Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-12-22

ian forth, why the people of Cloathel,
',nl, shoild erect their public bnildinal
VA sneud their money for the special
lson,ape ofthc "wcathy" ci,gcns of your
,.,,tpfising' and "public spirited" bot.
..sh Lei us cxaminc them briefly IL
MAR order
lie argues that the Legislature, by
e,na the county seat ON the lands %
Mrbam Wilmer (who paid $1,000, as an
inJncement,) thereby entered into con-
,4act which, IL violated, will compel the
.onnty TO refund the money IL received,
.nJ nav to the lot holders under abraham
T'ider' the damages that result from lis
Arrangement! What an argument for a
LAWYER? It's simple statement carries with
4 rs own refutation The act of the Leg
;,amre fixing the county seat at Clearfeld
!, like every other Act of Assembly, and
S,biect to repeal, change, or modification,
Ly the power that enacted it, But assum-
n N he a contract liable to infringement
NJ one save Abraham Wilmer or his heirs
nonld avail themselves of its breach TO re-
cOver damages, and IL is impossible for
tbcm to sustain any, as thoy do not own
a goot'of soil in or about the borough OF
Clarified! TO argue that the "owners OF
lotsp who trace their title TO Abraham
Wilmer, could recover damages for the viz
olaton of such a contract, is simply puer-
ile As well might it be said that would
baye right to recover damages from the
owner of a manuiactory who, after selling
mo n lot contiguous TO it, removes his es-
t,blishment, thus deprcciating the value
oGmy property. Yet were | to employ
lbe learned author of the memorial" as
INV attorney 20 institute an action under
srcn circumstances, he would be laughed
ont of Court. Bnt the reiutation of such
an argument is idle No one knows bet
for than the writer Of that memorial, -
that if there was really "a contract" such
a, he labors to prove there would be no
Asneerofthe removal of the public build
mps from Clearheld, for any Act of As
sembly that would affect the rights of the
nArties under that Contract" would be de-
dared. by the Supreme Court, unconsti-
tutional and void. Hence if he believed
his own argument, he would be the las;
man to spend fee days of his valuable time
in the preparation OF his memorial" or
exert himself to defeat the bill asked ioI
by the citizens of Curwensyille. Hewould
calmly and dispassionately await the issue,
aad if they obtained the passage Of an act
20 10 the Supreme Court and have it an.
nalled on the univesal and firmly rooted
principle, that no State can pass law I'M
pairing the obligations of q contract. y
The tax payers, therefore, may rest assur.
cd. that if the public buildings can be re.
n5yed at all, there will be no damages tC
ray in consequence. So much for his first
Bsition.
2. His next treason" is that the assessed
value of the property of the citizens o
YOUR borough IS greater than that of any
two districts in tue county. Admitting
!. to be true, the force of this argument il
not very apparent. lfthe people OF Cler
field are so very wealthy, and so much op
posed to the removal of the county bull
dings, why do they not offer to do wha
the people Of Curwensville propose, ant
thus save the taX>payers the cost OF then
erection? Why, too, do they not build {
respectable hotel, that when people at
tend court they can be comfortably accom-
modated? 1t is a fact, known to every maj
compelled to visit your town, that ther'
is not building in it that will afford de
cent hotel accommodations. 1t is impos
sible forAny inn keeper, how sver much
he NAV be disposed to promote the com
fort of his guests, to furnish proper enter
tainment in the miserable, old, rickct,
buildings now used as hotels. They woulc
be disgrace to village possessing one
fourth the wealth that the Memorial at
tributes to the Contemplating and ''rnhli'
spiitcd" citizens of Clcarfeld. lfthc peo
pie in your town are so rich, and the los!
Of the public buildings so great calamit,
why surely they can afford to erect then
at their own expense, togither with a tirf
class hotel, and thus prevent tlcir reno
VAL One would suppose if poor, poverty
stricken Curwensville can afford to do so
that the wealthy nabobs of your enterpri
sing borough would scarce miss from thei
Overflowing Golfers the paltry AMOUNT nee
essary for the purpose. IL comes with
bad grace from men so opulent-the own
ers Of such large possessions-to ask th'
poor taxpayers to improve their tow
aud lncrcse the value of their property, ol
ready worth more than twice as much a
that of any other two districts in the coun
try. The complacency with which the au
ther of tie Memorial" bo;s 5 of the atfiu
enee fyour town, and at the same tim
asks those of other parts of the ceunty
whom he demonstrates to bo 80 poor IL
comparison, to forego the opportunity 0
having their public buildings erect
ed free Of cost, for the special advantag
Of the borough of CleNrheld, remids on
very much of "beggars on horseback. -
We come now to his third division.
3. 1t is argued that "Cleartield borougl
is in a more central position than Cur
wensvillc." 1t is a well known fact tina
Curwensyille is within two miles OF tn
centre of the county, and assuming 1t t
be otherwise, there can be but little douh
what conclusions will be arrived at, whe
the alternative is presented to the peopl
oItraveling a few miles farther, or payln
increased taxes. But, says the "mem(
rial, it amounts to very little inasmuc
as the erection of Pine county has becom
afSed fact" If it has, it is certainly nc
to be attributed 10 the redemption OF tn
oftrepeated pledges of the wealthy me
of rlca.Eal ~ re ,l,o,, boyo baa,, uuIunI