The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-10-01
nemncrafic RInndarIne.

Gov. Baker. in bis speech in La
masco on Thursday evening. said, if
there was an illegal way to do thing,
the Democracy always chose that way
in preference to the legal way. Ia IL
lustration. he cited the fact that the
present City Council. had chosen the IL
legal in preference to the legal, way Of
constructing Water Works. and that.
10 consequence, they would be a con-
slant source of expense rather than
revenue to the city. He gave bis opin-
ion, as lawyer, that there was no
law that would authorize the Council
to collect one cent Of any householder
for water he might consume. any
more than there was to authorize that
body to erect a toll gate on Main
Street and collect tolls thereon. He
stated, moreover. that the Council
was aware of its inability to collect
water rents, but depended upon
future legislation to confer that power
upon it.
This is another interesting fact to
the smaller class of tax payers. They.
especially those living in the outskirts
of the city, will derive but little ad-
vantage from Water Works. It will
be their wealthy neighbors in the
heart Of the city-the rich manufao-
turers and men who live in fine
housewife will enjoy the luxury of
Water Works. Yet the poor men
will be taxed equally with those who
enjoy the luxury towards defraying
the annual expenses thereof. They
will be taxed roundly to meet the an
nual interest on the three or four
hundred thousand dollars worth of
bonds issued to pay for its construction
and to pay for the salary Of superin-
tendenrs, engineers and employees.
These men = who, although in
diVidually they do not pay
such large amounts of taxes-in
the aggregate pay a largo proportion
Of the city revenue. They will not be
such fools as to consent to be taxed
yearly for an Improvement they can
not enjoy. Therefor they will insist
that water pipes be spread through
every street, SO that every tax payer
who wishes to dose. can tap the pipes
and obtain, with those moro centrally
located, full supply of water free
from turbidity," and free Of cost. And
this demand willsbe simple justice, and
could not reasonably be objected to
by any Council.
Is there a taxpayer In the city sc
obtuse as not to be able to compre-
bend the enormous expenditures thai
such an extension of Water Works
would necessarily involve? To rur
pipes through every street, so thai
every taxpayer could be supplied
with water by the city. would involve
an outlay Of hundreds of thousands o.
dollars. in addition to the large
amount already contracted away.
Yet, the great danger is upon US
The only possible relief is the doubt
full contingency Of hereafter securips
legislative action; and, in the opin
ion Of some good lawyers. ever
that viii prove Of questionable eff.
cacy. No other city in the STATE
has been guilty of such. consummat,
folly. The reason is, we presume
that no other city in the State. or, fol
that matter. in the West, is blessed
with such peculiar financial ability a
that embodied in our Committee OF
Finance and Water Works.
The important question for thu
people is. win it pay to invest in sucI
laundering to still greater extent
and hand even the county admins
tration to the same party which is Sc
wretchedly running aud running the
city. The question is for tax. payers
tc decide. We submit the facts upon
which they may, if they desire, arrive
at correct conclusions.