency, II nothing WORSE II II shown by
an examination on the records that fn-
Sion and reform has cost Chehalgs
county annually the sum on a6aoS In
axs~sss of Republican ''mssrule" The tax
payers are sufficiently aware OF the fact
90 await the opportunity On election day
TO releEA4e such reform TO retirement,