Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-01-21

ciary so far as direct printing is con
cerned, and the further fact that the
entire board is composed of political
affiliations endorsed and supported By
Mr. Galbreath He says,
County Printing and Stationery.
The wicked flccth when 10 mal
pmsueth. applies with all It's force
to Mr.. Day. Last week The Wage
Garner criticised the action OF the
county commissioners foi their incx
plicable disregard OF the law In the
matter OF letting bids Tor the county
printing, and their astounding ignor-
ing OF the rights of those they repre-
sent. to have their interest maintained
and protected, when MIR Day immedi.
ately started on hot-foot for cover.
We desire to assure Mr.. Day that We
are after bigger game than he is.
We are loaded for bear. not for chip.
munks. II the commissioners are TO
break over all restraints and to leave
the printing to be awarded as shall
suit the sweet will of Chairman Brad
ley, then We are not kicking, because
he Will give 1t to the Democrat.
Ii is nothing more than business for
the Democrat to take all the county
printing or any other printing 1t can
Set for the best prices obtainable.
There is no reason why the county
should not pay as high prices for its
printing and stationery as any other
patron of paper. Ana We 20 still
further and maintain that any combin-
alton of the papers of Durango which
has for its object the compelling OF the
county to pay, not exorbitant but fair
and reasonable prices for its printing
just like any other customer. is per.
iectly legitimate and Just in every
sense. But the board of county com
missioners is but creature of the law.
It has no life except that breathed into
it by the law. 1t has no power but
that conferred upon 1T by that same
law. 'Ita lex scripta." is the alpha
and omega of its authority Any ac-
tion of the board without the scope of
the authority conferred upon it by
law is what courts term. ultra wires.
and has no more effect nor binding
force than the musical cadences of n
hungry burro. The members OF the
board may, In fact be. as often in their
own conceits they are, yeritabie Sol
onions in wisdom, but their wisdom.
however overlapping, must In every
instance yield to the thus is the law
written
In the matter of procuring sta
tionery and printing, the law has fixed
the course to be pursued by the board
without any IFS or ands or modfca-
tions, and it is nowhere nominated
in the bond that the chairman of the
board shall be delegated to procure 1t
when he pleases or at what price he
pleases. II that were permissible
then it would be better to dispense
with all the board except the chair
man and save lots OF unnecessary ex-
pense in per il!oms.
Our fight is not against the meni-
bers OF the board personally As In
dividuais we esteem each member of
the board personal friend 1t is
the legal entity. constituted and or
ganized. not for the personal aggrar.
dizement of its members, but for the
public good. whose action we cor
demn as Illegal. unjust and subversiye
of the best interests OF those that
that they are sworn to faithfully rep
resent.
We are confident that II the mem.
bers of the board will only give tn"
matter serious second thought, they
will soon see that their action In the
premises was hasty and III adviseds
and that they will make haste to rcr.
tiiy their blunder. and ii they do ne
we have no hesitancy in sayl ~ tl,
the courts should be TesoTted to at
once ito coerce them back into the
straight and narrow path II the
board Is higher than the law In one
instance, then II is in all cases. Tho
sooner 1t is settled whether the laws
of the land or the wills OF the county
commissioners are to control In county
affairs the better it will be for all
concerned. But suppose for some
reason 1t became necessary for the
county to buy horse, and Cal. Brown
offered to sell it one for si00. while
Evans Hampton offered one equally
as good Tor $50. and the board was to
say. you are both Offering your horses
too cheap; you cant afford
to sell them for that price: there
fore both offers are rejected and Chair.
man Bradley is authorized to go out
and purchase horse Tor any price
he sees fit to pay What you'd the
taxpayers say to such rmagkablc
display Of horse sense npon tho part
OF the board, that is supposed 10 be
looking out for their interests!
That's exactly what they have done
with the printing matter. win the
taxpayers tolerate it?