Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-09-02
A Statement of the Case.

Ever since the present manager of |
the republican machine organ came |
here from Linn county in 1898 there |
has been systematiZed effort to bank. |
rupt and destroy the Index, and the |
suit now being pushed by the county
attorney has Its origin several years in
the past. Since the organ" week in
and week out contains false statements
concerning this suit and is attempting
TO mislead the public, the Index deems
1t expedient to give correct state ment
OF the trouble from the beginning.
When the present manager of the
"organ" came to this city from Linn
county the republicans had control Of
the Board Of Commissioners and conse.
quently got the county printing at prac.
tically legal rates which they held until
the spring of 1901 when there was a
change In the political complexion of
the Board and the Index got tho con-
tract at 70 per cent. AS soon as the
Board changed, the machines hireling
at once besieRed few political bosses
to get special printer law through the
legislature making the Office Of county
printer elective and greatly increasing
the emo'uments, believing that he could
easily be elected In the fall because the
county had all along been giving the
state and presidential ticket a majority
OF 100 and over. The campaign came
on and the issues were warmly discus.
Sed and the morning after the election
showed . majority of $50 In favor of
the Iudex and AGAINST the special graft
which was intended to be captured by
it, frAmer.
AS soon As the publishers of the In
dex took the Office In January 1902
about half dozen of unscrupulous
politicians. one Of whom was tba "or-
Ean's" tool, began to set up jobs to de.
prive the Index OF what the law pro-
vided we should have and they succeed
ed in controlling some officers, and two
reports specifically provided for in that
law, were never submitted for publ
cation although the law plainly says
the printer shall publish them and be
paid for the work. We prepared to do
that work. entailed the necessary ex-
pense, demanded it but it was refused
We held the Office one year and were
then legislAted out OF office. although
We were elected for two years. Since
we were deprived of the last half OF
our term, we thought 1t no more than
justice that we should be paid what was
due Us previously and hence brought
suit for the salary denied us by virtue
of the refusal of the officers to prepare
the treSsurer's quarterly statement
and the commissioners annual state
ment for publication, as provided
by the law under which we were
elected.
It was desired by US as we'll as by
the commissioners that this suit should
be decided on its merits to determine
whether or not an officer could with.
hold these reports from publication
and the county attorney was instructed
to resist the suit along these lines. But
instead of doing this, he brought suit
against one of the publishers Of the
Index for 81, ,497 80, alleging that we
received the sum of $74S 80 while coun-
~ printer illegally and that we should
refund double the amount.
This was done without the knowledge
or consent Of the county commissioner
and after two members Of the Board sait
30 publicly, the county attorney ,severa
weeks later. caused bogus record Il
be made on the commissioners iourna
In the hope OF bolsterlng him up, but
but he did not cause IL to be signed by
any member OF the Board.
OF the $74S!S0 which he claims was
illegally paid. $345. IL arises out OF the
publication OF the delinquent tax list
He claims that because we died oul
affidavit of publication with the CLERK
Instead Of the treasurer. we are not en-.
titled TO compensation but must render
the work for nothing. although the law
under which We were elected
says plainly that the afidavit must be
filed with the clerk. which We did. The
old statute which had nothing TO do
with our Office, provided that affidavit
OF publication must be flied with the
treasurer, where the work was done on
contract, which did not apply to this
county. Notice the method in this
instance. They admit the work was
done, the Index is out lot Of cash In