The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-01-15
MURRIN.
His Reply to Boss Fisk's ~Sianders-A
Truthful and Convincing Statement.


A scurrilous and outrageous attack
on me personally, appears in Sunday
mornings Sun, over the signature of
d. Fisk, present Mayor of Cheyenne,
and would-be-Mayor again. In answer
to this attack, l admit that i'm 1868 1
was Mayor Of this city. At that time
tht city and country was overrun by a
set of dead beats, and l might say
largely controlled by an uncouth, I'M
civilized mob and rabble. Shortly after
coming into office, l was enjoined by
process of law from collecting any
taxes, and never during my term col
lected one dollar of tax. The sources of
revenue of the city government were
solely derived from fines and the volun-
tary payment of licenses by those in
the liquor business within the corpor-
ate limits. This latter class of our
people could not be compelled by law to
pay, but many of them did at that time
contribute to the sustaining of the gov
eminent. In order to control the rab-
BILE l found it necessary to employ
twelve policemen, aside from the mar
shall and his assistant, and this action
was fully cOncurred in by the City
Council and endorsed by the best of our
citizens.
The comparison of those days, when
everything was in chaos and the oun
try run by mobs and Indians, with the
present time and the advanced state of
civilization, with i'll grace from
Mr.. Fisk, If he has been an observer of
the progress of human events at all in
this country.
Mr.. Fisk admits that some things
have been carelessly, if not recklessly
done under his administration, and by
implication we infer that lie has got his
hands and feet somewhere beslimed,
and yet he asks to be e~Xonorated
through IN attempted correct report of
our city finances, which is wholly false
pluck the beam out of his own eye be-
fore attempting to pluck the mote out
of his brothers eye, he would be more
charitable in his comparisons, and give
me the credit of having run a city gov
eminent on nothing, when all was
chaotic confusion, while he has not
done so, to the satisfaction of the peo-
pie, while standing in the broad sun
light of an advanced civilization, and
with some $4,000 wrung from the peo-
pie by taxation, licenses and otherwise,
to back him.
The well alluded to by his Honor (?)
the Mayor, l had nothing to do with,
having never dug one in my life. My
predecessor, Mayor Hook, must father
that public (?) enterprise.
On retiring from office, Mayor Slaugh-
ter, and a worthy gentleman, too, sue
ceeded to that position. The city in
d~ebtedDess at that time was 81 1929 in
scrip, most of which sum was paid to
DIR. Irwin for attending the paupers
and city sick; he having, at that time,
charge of the city hospital.
| have said that the financial report
of the city was false on its face, and
only ask that the people of Cheyenne
examine it for themselves, to ascertain
the truth of this statement.
Mr.. Fisk claims that this report, as
published by the Sun, sets at rest the
charges made by me at the City Hall,
on the night of the citizens mass meet
ing. 1 now claim that it does not, and
will take his own figures to prove that
my assertion was correct:
''Total int. ebtedness''. ...... S20,49G 40
Now add to this 1000 feet of
new hose, at 10 cents $50. $50 90
Hose carriage 400 co
Hook and Ladder outfit and
chemical engine. ........ 1000 90
Engine fixtures and sundries 200 90