Semi-weekly herald., 1909-06-28
A wILFuLL LIE.


In order to cover up its graft OIL
city printing, The Democrat says +
hid lower on county printing and wa.
turned down by Charlton and Logan
This is lie. pure and simple Th.
Herald was not awarded the prinfins
higher bid than the Democrat
The county commissioners are com
PEELED by law to let printing to the
lowest responsible bidder and SO are
the aldermen OF the city OF Durango
or course its only natural that the
organ should defend the city council.
~hen made present of several hun.
died dollars. But the Democrats de.
Tense will never lift the stigma from
the six men who violated their oath
OF office Tuesday night will the Six
members who voted away from 500
TO 5000 of the city funds stand up
and say they We're not paying a po
liticai debt? Will they stand up and
say they are working for the interests
OF the city of Durango? They quibble
about 20 cents here and there and
put in hours discussing the enforce
iDent OF ordinances while they in turn
disobey an ordinance that is just as
binding on them as the one governing
the collection of taxes.
When the council started out It was
with flourish of trumpets. But how
have the mighty fallen. At the meet
ing held on the first day of this month
the city settled with the contractor or
sewer district No. 2. 1t was the duty
OF the contractor to leave the streets
and nllnya in incl
as when he started work. What do
we fnd. Two weeks later we find
Chairman Smith of the street and al
ley committee. who voted with the
olher members of his party for the
printing graft. apologeticaIly calling
attention 10 the necessity of levelng
streets crossed by the sewer in dis
trict No. and al city expense was
instructed to go ahead and have them
lepeled. Mr.. Smith said this work
should have been done by Mr. Lotus,
the contractor. AS chairman of the
streets and alleys committee, Mr.. |
Smith certainly knew their condition
Just as well before final settlement
with Mr.. LOTUS as he did two weeks
later. Why did he wait and ask for |
Ing Noi n uoue al tue Guy expense |
Certainly raw piece of work Many |
OF the alleys have humps in them a |,
foot high the whole length OF block |
Teamsters and delivery drivers are |
Kicking but they can continue to kick |
Judging by the work of the Demo |
cratic majority the. past few weeks
the taxpayers are in for IT, When |
there is more contract work to do |
under the same policy the DemocraticI |
politicians VIII be awarded the work |
he.
The writer has peen present at |
meetings when the city attorney dwelt
at length on provisions of the ordi
nances and the rights OF the council
bnt did he raise his voice against the
members violating their oath of office
and the ordinance governing city
printing? II the six Democratic mem
bers are bound hand and foot by their
organ they had better resign, especial |
ly In the light of Chairman Smiths |
remarks a week ago Tuesday night |
when he apologetfcally admitted the
city would have TO do the work that
should have been done by the sewer |
contractor. which is fair sample of
the way things are being run. No
wrathy Tuesday night and makes no
bones in saying the work OF the Demo
cratic combine is raw--very raw.