The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-11-26
sAfURDAY, NOTEMBER &c, 1s7o.
ICoDmnnicated.
nnanIng RfraAfa.

WHcHIHS HkFeetss
20 ne H0aoraoIs, the Mayor azf Camel.
Allow a tax payer, groaning as DO
htely Rs possible under the burthep
OF taxation, emRhatically to call you
attention 70 only ore great abuse o
the pJWers Of your body By member
OF both political parties, to-WIt.: tht
opening, the widening snd the straight
eulng OF ali sor OF reets and alley.
upon local petitions. at the public anc
general expense.
The general city charter law gov
ernInC all the cities Q the State, ex,
Cept Evansville, expressly provide:
for the expense Of al such improve
ments. aud authorizes it 10 be assessed
against suy property benefited by tbs
improvement pstitioaed for, alloWins
10 proper cases, where the whole pub
lie Is benefited, the commissioner OF
appr&isement to say what part of the
expsnse, If any, shall be borne By the
ciy.
The Legislature has thus clearly
recognized the injustice Of doing these
things at the public expense for the
benefit Of Zach particular locality.
What earthly interest, for instance.
has First, Second, Fourth or Fifth,
Main, Locusf. Walnut and Chestnut
Streets In the opening OF Fourth
Street from Gum to Powell Streets.
&C Z public expense Of "a, 4,0002 I wish
90 sag nothing rejecting on the
integrity Of any advocate of sueh
measures as this aud several others
Of the sams profigata description,
and / charge it on neither political
party, bat l say there has been no
proper Eeheotioa oa the effect aud
tendency of such pubic expendi-
f0Tee, and that IN their diresS effect
and tendency they are unjust, in
equitable, and ruinousIy pFohigate.
Tnat &c would Ds equally right and
just fer the City Council TO fill up ell
low lots, or 20 make ali side walks,
or 70 plant all shade trees for
the Inhabitants Of q particular To-
cslity ss 20 open streets tor thsm,
&C the public expense. Lie is totally
DIFF ,rent from expenses Of lighting or
cleaning streets, or watering the whole
CITY and other public expenses of
purely general nature. The expenses
Of opening. Strengthening OF widening
any particular street or alley, is In Ripe
eases out of ten. so purely a local Inter
est. that ir you'd be rseless to submit
thsquestion Of the Improvement TO the
people at large. for they would ia nine
cases out of ten vote it down, aud if
Counoilmen will ask themselves the
question when such measures come
up:" Would the people, If submitted to
their vote for or against such an ex-
penditure By the city at large2 not
00e OF them, who cOnsoientiOusiy cares
fur the viii Of the people, will ever
vote for such measure again. In all
cases the proprietors, in neighbor-
ho0is peutioniDg for such i'm
proVemests, lave got possession
of their property in full view
Of the depreciation OF inconvenience
which such properly suffers for the
cost of such an improvement, and
have IN consequence of such incon-
venisnoe got the property 80 much
cheaper. IF their property is to be
benefited By such an improvement,
and my property, IN another locality
10 not to be benefited, what right |
have they to ask that I shall bear an
equal part of the expense Of the i'm
proVement Of their pFoperfyI The
whole vicious principle involved in this
squaLderiug the public money on par
ticuler aud private individuals is emi
nensly dangerous, because il Is im-
possible when allowed ae all to say
where it will stop. because tens aud
hundred Of thousands are ss liable to
be spent in this way as thousands.
If il Is possible that any man can |
make any just defenes OF these ex-
penditures, I shall be glad to have
him attempt it.
Very respectfully. yours.
JOHN IEGLE. JR.
EvANsvILLE. Nov. 24th. 1870.