Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-06-02
Railroad Elections.

I
ship to vote three per cent. tax in
aid of the Grinnell, Cedar Falls and
Wlnona II. II. was held last Satur~
day. The following is the result:
Votes cast, 100
For the tax, 81
Against the tax, a.
Majority for the tax, is
The election in Mt. Vernon was
held last Monday, resulting as fol-
lows:
Votes cast, 2l4
Against the tax, ia
For the tax, 100
Majority against the tax, II
When we come to estimate the
amount of dirty work done by Wa
terloo TO influence the people of Mt.
Vernon, it Is not matter OF sur
prise that the tax was defeated. 1t
will be readily admitted by major
ity of the people of that township,
that the result was against the best
ipterest of that town. Waterloo peo-
pie have taken great interest jim the
welfare of the people of Mt. Vernon.
They have canvassed from house to
house telling lies that would shame
the devil, and even improved the
Sabbath to spread legal opinions (?)
throughout the township. To show
up properly to the public the extent
that Waterloo will 30 to defeat what
may not be in their interest, We pub
lish the following extract from one
of the circulars distributed so freely
before and on the day of election:
". II. Palmer, Esq:
In compliance with your request
for opinion in writing, as To the eff
feet and force of the agreement made
10y the Grinnell, Cedar Falls a. Wi
mona Railway Company, that a tax,
If voted in your township, shall be
collected only III certain manner,
ut a certain time, we herewith sub
nit the following:
The law authorizing such tax is
based upon the idea that il is for the
benefit of the people of the township
alone, and not for the benefit Of any
railroad company. Hence, the only
parties having any legal interest in
the election and teRy and collection
of the tax are the tax payers of the
township. The railroad company
have no legal interest in it, and no
legal right, by contract or otherwise,
to interfere with, change, or in any
manner control the levy and collec>
ton of said tax. All the right the
company has therein is to draw the
money from the treasury when Ii is
collected, upon furnishing the evil
derce that they have complied with
the law. The law provides the man.
ner in which Il railroad tax shall he
collected. 1t makes It the duty of the
treasurer of the county, as Il public
officer, to collect it i'm the same mara
uer and at the same time that he Coz
lccts other municipal taxes; aud
there Is no person, company, power
or authority that can release him
from the performance of that duty,
IN the manner pointed ont, EXCEPT the
legislature that enacted it. 1t might
as we'll be maintained that bridge
contractor who is Untitled 10 his -;
for work done. from the county,
could release the treasurer from he
duty imposed on him of collecting
the road fund as required 10y law.
BoIEs, ALLEN & CoUCH.
DO the gentlemen whose names are
appended To this document admit
that it is their legal opinion? If SO,
we have only to add that reputation
and honor are cheap, very, when 10
cal interests are at stake. In COM
pairing the agreement with bridge
contract, they but write themselves
down as magnificent asses before the
people of the county.
aVie also publish bel9w another ex-
tract from the circular referred to-
On the day of election il was the Oc-
casion OF $40 little surprise that our
County Treasurer would use his offs
cial position TO further local interests.
but We have since learned that Alr.
Whitaker makes positive denial OF
having signed the paper in question.
1t is therefore positive forgery, got
ton up to deceive the people of Mt.
Vernon. Such unprineipIed and
lawless means may work once, but
they are not the tools to succeed with
in tEe end: