Amador ledger., 1903-08-07
WHAT MEANETH THIS.

reputable tactics resorted to in order
to keep the justices salary case from
being appealed to the supreme
court are comparable only to the
low-down methods too often adopted
in the heat of political campaign.
The Ledger is being abused through
the length and breadth of the coun-
ty, in print, in the counsels of the
board of supervisors, and all because
it dares to advocate the pressing of
this salary grab to the highest court
for final adjudication. In the arti-
cles published in our contemporaries,
in the addresses of the attorney to
the board of supervisors, and in the
petition of the parties in interest
presented to that body, there runs
a sameness of sentiment and eX-
preston that impresses the thought
that one mind is not only directing
but actually putting in motion all
this machinery for the double pur-
pose of arousing public sympathy
for the justices and constables, and
creating sentiment against carry
ing the case beyond the trial court.
This week another phase of this
deep-laid scheme has developed.
Petitions have been started for sig
natures in the various townships,
we presume to be presented to the
supervisors at the next meeting, the
evident purpose being to influence
that body and also coerce the auditor
into issuing the warrants for salary
by showing if possible that the peo-
pie are overwhelmingly in favor of
that course.
The Ledger is surprised that the
township oficers-men whose sworn
duty it is to interpret and enforce
the laws, should, under any plea
whatever, allow themselves to be
betrayed into position so utterly
indetensible and untenable. Look at
the bill of complaint before the su-
pervisors. 1t is revolutionary in
its character. 1t asks the board to
pay-not their bills for fees earned
in criminal cases, of which the board
has jurisdiction, and would be abso-
lutely safe in paying. Indeed, the
auditor, G. L. Culbert, stated that
he was prepared to draw his war
rant for the respective amounts, if
allowed by the board, such pay
ments to be credited on their salary
accounts in the event of the supreme
court deciding the pending suit in
their favor. What could be fairer
than this? What more could the
auditor do, and at the same time do
his duty as public officer? The
offer was rejected, and we are in
formed the board was urged to re-
ject these bills. How hollow is their
plea in face of these facts. But no,
they want the supervisors to AFRO
gate functions which do not belong
to them, namely, to pre-judge their
case and anticipate the final action
of the courts, by ordering the au-
ditor to pay the salaries. Therein
they are asking them to violate the
law. They ought to know, and we
have right to assume that they do
know, that the supervisors have no
right to pass upon a question of
salary. What mockery public
petition means under these circum-
stances? What do they expect to
accomplish by it. Is it designed to
swerve the county auditor from the
path which he believes it to be his
sworn duty to tread? Is it to tempt
the supervisors to travel outside of
their authority by show of popular
clamor?
The supreme has been instituted
for the settlement of just such ques-
tions as are involved in this case. 1t
is up to Amador county, through
auditor Culbert, to carry the matter
to that tribunal, in the interest, not
of Amador county alone, but of the
people of the entire state. The Led
ger has consistently opposed this
salary grab scheme from its incipi-
ency up to the present time. We
have no apologies to make 1t is
of inferior moment to us wheth-
er we voice the views of the majority
or not. 1t is of supreme Importance
that we retain an approving con-
science by acting up to our convic-
tions of duty We belong not to
his party, and for the information of
those who are so industriously circu-
lating reports to the contrary we
may say, we have not attempted to
influence him in his course. We may
state further, however, that the
Ledger is not slow to commend a
faithful officer who boldly fronts in
the direction of duty when under
pressure, and they are making a wo-
full blunder who imagine that he is
apt to lose either political or per-
sonal prestige by such conduct.