Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-05-23

the doings of his Republican brethren:
Time and again the present city admin
istratton has awarded contracts to its ia
vorites, though they were the highest bid
ders. on the claim that the work would be
zone in so much less time than by the
bower bidders. This Is trick that has
been pretty fully exposed in tho past fow
montha
When the first OF tho filtration contracts
were given out, they went to MoNichol at
rate $4,000 higher than the lowest bid
| der because he agreed to do the work in
much less time. Under that contract the
Roxboro filter bed should have been
| ready FOR use four months ago. 1t Is not
| ready yet The time which tho lowest
bidder wanted in which to do the work
mas expired. and tho highest bidder. who
was going to do it in much less time, will
use up much more time yet. The oity
| paid $4,000 to save three months In time
which It does not get. Does any one
doubt that tho contractor will get his
| money Just the same as If he had COM
| piled with his agreement?
The heading Of that editorial from
| the facile pen of Hon. Charles Emory
| is IA Contract Craft" which perhaps
most fifty describes it. A forty thou
sand dollar graft is a valuable asset.
Mirabile Dictu!
Wonders will never cease. Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt, president of the
United States, the most strenuous fig.
ure in current history, has been ac-
cused of being lacking in backbone!
Tell 1t not in Gath; proclaim 1t not in
the streets of Askebonl would never
have believed that any human being
had gail enough to make that prepos-
ferrous charge If had not seen it In
cold type with my own eyes Might
as well call Cyrus Sulloway of New
Hampshire pygmy or Henry W. Glib
son of Tennessee a giant. AS truly
charge that Senator Chauncey Mitchell
Depew is ever serious or that General
Francis Marion Oockrell ever Jokes
The correspondent of the New York
Times is the man who has the effron-
terry 10 intimate that Teddy's spinal
column is out of whhck. Surely there
never was anything more ridiculous
put into print since Gutenberg invent
ed movable types. 1t proves beyond all
controversy the illimitable expansive
ness of the human imagination. But
here it is The New York Evening Post
says:
We are not sure that President Roose-
welt ought to be ''let Off" by the Grand
Army people for his eliminating offense
In the Evans case. Washington dispatches
say that the appointment Of Evans to
the office of consul general at London, the
most highly paid place in the foreign
service. is regarded as a slap in the face
by all the magnates who fought 80 long
IN &c,
fee. According to The Times correspond
ent, they say that '1f It was right to re-
move Mr. Evans. there was no need to do
anything more than to remove him. Their
Judgment Is that the president has shown
weak backbone In this matter He
should not have removed Mr.. Evans II be
was satisfied with his conduct of his Of
fca" In this matter they are more log.
ical than usual.
Hon. Thomas s. carter's Invention.
It has passed into a proverb that "f
Missourian must be shown" He alst
sometimes shows divers people sundr!
, things. Out in Sturgeon, Mo-, have
a friend who is successful lawyer
His name is Thomas s. Carter, and hi
recently by reason Of his ingenuit,
conferred blessing not only upon tn,
profession, but upon all those liable Il
infract the laws. He invented til,
process Of conducting court trial b!
telephone-a great boon to suffering
humanity surely-and am not certain
but he is entitled to patent on hi
idea. The Fulton Sun, edited by IL
I other Of my friends, Colonel ". D
L Thomas, thus describes this interesting
: performance first thought Of by Colone
8 Carter, which is brand new, notwitt
l. standing King Solomon's dictum tina
u there is nothing new under the sun"
70 Recently man named Lawrence CON
q m:tted the offense of playing poker
l. Centralta, and warrant was sworn on
A. for his arrest. In the meantime he ha
escaped to Sturgeon, but was followe
s and captured by the marshal. who wa
l. | about to return with him to Centralit
e He consulted Attorney Thomas s. Garter
h and he told him the case could be tried b
phone. So Recorder Harris of Centrali
l. was called up over the New Century Tele
= phone line and the case stated. The war
rant was read, defendant pleaded guilt
In open court, the fine was assessed an
= the money paid over to the marshal, an
T. he returned minus the prisoner but wit
q the fine and costs paid as entered on til
- records books. We have heard Of peopl
It things but this Is perhaps the first cas
II ON record where a man was tried by sue
10 means.
le Lawyers and defendants in Grimm,
% cases will readily see the advantage
D. in Colonel Carter's plan. It will say
Ee much embarrassment and waste {
ID time. Brother Carter deserves tt
O. thanks Of the whole people.
,e A Rising Democrat.
v It Is curious what committee assigl
ID ments enable members to make reput'
o. tons. AS rule few men seek a
~ signments to any Of the three con
o. mittees on elections because usual
d such assignment means much drudgel
work and little glory. 1t will be r
,e membered, however, that Henry Cab
ID Lodge made great reputation in tt
10 house by serving on an election con
.. mittee. Unless l miss my guess, NJ
In Bowie of Alabama is in fair way
q. rival the reputation made by Lodge
rs that line Of work. He has made /
ar port in the Butler Horton case from S
es Louis which for lucidity and streng,
has never been excelled In the hou
rs and which is certain to attract mus
m attention and to bring Bowie into prof.
no inent notice He cuts up the majori
Pa report by the roots. Although Butte
he Democrat, was elected by 1858 majo
ar tty, the Republican majority of Il
-, committee brought I'm report Wli(