Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-23
LOCAL COMMENT.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.:

Was evident that the insane commits
sioners and Sheriff had been guilty oil
no wilful wrongdoing, but had simply
violated tecEnicalities of the law 1t il
unfortunate for DR.. Devine that he was
not at nome at the time, as his cas-
would have received the same promp,
dismissal, and the present inaction viii
give certain diSreputable enemies of his
an opportunity to malign him and pound
him while ne is defenseless by his alb
sence.
The case of the supervisors was much
different in that the evidence was clear
that the county teams had been ordered
by them to do some grading for the c.
81 n. w. railway to the value of 1915, as
estimated by the bridge superintendent
and $3.50 as estimated by the railway
engineer; that resolution was passed
approving of the work and dischargins
the railway company from any further
obligation in the matter, with no Other
consideration that the receipt of indi-
vidual mileage books for themselves
and their friends. However, it was
shown clearly that the auditor, having
no official connection with the board
along with one member. Mr. Williams
made the deal, and NJ. Shearer who
was not present at the time. could cas-
lily disprove any wilful intent, for he
undoubtedly did not know what he was
voting on when the auditors resolution
was passed. Mr.. Williams could not
make anybody believe 3hat he did not
know what was going on when he ac-
companied the party to inspect the
work. called several times at the rail-
way attorneys office himself. and him
self received his mileage book in per-
apart from that of Mr.. Shearer he
would have had cause for alarm. In the
view of several attorneys around the
court house, including one district
Judge, the auditor should have been in
cluded in the Indictment as an accessory
to the crime. but the county attorney
thought not, so the grand jury can not
be censured for failing to indict him, as
ito members all wanted very much to
do. Few people expected serious con-
victions to follow.
ssSs
However, the incident has been bene-
fetal in its disclosures to the voters of
the county. 1t has been the general
opinion since the school book scandal
that certain rascals in county offices
have been using Mr.. shearer's good
name as blind behind which they
could carry5on their ,nefarious doings
All this Will soon come to an end. In
January Mr.. Williams retires from the
board in disgrace. A new man takes
AZ ~, =,
pected to stop any little mileage deals
that the auditor wants to make with the
He is the kind Of "a man who
Will, know what he is voting ON and will
make trouble if any tricks are tried.
Now that Messrs Arney and Shearer
have had their eyes opened as to the
character OF the company they have been
keeping they may be expected to keep
a closer watch of county affairs. and it
will behoove even the auditor to walk
a straight and narrow path hereafter,
lest the remainder of his term be short
ened by Impeachment. His friends
should advise him to pay his railway
fare for awhile.
The cases brought against the In
sanity commissioners has developed
that the law is not sufficiently plain or
else does not contemplate that more
than one case will be brought before the
commission in one day. In many in.
stances the estate of the insane patient
is able to pay the costs, and frequently
the costs are paid at once by the rela-
tives. Therefore if a case Of this kind
came before the board in the forenoon
of one day, the estate could and did pay
the costs including commits fees,
and the reports We're entered up, an6
then another patient is brought before
the board in the afternoon of the same
day. is this second case to be heard
without charging up the costs9 That
would be unfair to the first patient and
his or her relatives. Or II one Of the
patients is nonresident Of the coun-
ty. which is frequently the case and was
in three of the four CAGES for which Mr..
Northup was indicted, and but one
days charges are to be made the coun-
ty viii have no means OF recovering
from the other county the expenses en-
tailed Undoubtedly the law contem-
plates that there will not besto exceed.
one case ina county in one day, and In
the future the county officials will with
out doubt see to it that but one hearing
is had in a single period of twenty -four
hours.
The grand jury's work will call atten-
ton to practices that may be techni-
cal violations of law. Offlcers, present
and future, will exercise more care IL
the presentation of their bills and the
county board will scrutinize them more
closely. If doubt arises as to the le-
gality of methods of bookkeeping or of
certain claims, the county attorney will
be called upon to pass Judgment. 1t is
his duty to act as legal advisor to all
county officials and he is doubtless al
ways ready to give counsel on public
matters.
In line with the suggestions OF Mr..
Hamaker, the eastern editor who re-
Gently looked into Marshalltown's in
lustrial life, that in order to secure new
and build city we must keep
at it and at the same time
lold out Inducements. some such plar
as the following might accomplish
great deal of good. The Commercial
Club, which is an incorporated body
night purchase a large tract of mex
oensive lands near the city, appartion
he least desirable into factory sites
plat the balance into residence lots for
he homes of the factory employees and
hen offer free site. with other induce
nents in the way of low taxes ana wa
.er rents, to industries that would en-
oloy a given number of men. AS fac
.ories were secured and the city grew,
hot nor+;n,, IF the land MATTED for resi- |