Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-11-04
Mr.. Sherwood has another letter

thereto would necessarily be repe-
tition Of the Records former art
icle. Mr.. S. does not in the least dis
prove or attempt to disprove the
charges in this paper that he violat-
ed his oath Of office; that he re-
peatedly broke the law; that he as
sisted in letting large contracts to a
pet corporation without soliciting
competitive bids as by statute or
dered to do; that he helped to pre-
sent more than thousand dollars to
the Hennepin Bridge Company
that he helped to let contract for a
bridge already built, and within a
half-hour after the contract was let
paid the money to an agent of the
Hennepin Bridge Company; that
he continued to represent the dis
trict in which he had been elected
for months after moving from such
district; that disinterested grand
jury, gatherd by lot from all parts
of the county. declared him and his
official copartners incompetent and
negligent, and asked the states at.
torney to proceed against them, and
that, on technicality sprung by the
commissioners attorney, an investi-
cation of the matter was prevented.
However, the facts remain that as a
result of the publicity given by
three Of the four newspapers of the
county to the bridge-building law
violations, the county board has
finally condescended to observe the
law in letting bridge contracts. AL
SO. that the persistent hammering
of the Braddock News, backed by
the practically unanimous public
opinion of that community, has
caused the commissioners, after
many months of delay, to open
long-needed road from the west to
Braddock. Mr.. Sherwood says he
was joking when he announced in
the presence of three or four men
that he was an anarchist, although
those who heard him did not consid-
er from his manner that he intended
it for joke. Perhaps, also, Mr.. S.
has been joking all those years that
he was violating the law by letting
illegal contracts in manner that
would allow unlimited opportunities
for graft in case majority of a
board should be dishonest. PERHAPS
he was joking when he gave to the
bridge company a thousand dollars
more than they had offered to do
the work for few months before.
Perhaps he was joking when he took
part in the letting of contract for
bridge already built and paid the
money within a half-hour after the
contract was let. If he was joking
in these matters as we'll as in the an
archlst declaration, heis possessed of
the most profound sense of humor of
any official gentleman that we re-
member to have ever known. He
is also very humorous in regard TO
the proposition that three Linton
business men why all business
men IN county nine-tenths farm
ers? shall say whether bridges let
illegally cost more than if let accord
ing to the clear and direct mandate
OF law. This joke is like that of the
fisherman who wanted to prove the
size of the big fish he had caught in
the Missouri by offering to show his
doubling neighbor the river where
in the fish was caught; for nobody
but the bridge company knows any,
thing about the matter of cheap-
ness. Mr.. Sherwood lays his great
est stress upon our reference to his
whiskers. With sorrow we admit
that it might have been possible
that the Record editor was possessed
IN greater or lesser degree by in
voluntary envy when he referred Ia
the Whiskers. But the fact is that
we have nothing but the supremest
respect. awe and admiration for
those whiskers. In truth, we'd be
pleased to have bunch like 'em.
to go with the bay-window in en-
HANGING our dignity. To us it is one
OF the sublime sights of the village
to see the majestic sweep of the
worthy gentleman's good right arm
as he pets the aforesaid whiskers !:
and those who have attended county
board meetings assert that it was a
vision for a lifetime when the sta!-
wart commissioner. with the sweep
aforesaid, would break into the un-
finished sentence of some humble
member and lay down matters and
things as they ought to be, and as
they had to be. As to the editor
who has dared to criticise the Off
cial acts of this mighty man, he is