Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-03-12

II
Of courts office. The editor says he
has been and will be Every cautious"
in his illusions to this matter. This
was to be expected from Solomon.
He is very cautious" in all he says.
Mentions just enough every time to
lead his reader to believe that there
is something very rotten in the man
agement of county affairs which he
knows all about but is afraid to
print for fear officials will "hy the
COOP and leave the county or their
bondsmen in the lurch. Casts base
reflections by insulation and innuendo
upon the trusted officials of the
county. Then the World boasts of
its fairness and its aversion to per
sonalities. Yes, even after trying TO
poison the minds Of its readers by
mutation This the editor would
have you believe is due to cautious
ness" The truth Of the matter is
that IT is due to cowardice. The
screed on the clerk of courts Office
last week is but sister TO many
like articles published during the
past in the World. Let us see what
the facts are. AT a meeting OF the
board Of county commissioners held
in the early part Of February there
was some discussion among the COM
missioners as to an examination Of
the records of all the offices of the
county; but no action was taken aud
no record was made Of such discus
sion and nothing printed in the
official proceedings. just before
Chairman Long, of the board of
county commissioners, was to depart
on business tip to Arizona he
was approached by S. H., Egeland
and asked for authority to be dele
gated to him to employ experts to
examine the books of clerk Of courts
Smith. Mr.. Long very properly
refused to delegate any such author
ity as the board of county commits
sioners at no meeting had ordered
any such investigation Mr.. Ege-
land then informed Mr.. Long that
he was going down to the city and
he was going to call upon expert
accountants. Mr.. Long told him
that the county commissioners under
no circumstances would pay more
than $500 for the examinations. Mr..
Long went to Arizona and did not
have any idea or any knowledge that
Mr.. Egeland was going to st. Paul
and Minneapolis aud employ experts
to examine county officials at county
expense without a direct order from
the board OF the county commission
ers, incorporated in the minutes and
printed in the proceedings. Mr..
Egeland then saw Mr.. Wheeler and
together they went to Bristol and
saw Mr.. Moxness and the two gentle.
men gave their consent for Mr..
Egeland to go to Minneapolis or St.
Paul and employ expert accountants
at $40 per day to examine the books
of the clerk Of courts, The men
arrived from the city and we're
introduced to Clerk Smith by Com
missioner Wheeler. The clerk
believing that the investigation was
being made by order Of the board
turned his books over to the gentle-
men and they began their iinvesti-
CATION. Mr.. Smith then went to
look up the authority for the inves-
CATION and he found no action had
been taken by the board as board
and he very properly withdrew his
books from the experts and refused
to let them proceed further. There
was hasty meeting OF the board of
county commissioners called and the
matter was laid before the members
present, but as Chairman Long was
still IN Arizona i was decided to
bold the matter open until the
regular meeting which was held last
Tuesdsy. On Tuesday Deputy
State Pqblicg Examiner Fountain
appeared IN this city il response to
q letter written BY Frank Anderson,
the lawyer, which had reached the,
public examiners Office, in which 4
was stated that Mr.. Smith refused
" 7 q, l l7'I the men apthorized BY the.
county commissioners make an inyes.
tigatien Of his Office. 81 Tie matter
was taken Cup 'betors the board
Immediately 3and MI. Smith was