The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-15
The Gazette whines.

The Gazette tries its hand at the
proposed funding.of the city debtsas fol-
lows
Mayor Butler, who, we believe, is the author
of the ordinance argues that the debt of the city is
citys assessed valuation in that year $5,059,-
9S2. 1t has since been materially reduced, and
while we were within the FIVE per cent, limitation
at that time, outside of it now, not because
have oVersteppedit but because 1t has retreated
If our debt was legal at its contraction in 1872,
or at any other time, and was SO recognized by
everybody, it will be difficult now to find hon
est citizen who will cry "Repudiate every dollar
above the five per cent limitation. And, 1t seems
to us, it will be hard to get decision from a court
of justice that it is not legal
Twolassessments were made in 1871 or
1872. The:frst and Irregular one not be
ing large enough to warrant!:the issue of
the water bonds, another one was made,
according:to the orders Of Carriers Repub-
lican city administration for the purpose
of getting it large enough to warrant the
issue of the water bonds. 3 Whether it
was legal or not, no court has yet had an
opportunity to s.decide. At any rate it
was a trick, cheat, swindle That ad-
ministration refused to submit the cues,
ton of the establishment of water works
to the people, and it caused an extra high
assessment to be made fort no other reason
in the world tn an the one we have stated.
The whole thing was AN outrage on the
people. Whether it was legal or not
has not been tested. IF itswas legal, then
that sort of trick can be practiced every
year by every city iuithe state, thus evad
ing the constitution and setting it al
naught, and rendering 1t useless.
We do not say that any portion of the
debt is illegal. But we do say that that fact
should be ascertained in court. No com
mittee, even Of good lawyers, TO examine
the matter, would be satisfactory. Court,
are established to settle such matters
Let the matter be carried into court by
a few of.our large tax payers. The cos
will be but trihing, and then we shall
know whether the debt is legal or not
Let the assessment Of each year, and tn
added debt Of each year be examined anC
passed upon, and let US have an end 0
running in debt. If matters go on in th
future as in the past the debt, instead 0
being paid, will be increased. Take
should be assessed to the limit of the law
expenses should be stopped as far as pos
sible, and the taxes applied to pay tn
debt That is the true course to pursue
after ascertaining, through thecircuit court
what,the city legally owes. The prosperit
of the city requires this course to be pun
sued. Enormous taxation and increasing
Indebtedness not only paralyze enterprise
; and drive capital away, o. cause people t
hide it from the assessor, but people ar
deferred from coming here to settle. Al
most the first questions asked by a strar
ger looking for a business location are
What is the amount Of taxation here
"W hat is your city debt?"
> If our heavy property holders cannC
see that there is something for them tc d.
and will not take measures to do it, why
, let things run on as they have been rur
n ning-we can stand it if they can.