Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-01-10
A Lively Contest.

When the board of supervisors met
to continue their deliberations We'd
nesday morning they opened the bids
OF the various county papers to select
the official papers for the coming
year. They had agreed and so stated
that the questiod should be settled on
that day. AT the time the bids were
opeded X. G. Spencer d Co., of the
Audubon Advocate, and their attor-
ney, j. Nj. Graham, and ID. e. Mott
and his attorney, John HI. Mosier were
present, G. A. Marlin, of the Audubon
County Journal, appearing u few min
utes later. The attorneys soon dis
covered some irregularities and illegal
tiles in the filing of the papers and
presented their Arguments for their
clients. For years the journal has
filed its list and made application the
same as this year and the other papers
made no claims and made no efforts
to become one of the official papers of
the county usually having an under
standing they would not contest the
matter, but divided the rate allowed
by law between them which was legal
and fair If they choose SO to do.
The editor of the Journal got the
board to defer action on then matter
until one O'Clock in order that he
might secure an attorney to look after
his Interests and Il good muscular man
with heavy COW hide boots to kick
him for negecting to comply with the
full and detailed statute COVE rning the
same.
10 not go into details we had failed
to file Il verified statement In COM
pliance with the law in regard to the
bona tide subscribers TO the Journal,
living in the county. The editor Of
Audubon Advocate had filed an atfida-
Wit as required by law but in filing the
list OF the subscribers to the paper he
had failed to comply with the law, in
as much as the list was not sealed, so
the board of supervisors after the mat.
ter fully presented by their attorneys,
ruled that their was only one paper
properly before them and that was the
Republican, and that the same was
entitled to be one OF the official papers
OF the county for the coming year.
We then compromised the matter
with the editor of the Advocate and
agreed to divide the rate for one paper
between us and both became the Off
cal organs of the county, making all
three OF the papers, the official papers
OF the county, and thus ended one of
the livelist and most interesting con-
tests brought before the board in many
| years.
Had the matter not been COM
| promised it would have gone to the
District court and doubtless would
| have cost each ana all concerned more
| than the amount received for the
printing during the year
AS to what the board would have
finally done had the matter not been
compromised and settled we do not
care to infer. For our part we have no
complaint to make, and believe that
| the board acted fairly, honorably and
| legally in the contest, doing their duty
in a commendable manner, showing
| by their every act, so far as we are con-
cerned that they were worthy of the
high Office, of honor and trust which
the people of the county have asked
them by their votes to fill. 10 those
who by legal proceedings took what
might have been ours, we feel most
kindly as the whole matter was our
own fault and we ask no one to sym
pathlse with us for our negli-
gence. We will not take this OPP
portunty to boast of our circulation
far exceeding our competitors, because
we feel 1T would be discOurteous to tell
the number ofsubscribers sworn to by
each OF the contesting papers. So the
contest is ended. We are fully salts
fled. We have no time to complain
were we disposed to do so, as our time
is fully occupied looking after our bus
mess matters.