Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-10-20
POSITION OF
ATTORNEY NELL
EXPLAINS Platform Upon Which
He Would Accept Prose
cutor's Office


wrote to Attorney Thomas Neill, of
/ this city, asking if Mr.. Neill wished
election as prosecuting attorney of
4 Whitman. county. Mr.. Neill's reply,
/ in which he states his position, and
1 gives the platform upon whcih he
stands, is quoted in full below, as
1 there are hundreds of voters who have
/ doubted that Mr.. Neill would accept
/ the Office if elected, but who will
/ gladly give him their votes knowing
that he will serve if elected. The
wish to see Mr.. Neill in the office of
prosecuting attorney comes from voters
Of all parties, who recognize his
ability and fitness for the place. Mr..
Neill's letter follows:
1 Your letter at hand and contents
noted. In reply will try and make
clear to you my position in the matter
Of the prosecuting attorneyship.
"There are many reasons why it
would be impossiblee for me to move
my family back to Colfax without a
great personal loss, and you can ap-
preciate how inconvenient it would be
for me to live there and have my
family here, which l would have to do
if elected.
Again, l can make more money
here than the office pays, so that from
financial stanpoint it would not pay
me to take the office.
Again, you know how hard it is
to fill this office to the satisfaction
even of the majority of the people.
4 You are damned if you do and you
y re damned if you don't. Every one
is willing to condemn but few are
I willing to give credit where credit
is due. ~
From this it is evident that | do
not want the office, and if my personal
feelings were all that were involved |
would say that | do not want any
votes. But realize that a man is a
poor citizen who will not make sacri-
fees of his personal affairs to serve
the public when the public makes a
fair demand for his services.
Il therefore feel like this about
\ the matter: If the people want me
as their prosecuting attorney and by
their votes elect me shall certainly
serve and fill the office to the best of
my ability, and in doing this would
be guided by the law and my oath of
Office without fear or favor and ire
spective whether it would please or
offend any number or all the people.
reasonably / do not know of any indi-
Hdual would willingly prosecute,
Dut If it were my duty to do so,
Know of no one under any circumstan-
ces which | would not prosecute, and
conceive it to be the duty of prose
cutting attorney to prosecute those
charged with violating the law, where
The interest of society would demand.
- do not think that the prosecuting
attorney should have all the say as tc
who should be and who should not be
prosecuted, and hence am in favor OF
d grand jury being called periodically.
l do not believe in making crime
an asset of the county, and hence the
question of expense would not enter
INTO the matter of determining whether
prosecution should or should not be
instituted.
The answer then to your question
may be stated as follows:
If the voters of this county, with
0ut solicitation from me, demand that
! serve them as prosecuting attorney
Will do so, but | will be as well
p'eased if they select some one else.
Thanking you and the friends
ABOUT Oakesdale for their kindly inter
est and hoping that | have made
myself understood, / remain.
Yours truly,
Thomas Neill.