Supreme Court Backs Benton County Taxpayers in Bond Case

The decision of the supreme court in the Benton county court house bond case only confirms the belief that the day has passed when a public official can assume a public-be-damned attitude and get away with it. The time has passed when the will of the people can be lightly overridden and the rights of the voter and taxpayer ignored by irresponsible or dishonest officials. By many the court's decision will not be regarded as a victory for Kennewick over Prosser in their fight for the county seat, but rather as an object lesson to other officials who may be inclined to assume arbitrary powers and abuse the trust reposed in them. To those who have given of their time and money to fight the case the decision brings a satisfaction that is all the more complete because the higher court ruled as it did, not because of some legal technicality, but because the record is reeking with bad faith. There might have been a court house in Prosser today had not Commissioners Clements and McNeil sought to abuse and misuse the power conferred upon them by the voters of Benton county.