The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-02-07
TAXPAYERS CONVENTION.
TAXPAYERS CONVENTION.
A Large Delegation at the Court
House Yesterday and the Cues
ton Of Paying the Railroad
Indebtedness Discussed.
Resolutions Passed Backing the
Board of County Commission
ers in an Effort to Make a
Compromise or Even to
Repudiate If Nee
essary.

Yesterday afternoon at l:30 clock, pursuant /
TO call, the various delegates selected by the /
tax payers, assembled at the Court House, |
and convened in the criminal court room d. |
rectly under the picture Of Solomon melting
ont Justice to the two mothers who claimed
the one babe. Mr.. b. s. Richards called the
assembIage to order, and on motion Mr.. Geo.
Jymmethun was elected chairman, and VIM.
shepherd, of the Third ward, was elected sec
rotary.
On motion Of ]. A. Blackman, OF Lenape,
the roll was called. Several vacancies were
noted, and after the roll was complete, the
following named gentlemen were authorized
| to take part in the deliberations.
| THE DELEGATES.
| First ward-M. Hoffman, VIM. Phillips. J.
| b. Kitchen and ). +. Nicely.
| Second Ward-James Ii. IIaing, Thos. Moon
light, NJ. Przybylowicz and NJ; ;. Thomas.
Third Ward-Geo. Ummethun, Mm. a
- Fourth Ward-D. w. Thomas, r. V. Flora,
| Jno. Mccormick and W. Il. Borland.
Alexandria township-James Medill ana
Delaware township-Frank Gable and s. ID.
LeCompte.
Fairnount township-o. S. Hiatt and o. Z.
High Prairie township-D. n. Barnes and
K. II. Housley-
Daniels.
Reno township-A. d. Mackey and J.
Blakesley-
Stranger townshlp-W. 4. Berrins anu Seo'
Seifert.
sberman township-J. A. Blackman and
Tonganoxie township Aaron middleton
Easton township-Thomas Stewart and $.
F. hea-
THE OBJECT OF THE CONVENTION.
! During the arrangement of the names ior
| fh.su af q
| ted the object of the convention clearly ana
, | pointedly to the delegates and the large au-
tives Of the masses of the people
! of the county had Iassembled TO
consider how to meet the present
! bonds. He considered it a serious question
, The courts of the land had decided that the
Judgements rendered were lien on the
, | property held by the Taxpayers. He said the
} | convention was assembled to suggest means
to avert such a calamity as we are not able
| to pay the full amount demanded.
.sIf we lie idle" he continued, ait is only q
E question OF time when we Will be In worse
condition than now, when the alleged debts
= will be indeed a Iein on our homes. II will
come home 10 us if not ayerted. 1t is a BUSH
! | ness proposition. five cannot pay the fuli
amount, We must pay what We can. Can We
pay any more than offered by the Board of
: County Commissioners? As a natural con-
\ | sequence, if you compromise for any amount
/ your taK-levy will be increased. Don't be
deluded. The bOndholder says, give me
: cash." and that We cannot do now. III We
1 live within our income and offer a fair
compromise, we Will inspire conndence
and let everything go loosely we Will never
e get out TheexcItement of living well and
/ thereby spending more than our income
4 may look well from afar but the end is sure
10 come. The experience of men are that no
one can live unless he lives within his in
| come.
| II you say we cannot and will not pay the
full amount of the debt the bond holders will
ask you to give what you can. The courts
say you must pay loo cents on the dollar and
tell US our officers will be fined and impris Oh
: ed for contempt if We fail to make the levies.
No man in office can sacrifice his home for
the benefit of the people They must
| assist them and tell them what to do"
5 Hence he stated that an organization was
necessary in every ward in the city and
every township in the county. At the con-
clusion of his remarks which Were well re-
ceived, it was reported that the Board OF
, | Commissioners of
|, DOUGLAS COUNTY
. | weres present. They were invited to take a
| place on the inside of the bar, and were con-
sidered guests of the convention.
| A report of the County Clerk, showing the
| amount of the Indebtedness as liabilities, and
the amount of the worth of property of the
county as assets, was read by the Secretary.
A short speech was made by DIR. Housley.
of High Prairie, in which he asked for infor-
nation as TO the wants Of the officers who
had called the meeting.
Mr.. b. S. Richards chairman of the Board
| of County Commissioners, made a statement
| to the convention showing the recent action
| of the Board in making an cfier to compro-
mise various bonds at rate specified and
| said if pro-ratcd the total amount
| of the percentage would reach s. cents on the
| dollar. He said he wanted the convention TO
| tell the Board how much could be paid, and
| that whatever step was taken should be de-
| cisive.
Hon. ]. W. Taylor, County Attorney, was
| called on and explained that the reason the
| stock, was, owing to the fact that the courts
| had legalized IL, and il had sold in the mar
ket as high as sixty cents, and that other
| road stock not being marketable was not
| therefore, entitled TO a corresponding value.
| The action of the State Legislature at one
time prohibited the county from making a
| levy for the payment of Missouri Pacific
| Bonds and authorized levy for Kansas
| Pacific Bonds, hence the Board had evidence
| that Kansas Pacific stock was more valuable
than Missouri Pacific stock.
| The question was then argued, pro and con,
until nearly six O'Clock, when the following
resolutions and amendment were passed:
RESOLUTIONS.
Resolued, First That the railroad bonded
Indebtedness fthe county should be compro-
| missed at not more than IS cents on the dollar.
The following was amended by Hon. A. A.
Fem as follows:
Resolved First: By this convention of tax
payers, that that sl6s,O 900 paid to the p G. +.
ID. Railroad Company, is enough, but, deter
mined TO use all honorable means to prevent
a tedious law suit by one party, or absolute
reputation by the other, We hereby request
our County Commissioners to make the fol-
lowing proposition 70 the holders OF LeaSen-
worth county bonds issued to the y. Z. & +.
ID. Railroad Company, to-wit: That for
each OF said bonds surrendered to them, they
cause to be transferred TO the party surren-
dering the same, an equal amount dollar for
dollar, of the stock of the p. c. & Fl. ID. r r.
Co, now held by the county of Leavenworth; |
the said stock lquidate all claims against
the county OF Leavenworth, on account OF
the surrender of said bonds.
By DIR. s. F. Nicely
Second :: That the County Board should use
all honorable means in its power to bring /
about such a compromise.
Third: That any and all bonds issued in
pursuance OF such compromise Will be held
as just and legal obligations by the people, /
ami the interest and principal promptly lev
led for and paid.
Fourth: That no levy of taxes should be /
made to pay any railroad bonds or interest on /
any railroad bonds, except TO compromise |
railrord bonds; and the people will back the
Board, even to absolute reputation, includ-
ing a refusal to pay any tax levied TO pay any
part of such Indebtedness, except after COM
promise.
Owing to the lateness of the hour when inn
portant papers were obtained, the resolutions
of the different townships, instructing the
delegates, and the various resolutions and
amendments offered and lost, will be COM
PEELED to lie over, but will be published in