Amador ledger., 1903-04-10
COUNTY PATRONAGE.

OnpleaSant Gnough the subject be,
we feel constrained to refer to the
action of the board of supervisors
this week in declaring the Amador
Record the official paper-that is,
the medium through which advertise
ments ordered by the board shall be
published. For two years the Led
ger in a nominal way has enjoyed
this distinction. The patronage of
the board of supervisors of Amador
county is probably less than any
other county of equal wealth and
population in the state. Small as
it is, the Ledger has never received
it all. Whenever a notice had to be
published which concerned some par
ticular portion of the county outside
of the county seat, such notice has
usually been published in the paper
published within the boundaries of
the affected territory. The proposed
incorporation of Sutter Creek may
be cited as a case in point. That
notice-as profitable one as any
published during the past two years
was ordered published in the Rec
ord, notwithstanding the. fact that
the paper voiced neither the views
of the majority nor those of the su-
pervisor of that district. To this
policy the Ledger never raised a
word of protest, Notwithstanding it
was a radical departure from the
course followed by the board during
the long period of democratic ascen-
dancy.
April is the month when the ad
vertising for proposals for supplies
of court house and hospital is or
dered. Ordinarily the advertising for
that month amounts to as much as
for all other months combined. 1t
has never before been selected as the
time for making any change in the
official newspaper, and not the
slightest intimation of anv contem-
plated change, or any movement to
that end, reached the editor of the
Ledger from any source. The whole
scheme was hidden away in the minds
of its concoctors, and those who lent
themselves so meekly in CARRYING it
into execution" There was no op-
portunity given to Offset the move
ment in any way. 1t was star
chamber proceeding from its con-
ception to its consummation. We
men tion this fact not merely in ius-
tice to ourself, but to show what ex.
alted ideals some people cherish
regarding the proper conduct of pub
lie business.
The proprietors OF lone Echo and
Sutter Creek Record, no doubt in
pursuance of preconcerted ar
rangement, each forwarded a COM
munication asking that his publica-
tion be declared the official paper.
Tuesday afternoon the chairman of
the board announced that an "exe-
cutive" session was in order. This
was an intimation for all spectators
to withdraw, that a secret conclave
was on tap. This closed-door custom
is an innovation of recent years
one that would be far more hon
ored in the breach than in the keep
ing. Who or what was executed at
this secret gathering we do not
know. Upon again assembling in
open session, the democratic mem
Der from Plymouth, if you please,
moved that the Record be declared
the official paper. Think of it. No
question of closer partisan charac-
ter can arise than giving the county
advertising to the paper or papers
supporting the candidates of the
dominant party. Such matters ought
to be settled by caucus of the. mem
bers of the party of the majority.
Democrats would not invite repub-
licans to participate in caucus in
volving their party interests. But
here we have democrat naming be-
fore a republican board the official
paper of Amador county. What a
spectacle for the stalwart republi-
cans of Amador county to contem-
plate. If democrat should nomin-
ate other than a member of his par
ty for United States senator in a re-
publican legislature, that act would
either be deemed sufficient to read
him out of his party, or be viewed
with such suspicion by the members
of the majority party that they
would consider it their duty to fight
shy of such nominee. They would
not only revolt at the idea of man
outside their party lines assuming
to lead them on political question,
but they would argue that the can
didate that was satisfied with a
democratic send-off under such con-
ditions, was not the right kind of
material to command republican
votes. But the republican super
visor from township three played
the amiable role of seconding the
motion. This was in accordance
with the eternal fitness of things.
1t was in keeping with the hybrid
policy mapped out, and the go-be-
tween sheet they had mutually
decided upon as their mouthpiece.
W. M. Amick of lone, to his credit
be it said, had sufficient appreciation