Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-11-14
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
THURSDAY. NOV. IA, 1901
A JUDICIAL CUR1O.

Along down the shadowing corridors
of time-computing ages by the record o
the state of Washington's Jurisprudence
will go shimmering among the curl
osities one case, that by sheer force o.
its incongruity, and, by reason of its
very inconsistency, is sure to provoke q
smile upon the brow of our successors tc
the beautiful heritage of the state Of
Washington.
This decision is one that the HERALD
ordinarily would be silent upon, for the
reason that it was a party to the case
But, this paper has a wider recognition
of it's duty to the public than to be de.
tered from proper comment upon a
public matter, through the simple fact
that it, or it's publisher might have an
interest in the case in point. The HER
AID Is, and has been for several years
recognized as the only medium in Che
halls county through which the true and
complete facts regarding the manage
ment of the county can be obtained.
This reputation has been acquired by
years of faithful work in behalf of the
people of this county, and its acknowl-
edged largest circulation is sufficient for
it's management to base the belief that
it's course has met with approval.
So much for preface. The court de-
cision alluded to is that OF Judge Irwin
in the case of the contest over the award
of the county commissioners for the
county printing. In this matter. it will
be remembered, the HERALD brought
suit against the county commissioners,
to prevent their paying more of the tax
payers money for the necessary adver-
Using than this paper had proposed to
10 it for. The commissioners had let
the contract to the Hoquiam Gazette,
and on the trial plead ignorance, (and
which plea has not been SO far contra
dicted-and it is matter of county
notoriety that the contradiction cannot
he successfully made.)
So far as placing the intelligence Of the
three gentlemen, who by the accidence
of a republican nominating convention
comprise the present board of county
commissioners, on trial was concerned,
the HERALD had no such intention it
already knew it. 1t remained for the
superior court to acquit those gentlemen
of any suspicion of knowledge of
arithmetic, and it is to the dissection of
this decision, which so gleefully removes
any mathematical sense from the list of
qualifications of a county commissioner
that this article has to do with.
Had the court found the Gazette the
lowest bidder, that would have ended
the matter, if it was correct. But, to
the surprise of the HERALD, as well as
many OF the firmest friends of Judge IT.
win, the sapient court delivered itself of
the opinion that the HERALD had offered
to do the county printing at a rate that
would have saved the county $500, and
that it had proved a circulation of 400
more than the Gazette. Yet, quoth the
learned Judge, "This difference is entire
" too small to warrant the court in in
..terfering with the contract"
The average taxpayer will agree with
the HERALD that the amount of 1890,
being large or small is greatly compare
tive. A great many Of the poor devils
who contribute to the 5000, a year
salary of this Judge would be inclined to
regard that amount as a perfect Godsend,
especially about the time OF year they
are called upon to pay his salary, in the
form of taxes. Aside from any grievance
the HERALD may have, land we hold
that we have that of any LOWEST bidder
for public work. this decision is in per-
feet line with every solitary iniquity
that is being decried today by the press