Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-05-16

torued mat parties are urging the pres
cnt city council to institute the most
thorough investigation into the charac
ter and correctness Of these sales, aud
into the matter of the disposition # the
funds so realized. We are as re1dy as
any one to urge the importance Of max
ing public officers strictly accountable
Tor their public services, and hence do
not in the least discourage full and
thorough investigation of their sup.
posed dcrelictions 10 duty as public
servants, aud from the known charac
ter Of each aud every one of the mem
bers of the late council for probitv and
fair dealing we do not hesitate to say
for them ihat they will be glad to have
their acts reviewed. and we opne that
upon such a review they will not suffer
to any great extent from the most
strict scrutiny of their acts under the
circumstances in which they were
placed. From all we can gather some
Of these complaints have CONE from
those who have resisted the payment OF
city taxes in support Of the city gov
ernment. and 50 far have successfully
resisted the payment OF these taxes
evtn in the courts ana+upnn grounds
purely technical Since the crganiza
ton Of the city ct Lewiston but one
city tax was ever levied upon the prop
erty Of the city to pay city expenses
and that was in 1877, and that was The
one resisted. The city government
even in its crude state. has cas' some
money ench and every year since the
first organization, aud our former CITY
fathers have hal to resort to every
laudablc means for securing the where
with 10 pay current expenses. Neces.
sary expenses were incurred and city
warrants were authorized and issued.
and some have been lon, IN the hand.
of the CREDITORS Of the city. and men
holding them were loud in their de
mands for payment. and vet the cneral
cry was. it would not d, to levy any
city tax 10 addition to tho burden of
our territorial and conasy raxes. What
had the city council left them to do
but to dispose of city property snffi
cient. If possible I, liqnidate the ctv's
indebtedness? Provision was made by
law for the sale IF the land of the city
and the power was given to the city
council to do this under certain regula
tons. This they did and as we imag
inc they made these snles IN the hest
advantage they cnnla NJ the time. We
DO believe that had the people and the
tax payers of the city generally been
willing n be taxed for the payment Of
tho Indebtedness Of the city and pav
ment of current expenses of runniny
the city government. and had they
come forward with promptn rss and
paid the taxes levied il would have
hem far better to have reserved the
lands Of the city from sale fill fu>
,uro period. We believe they would
have brought more than thew did bring;
but the old CITY council having tried
the question Of taxation and found 80
much and so strong opposition coming
from some Of the larges, tax PAYERS
and that on frivolous and technical
grounds, they concluded to sell the
u ds and pay as much Of the debt as
thew could and take the chances. II is
well known that the city lands hsve
heretofore been a drug 10 the, market
4 They could MT be sold for high
price. The caunc,l have solicited bids
for them. and propositions for bids hav,
been open for months at a time, anf
not single bid would be offered. anf
so Ear as we can learn they never have
refused high bid audi nc ,epted n lov
one 10 its place, aud while it il true
that by reason of the low price bid IN,
lands sold have been hardly sufficicn
I 10 pay the indebtedness Of the city. We
whose fault was il? Was il that Of tn
city council or that Of the people VIII
objected 60 being taxed aud the wan
Of faith in tn future Of this place 'ha
deferred bidders from offering liberia
price for the lands they desired to III
! chase? II the old city council have pro
ceeded contrary TO Law or contrary I
common honesty in their official act