The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-30
GENTLEMEN, BE FAIR.

SSAS ~ SANSA
lent board of commissioners are
destined to learn that the public is q
very eyact:ng and u%agrateful master
This thought IS suggested by the re
marks already to lie heard in connec
ton with their efforts to give the
county a court house and Jail in keep
ing with it's dignity, while all the time
keeping their official eyes directed to
the fact that there are certain sharp.
ly defined financial limits beyond
which they dare not go. Very likely
they would not consider them as
strong endorsements of their good
judgment, sound sense and knowledge
of affairs were they to hear some of
the comments made by their critics
who have been surveying the draw
ing exhibited in one of the stores of
the city and which is supposed to rep
resent the front elevation of the court
house when finally completed. OF
course, the fact that the commissions
ers spent several days examining the
various plans submitted to them and
that after a careful and deliberate
study of all they arrived at the conclu-
sion that the one selected is the best,
and that the critics have seer only
the one picture and do not know any
thing whatsoever as to details or the
merits of the different exhibits that
were in competition makes
no difference. Such little trifes
do not count" as the saying
has it. The great American right to
kick" is founded too strongly to be
ignored by the gentlemen who have
constituted themselves the Judges in
the cas- and the commissioners
might as well make up their minds,
individually and collectively, that they
are in for. a siege of it and make the
best of their unfortunate position.
Speaking for itself, The Gazette de-.
sires to go on record as having full
confidence in the ability and honesty
of the men who because of their Of
fetal position are compelled to under
take an onerous and thankless job,
and has no fear that the interests of
the county will not be carefully con-
sidered in everything they do and that
the taxpayers will not receive value
every penny expended under their
Furthermore, it is also
satisfied that when the time arrives
for settling the bills it will be found
that the limit has not been exceeded,
for care will be taken to guard
against such a contingency and am
pie guarantee will be exacted from the
supervising architect that the bounds
shall not be overstepped and that the
court house and Jail will cost no
more than the sun placed at the dis
posal of the board.
The commissioners have. a deeper
interest in the success of their ven
ture as builders for the county than
most of those who are now crit
them and will continue to
criticise during the construction of
the two buildings and possibly even
They know that they
must bear the burden of fault finding
and that they will be held accountable
of all. 1t is their names that will be
hewn into the cornerstone as lasting
testimony to their competence or the
reverse and they may be depended
upon that the testimony shall not be
the unfavorable sort.
Give the commissioners a chance
and do not PREJUDICE them or their eff
forts. The job they have undertaken
is one that not one in a hundred of
their critics would want. Beside, they
are men of sense, possessed of judg-
ment and discretion and have no idea
of leaving the community or state af-
ter they are through.