Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-02-22

to any material extent The contract SUBJ
mitted by Mr.. Fowler was taken as the ba-
sis, and that was altered by the council to
suit themselves, and as so altered was by
\ me rewritten in permanent form. In doing
this, q was of course acting in merely
clerical capacity. [ had refused to act and
/ did not act in any other capacity relative to
the Fowler contract after my appointment
as village attorney. If I had been acting
for Mr.. Fowler or in his interests, certain
! ~ would have advocated the making of
ten year contract, which was the thing
most desired by him.
Now as to the matter of the contract
| specifying Ii candle power lights where it
should have stipulated for 80 candle power
| lights. This was an error for which am
not to blame / then supposed and was
not disabused of that supposition until last
week, that all of the incandescent lights
used by the village were Is candle power.
AS matter of fact Mr.. Fowler has been
furnishing 81 candle power lights for years
and when the recorder submitted the con-
tracts to him for his signature, he called
Mr.. Burpee's attention to the error and sug-
was neglected by them, as both Mr. Bur
pee and Mr.. Fowler considered that be-
cause they deemed it merely clerical er-
ror, it need not be corrected.
l also wish to declare unequivocally that
after my appointment as village attorney,
refused to advise Mr.. Fowler as to the con-
tract. After my appointment, Mr.. Fowler
had to look out for his own interests or get
his legal advice on that matter elsewhere.
And when anyone states that Mr.. Fowler
has admitted or claimed that was acting
in his interests in the matter of the electric
lighting contract after May 20, 1901, he
states that which is not true. Mr.. Fowler
has assured me that he has neither admit
ted nor claimed anything Of the kind, for if
he had it would be untrue. 1t was my pur-
pose and determination to have nothing to
do with that contract except in clerical
and no one can now truthfully
ty an unfair advantage.
1t is a curious commentary on the asper-
Sions on my character as an attorney, and
on my conduct in the matter, that the one
error in the contract for which am re-
spoDsible was a clerical error in date,
which operated to the advantage of the vii
lage and to Mr.. Fowler's disadvantage.
In closing can only say that this mat
ter is one of vital Importance to me. The
newspaper articles referred to were in the
nature of attacks upon my personal and
professional character, and because they
ire the first attacks of the kind to which I
nave ever been subjected, they are especi-
lily hard to bear. / have always tried to
deserve the confidence of the community
md shall continue so to do. 1 place the
lbove statement before you and ask your
favorable Judgment. As to the matter of
he litigation in which I am now engaged
With Mr.. Bevans and other members of the
council, which does not need discussion
lere, only wish to say that have con-
lucted that contest in the courts and shall
continue to conduct it in a way which is
nd shall be at once clean and aggressive.
That is contest of principles and as such,
{ is my desire thatit be kept free from the
methods of bitter partizanship.
therefore respectfully protest against the
sing against me of such unfair methods as
he articles in the .'Timesn and 'Tribuneo
ereinbefore referred to.
Faithfully yours,
r. A. STONE.