The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-01-05
To the Citizens o: Ottawa.

them with regret:
| To the Citizens OF Ottawa.
When the two prominent newspapers published
in any town or city agree on local question, the
conclusion that they represent the popular SEN
timent is irresistible. The FREE TRADER ana
Repablicdn of this city having with m accord
srikingly unanimous expressed their dIssatia-
faction with my action as supervisor OF the town
of Ottawa, the point of honor compcls me to re-
sign without regard to the consequences to you
or myself Permit me here the liberty Of remind
ing you that the same persons wLO are piomi-
ncnt in misleading you in this case were proml-
nent in misleading YOU To issue the illegal bonds,
the payment of which have laborcd for over i've
years to defeat. Evidently they hope, through
this agitation to turn victory into disastrous de-
feat I have no doubt some will say that my ac-
ton is hasty and uncol,cd for. Ny answer to
such persons is, that in my opinion no man with
n single particle of honor in his constitution
would continue to hold the Office under the cir
lcnmstanccs A LYNCH
OTTAWA, January ID, 1873
Joux G. ARMSTRONG, ESQ Tosca Cl,rt Of the
torn Of OtdTa
hereby resign the Office OF supervisor of the
town of Ottawa TO take effect on the fifth instant.
A. LYNCH.
The intimalion in the above that the local
papers of Ottawa have with Striking unanl-
nifty" expressed their dissatisfaction with the
action of Mr. Lynch as supervisor is, to put it
in the mldest terms, on his part singular er-
ror or misconceptions In this whole contest
against the payment of those Illegal railroad
bonds, waged by Mr.. Lynch as the Supervisor
of the town, he has always had our warmeSt
sympathy, to which we have never on any fit
ting occasion failed to give expression in the
strongest terms we were capable of. Ottawa
having purchased $4,000 worth Of stock in
the Fox River Valley railroad,-a road that
proved one of the most successful and profta
bic in the sate,-yet beng shametully cuchcr
ed out of that stock, we have ever held her
perfectly justified in cvading payment for il by
any legal point or technically that might be
found available.
The people Of Ottawa, with striking unan-
unity" have always been Of the same mind,
and have never, at any town meeting, since
this litigation commenced, failed to back Mr.
Lynch up in any vote or step he asked them
to take So far from finding fault with or
caviling at his action, the mass of our people
have always, so far as we have been able to
Judge, been unreserved in applaudng his self
devotion, shrewdncss and spartan pluck in
pursuing the case, and sharing largely his con
fdence in ultimate success, have been ready to
reward him at the end not only with every de-
served honor but more substantially in pc
cuniary way.
Most naturally, in prosecuting such an inn
portant and weighty litigation, it became nee
essary to have some moncy,-not to pay down,
for it is understood that Mr.. Lynch, with ex-
lccptional sclfsacrifice, has advanced from his
own pocket such sums rs have been absolutely
needed in the progress Of the cast, but TO meet
ceriain engagements and contingencies at theI
close of the casc which, at the time of the
town meeting last spring, seemed near at hand
At the instance of Mr.. Lynch, therefore, the
town auditors at the time most willingly lev
led "A tax of some $4,000 on the town to cover |
all the asccrtained and contingent expenses the
case might involve. II appears in levying
this tax the town authorities failed to comply
with all the requirements Of the law in such
cases made and provided and number of tax
payers seeing an opportunity TO avoid paying
the tax at this time, have taken steps To pre-.
vent its collection by injunction Half a doz-
en- of heavy taxpayers having taken this step
it ia hot strange that many others, seeing the
"big fish" lodging the tax, should follow in
their wake and try To get out Of il also. There
is no expectation on the part of any, or desire
so far rs we are advised to avoid the ultimateI
'pn,ment Of the expenses of this litigation, but
as there appears to be legal flaw in the levy
of the tax, and part are sure to take advantagel
lof It., there is no good reason why all should
not share alike, and the collection Of the tax,
more carefully levied, should 20 over to next
year especially us the end OF the suit is APP
parcntly not now As near at hand as was last
spring supposed to be.
The FREE TRADER last week, in rcferringI
to the injunction suit before Judge McRobcrts,
involving the payment of these town taxes, at
tempted, without note or comment of Its own,
or asserting to or dissenting from any part of
them, 10 state the points that had been made
before the court in opposition to the taxes, Mr..
Lynch construcs our summary vi the lutheran.
ces of the attorneys TO be our own, and there
upon accuses us Of expressing dissatisfaction
with the course of the Supervisor" All we
can say is, that while the language may posi-.
bly bear that construction, II was not SO intend
ed and taking into account the uniform posi-
tlon we had held un the subject, the language,
| TO receive such construction, needs in our
view 10 he considerably strained.
As 20 Mr.. Lynch's hasiy resignation. we
have no doubt the entire town will hear OF II
with regrc, and unite in asking him to recon
slider it, Even il the local papers have done