Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-08-20
Will the City Council Resign p


seven, saddled an enormous debt upon
the people, with little benefit to the
city at large, however much it may have
facilitated the sale of lots or increas-
ed the value of the residences Of AL.
derman and other city officers. With
the general stsgnstion of business, and
the general retrenchment in expenses
by all classes it would have been but
natural to suppose that the "conscript
fathers" satisfied with the damage which
they had already done; satisfied with the
improvements already made upon their
private property at the public expense
would have instituted system Of
economy and reform in the administra-
ton of our city finances; but such was
not the case. Economy and retrench-
ment have been laughed at. Public
sentiment was disregarded, the protests
of the tax payers were defied, the voice
of the press was power!ess and the ex-
travagance of the years of plenty was
only equalled by the reckless expendi-
lures projected for the years Of scarcity.
During the present year, just as the
country is slow y recovering from the
great financial revolution-while we
are weak and exhausted from the intlc-
ton of wildcat currcncy-when our
character and credit and means are at
their lowest point, instead ofmaking the
burdens of the tax paying community
as light as possible, a system of rcck-
less extravaganza has been pursued.
Tax after tax has been levied until it is
now almost an impossibility to wiring
more blood from the impoverished peo-
pie. The last levied tax of about
eighty eight thousand dollars has not
and cannot be collected. Indeed it has
been found necessary to borrow money
at extravagant rates to meet the inter-
est upon our bonded indebtedness-a
blessing which we also owe to these
patcrnal guardians Of the public veal.
Instead of relieving the city from its
embarrassmcnts, instead Of making
the burdens of the tax payers lighter,
the City Council has gone on making
expenditures, borrowing money at high
rates to meet them and sinking the city
deeper and deeper in debt, until now
the danger Of utter bankruptcy stares
us in the face.
Certain of the Aldermen, to their
credit be it spoken, have acted honest
ly and honorably in the discharge Of
their duties. They have opposed all
extravagant and all unnecessary expen-
ses with manliness and independence
which will not be forgotten by the
people whom they have faithfully rep
resented; but Others declaring that the
cries of Ietrcnchment and reform were
humbngs, having a majority of the
Council, have by outside arrangements
and secretly concocted plans, urged on
the city in career of reckless extrav-
agance and brought about the unfortu-
nate state of affairs under which we
now labor. No other course being left,
the council being deaf to the voice of
the people and the press, an appeal was
made to the courts and the strong arm
OF the law has been interposed between
the people and the Council.
Judge Grant procured an Injunction
to be Asued, enjoining the Council from
an appropriation Of one dollar an d from
creating any Indebtedness, however
small, except for the removal of nui-
sances, for such improvements as are
absolutely necessary for the health of
the city, and for the payment of the
salaries Of public officers.
Thus crippled, thus enjoined by the
law Ct the land, the council is now
powerless to do any further harm and
can be only ridiculous and the only
course left for their honorable BODY. is
to resign at once. The innocent mem
bers should no longer remain to incur
odium unjustly, in consequence Of their
connection with the Council, and the
persons who have been instrumental in
bringing about the present unfortunate
state Of affairs, can do no less, in JUS
tice to the people, than to resign the
positions which they have disgraced.
We speak not only our own opinions,
but echo the universal sentiment Of
upon the people when we call the
entire city government Immediately
b fesiea.