 |
| Benjamin Tillman. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, March 22, 1902.
REPEAL OF WAR TAXES.
Revenue Measure Was Passed Without a Division.
BILL TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT.
Killing or Attempting to Kill the President or Any Sovereign of a Foreign Country Made Punishable With Death—Detail of Guard to Protect the President.
Washington, March 22.—Two important measures were passed by the senate, the bill for the repeal of the war revenue taxes and that for the protection of the president of the United States. The revenue bill was passed without division and after only one short speech. Mr. Tillman protested against the repeal of the duty of 10 cents a pound upon tea.
The bill for the protection of the president was under discussion during the greater part of the session.
Mr. Patterson made a speech opposing it, and Mr. Fairbanks one supporting it. All amendments to it were rejected and it was passed by a vote of 52 to 15.
The bill provides that any person within the United States who shall willfully kill the president or any officer on whom the duties of president may devolve, or any Sovereign of a foreign country, or shall attempt to kill any of the persons named, or shall conspire to accomplish their death, shall be imprisoned not to exceed twenty years; that any person who shall threaten to kill or advise or counsel another to kill the president of any official on whom the duties of president may devolve, shall be imprisoned not exceeding ten years; that any person who shall willfully aid in the escape of any person guilty of any of the offences mentioned shall be deemed an accomplice and shall be punished as a principal.
The secretary of war is directed to detail from the regular army a guard of officers and men to protect the president ''without any unnecessary display," and the secretary is authorized to make regulations as to the dress, arms and equipments of such guard.
Votes against the bill were cast by Senators Bacon, Bailey, Bate, Berry, Blackburn, Carmack, Clay, McCumber, Mallory, Patterson, Pettus, Rawlins, Taliaferro, Tillman and Wellington.
In the House.
Washington, March 22.—Yesterday the house passed the river and harbor bill, which has been under consideration throughout the week. Although several minor amendments were adopted not a single dollar was added to the measure, and as passed, it carried exactly what it did when it came from the committee, $60,688,267, including authorizations.
Mr. Sulzer attempted to force a record vote on the final passage of the bill but only three members, Messrs. Smith, Fitzgerald and Cochran supported him.
 |
| Daniel Webster. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Direct Primary Elections.
Daniel Webster said in his day and generation: "It is time to do away with caucuses. They make great men little and little men great. The true source of power is the people." Perhaps we have made some advancement in our political methods since then, but it is still a far cry into the future to the political millennium.
The state of Minnesota, proceeding upon the theory of Webster that "the true source of power is the people," has taken a decided step in this direction, the effects of which other commonwealths may do well to thoughtfully consider. The Minnesota plan embraces two ideas combined in one procedure called "a primary election." Idea No. 1 is that the people shall do their own nominating instead of delegating that duty to conventions. Idea No. 2 is that they shall do their nominating almost exactly as they do their electing, with all the conveniences and safeguards now found on the general election day and with all parties doing the work at the same time and in the same place.
In carrying out the second idea a ballot is provided for each party, and as the voter comes to the rail he must name which party ballot he wants. If required, he must take oath that in general he supported the ticket of that party at the last election and means to support it at the coming election. A convert, then, must abstain from caucuses for a year, a sort of political penance or a season for prayerful meditation that any neophyte ought to expect. The more practical phase of it is that this lessens the chance of packing a primary with voters of another party.
This plan of primary elections is no longer an experiment but has proved entirely satisfactory in practical operation. Speaking of it, a writer in The National Magazine says: "The Minnesota plan lets any man be a candidate who will pay a small fee for having his name put on the ballot. Parlor caucuses cannot dictate nominations. The machine candidate stands no better chance than any other candidate. No aspirant need put himself under obligations to ring or boss or corporation before he will have a ghost of a show. Nominees will go to the polls unhampered by promises. Those elected will fill their offices with obligations only to the electors, the people. Political debts will no longer clog and hamper and embarrass."
Manifestly in a republican form of government the political methods which give the people the largest opportunity to express their will and have it carried into effect is most in harmony with the spirit of our institutions. Frequently under the caucus systems which prevail in other states it is not the will of the people, but the will of a faction or individual, a ring or a boss which is registered in the nomination of candidates for office. The Minnesota plan is worthy of emulation.
 |
| Orris U. Kellogg. |
THE PUBLIC MEETING
HELD TO CONSIDER PURCHASE OF WATERWORKS.
Lengthy Discussion But No Results Attained—Several Tilts Between Speakers—Large Crowd Present—Motion to Adjourn Prevailed While Trying to Divide the House on a Vote Concerning Appointment of Committee to Investigate Further.
Fireman's hall was packed to the doors last night when Mayor Charles F. Brown called to order the public meeting of citizens, who had assembled to discuss the water situation. A great deal of talking was indulged in, and that is about all the meeting amounted to. No one seemed much the wiser when he came out of the meeting than he was when he went in. When the meeting was over a man was noticed in the back part of the hall, apparently in deep meditation. In response to a question in regard to what he was soliloquizing about, he said that he was just trying to find out what he had found out.
Mayor Brown called the assemblage to order and stated that the meeting was called in response to a petition of nearly fifty taxpayers. He read the petition and called for nominations for a chairman, and in a very short space of time the mayor found that he had been selected. Mr. Charles W. Collins was made secretary, and thus the meeting started off.
M. E. Sarvay asked if it was true that the Water company asked for a greatly advanced price, as the petition stated. Mayor Brown answered that he did not consider that the company was asking for a large increase.
Theodore Stevenson said that it was commonly reported that the original cost of the plant was $48,000. If $27,000 has been put in since for improving the system and extending the mains this would make the total cost of the plant $75,000. Add to this 33 1/3 per cent to provide for the company's making something in closing out its business and for recompensing it for demonstrating that the water was good, etc., then the cost would be only $100,000. He stated that the contract with the company had called for three drinking fountains and for two watering troughs. In reference to buying the plant he said that if the business is profitable to the company, it would be profitable to the city. He criticized the Water company for not placing 8-inch water mains in the manufacturing district of the city. If the city owned the plant it could extend the mains as it saw fit.
George B. Jones was of the opinion that the city should wait five years until the end of the contract with the Water company before anything was done about buying. He believed in letting well enough alone. The city should go on and perform its part of the contract and look to the company to do its part. He thought the service that the company had given was very good.
Ira Dexter asked if the present contract with the company could be renewed.
Hon. O. U. Kellogg gave his opinion that the contract could not be renewed.
Dr. F. D. Reese said that he had nothing at all against the Water company and that he believed the water was the best in the state, but he was firm in the belief that the city should own the plant. In the eastern part of the city are many poor homes, he contended, that cannot have the city water and are forced to use water that the board of health would not allow dairymen who furnish milk for the city to give their cows. If the city purchased the plant it would not have to pay hydrant rentals, and what is now paid for this purpose would easily cover the expense of flushing the sewers. He read a letter from Chas. A. Fuller of Sherburne in regard to the situation in that town under municipal ownership. The system there, he said, was a gravity system, and kitchen faucets cost $5 per year for the first and $2.50 for the second. Closets [toilets] and bath tubs cost $1.50 each per year.
William Riley said if the contract cannot be renewed why not buy the works at once. He was of the opinion that the meeting should take immediate action in the matter, or adjourn.
Mr. Stevenson said that Fulton and Oswego Falls in the first year under municipal ownership had paid $1,000 into the sinking fund besides making many improvements. He thought too that if the city had the running of things it would not sell $8 meters for $14, as he was informed the Water company does. In regard to a franchise he said that if the company furnished water at its own price and meters at its own price the city should furnish franchises at its price.
Dr. F. W. Higgins asked for information in regard to the processes of the law should the city decide to own the works.
City Attorney Fred Hatch was called upon to answer this, and he stated that there were two ways by which the city could come into possession of the works. The first was to get the present owners to sell, and the second was to institute condemnation proceedings under the law. Under these proceedings the company would be obliged to sell and the city would be obliged to buy at the appraised valuation of the plant.
The matter of whether the city could buy without exceeding the bonding capacity, which is 8 per cent of the assessed valuation, brought forth several opinions as to how much the bonded indebtedness of the city is at the present time. The assessed valuation is about $6,000,000, and 8 per cent of this or $480,000, represents the bonding capacity. The city attorney reckoned that the bonded indebtedness of the city is now about $345,000, including $19,500 soon to be issued for school purposes. This would leave about $125,000 that the city could yet be bonded for.
Mr. Stevenson claimed that he got figures from the city chamberlain and that the city was now bonded for only $200,000, including the railroad bonds. This would leave the bonding capacity of the city $248,000. "There are two dark horses in this deal," said Mr. Stevenson, "the company is afraid it will not get all the plant is worth, and the city is afraid it will pay too much for it."
Mr. Riley was in favor of acting in the matter at once and he called upon the company to name its price for the works if it wished to sell out.
Hugh Duffey thought some member of the Water company should explain their situation. He did not think it fair for any one to get up and make assertions about the company when he knew nothing about what he was stating. He was not interested in the Water company at present, but was at one time, and at that time he knew that the investment was not a good one.
Mr. Kellogg spoke for the company and stated that it did not wish to antagonize the citizens and taxpayers of Cortland. The company wished to treat the city fairly and wanted the same treatment from it. He reviewed the history of the dealings of the company with the village and later the city, and challenged any one to name an instance where the company's dealings with the city had not been fair. In reply to Mr. Stevenson's remarks about the charges for meters he said that all of the meters the company sold for $14 cost by the quantity $12.40 a piece before the freight was paid upon them. The company is now bonded for $150,000 and since the company was formed the stock has paid only 1.9 per cent. Last year the cost to the city for water was $4,966.66, while the company paid in taxes over $1,000 in that time. He called attention to the fact that provision must be made at once for increasing the facilities of the works to tide over in times of droughts. The company would accept a gross sum for extra water used in flushing sewers and in the schools. If the people want to own the works the company would not have one word to say against lt. The city could not contract with the company for more than ten years. He did not think the city had a bonding capacity of more than $133.000, and it would not be wise nor prudent to incur indebtedness to the limit of the city's credit, as there were many things that would soon have to be provided for. Trunk sewers would probably have to be made soon to carry water on Railroad and Port Watson-sts., to carry the water to the river. The water rates are fair and liberal, but they could not be compared to rates in places where gravity systems were used.
Dr. Higgins moved that a committee to investigate the matter of the city's bonding capacity and if the interest on bonds would be more than what the city now pays for water. Also to get a price from the water company.
W. L. Loope said the meeting was left in the dark in regard to the amount upon which the company reckoned its rate of interest. If the business was a losing one and the company was so alarmed about the water giving out in times of droughts, why were they so anxious to renew the contract?
E. E. Mellon recounted the fire disasters previous to the existence of the present water works, and stated that in ten months about the year 1883, over one-half million dollars' worth of property was destroyed. The fire protection now is very good.
At this point L. M. Loope seconded Dr. Higgins' motion that a committee be appointed. Mr. Mellon then moved as an amendment that the motion be laid on the table. This was seconded and a vote was taken by ''ayes" and "nays." The vote was so evenly divided that the chairman was unable to decide the result. It was then proposed to divide the house, but while the matter was under consideration some one moved to adjourn. This received a ready second and when put to a vote the adjournment was carried by a large majority.
The meeting was characterized by frequent tilts between the speakers, and a number of personal remarks were indulged in. So far as practical results are concerned the meeting was barren. The whole matter, however, may be better understood by all concerned and satisfactory terms will doubtless be made by the common council between the city and the company at the meeting next Monday night.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements today are—R. W. Mitchell, Meats, page 5; Baker & Angell, Shoes, page 6.
—Cortland will soon have a special college season with the Yale university basketball team here on March 31, and the Amherst college dramatic association in "The Royal Guest" on April 1.
—The last of the stereopticon lectures by Rev. W. J. Howell upon his last summer's trip to Europe will be held in the First Baptist church on Monday night, March 24, at 8 o'clock. Theme: "Historic Scenes and Picturesque Scenery in the British Isles."
— The First Baptist, Memorial Baptist, First Methodist and Presbyterian churches omit their services tomorrow evening to join in the union farewell service at the Congregational church for Mr. Yost, the retiring pastor. At the close of this service an opportunity will be given to those who desire to do so to bid goodby to Mr. and Mrs. Yost as they leave the following morning for Omaha.
No comments:
Post a Comment