The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-06-12
TAN PNNERS- MEETING.
- Unanimous Decision That the
County commissioners and City or
Gcers shall Refuse 10 Levy a Tax
and Not Conform to the Mandate OF
the United states Circuit Court.

\ meeting which swelled in numbers from
5 the time it was called together until its ad-
Ijournment, when IT numbered fully three
: hundred persons, among whom were promi-
=, nent the lesding farmers OF the county as
well as many representative business men of
: the city was held al the Court House yester-
day aft -rnoOn.
Mr.. James Pckens called the meeting to
order. He p esumed that ali were aware OF
the embarrassing situation In which the board
of county commissioners, Of which he was Il
member, was placsd at present. The board
wanted TO get the opinion of the best men Of
he county and see what course they would
advise. The county COMMISSIONERS had pledged
themselves when elected to stand by the peo
pie They had already made considerable pro-
gress in compromising our debts at what
they thought the people could pay, They
had one more day OF grace before answering
To the Court TO whether they would maze
this levy. Ifthis meeting said not To do 80,
theyiwould say to the Court: with all due
and high respect for your orders.w we will obey
the wishes OF your people, and the speaker
said he would do this ii il took his head of.
| Captain Crawford Moore was then made
Chairman, who said in taking the Chair that
| he could see by the earnest look upon the
! faces before him that the people meant uusi-
| ness. All understood the situation. The Com
missioners and Council must make this levy
or go TO Jail, He ccunseled that all be temper
ate, careful and dispassionate In whatever
| they SAID or did, and advised that all present
say something, briefly and pointedIy.
Mr.. q. +. johnson was elected Secretary.
On a motion, which carried unanimously,
| the County Attorney, HON.. W. Taylor, was
| asked to present the exact status Of affairs at
present. Mr.. Tay lor presumed that all were
more or less familiar with the primary causes
OF the present condition of affairs, which lie
would not dwell upon, but state how things
are new. He then traced the history of the
mandamus suits to the present, when Judges
Miller and Dillon had decided III Il levy for
the whole amount, intere't and principal
now due, of the Indebtedness OF the county in
question, should be made on the first Monday
in August, which, when made, becomes a lien
upon the real estate OF the county. The
payueut of this levy WAS to be made In three
years. being put upon the tax rolls OF lS7g,
1850 and ISL. In considering the subject, the
meeting shoulu rememD Der that II the levy
for all GeliIquencles were made, this, All
ded 10 other taxes, would be about sl,lOD,C0J
and the assessed valuation OF the county
was but t6.UJ0OOJ- The levy, once made, be
came "A lien on The real estate, and upon the
personal property when warrants were is
sued. II the Commissioners and Council re-
fused, they must go TO Jail. This stopped the
" heels OF government OF the county an i city
and serious results might grow out of II. This
meeting should express what was their wish
and the ofiieeI should stand by II, no III after
AT what personal sacrifice. 1t the levy was
msGe il would ruin The community, bank
rupt our merchants and depo. ulate the coun-
ty.
In response to a question, Mr.. Taylor said
that IL there was a refusal TO make the levy.
th,-Ip judgments.
Dr. 5. +. Nicely then offered the following
resolution:
R.Sp- red That we. ci'iZ ms of Leavenworih
city ana county, oTdIbariy y law abiding
and having the highest Respect for the Judges
-of the L. >. Court, and IhuIr Interpretation
Of the Iaw, declare IL IS our opinion that the
only sac ana consistent course for our Offi-
cers of this city and county TO pursue IL to re-
fu-e TO make levy for any part of our debt
not compromised, under Al circumstances
Mr.. Julius Niehaus, County Clerk, stated
that the amount necessary to make the lsvy
in question would b. three per cent. upon
the taxable property Of the county.
Col. l.. Anthony asked II IL was a queS-
tiOn of any Importance as TO whether this
levy amounted to one, three or ten per cent.
The real qu sst ion was, should We make this
levy or no.? II these present judgments were
paid, precedent was established To pay al!
these debts which we had said We would not
pay. lie noticed "A strong delegation OF farm
ers here-at least one hundred and he want
I'd them To be heard from before this reSolu-
tion put, as there was nothing like "a full
frank expression Of opinion, and it would
give courage and back up these Off GERS.
i. Il. Brown said he had seen several
heavy taxpayers in his part of the county
and The idea was unanimous not to make
the levy, but that the commissioners should
go TO jail II was no crime for them to do
ha1s to dgiy E6 to ana s they 'Rsy %5uld Std sg
the wheat crop harvested the cheaPesG they
ever mad.
Hon. J. 4. BIcckman said that he coincided
with this resoiutiOn;m making the levy stopped
| the hope of compromise. and would cause
the last drop TO be squeezed out of the people.
We had stated, time and again, just what We
could pay, and the way TO make elective our
former statements is 10 not make this levy.
He knew the people would be dis aiistied II
the commissioners did make IL. Ali that he
had talked with had this idea.
Professor Stone of High Prairie township,
said that when these commissioners Were
elected il was understood that they were Eol
To be scared by any mandatory processes.
The people would stand by them If they
refused 10 obey and went To jail, but "dnh'I
ask the question what We Will do If you levy
the tax"
DIR. Coffin. Of Fairmount, endor, ed the res.
olution, and said he believed 1t was the SEN
timent of his neigh5oIs.
f. l.. Carney wanted the words
".oriinsrily law abiding" struck
out, as he thought our people were always
law abiding.
Col. Anthony opposed this, for lie thought
it should be understood that ia a case like
this We were not disposed to obey the law
DIR. Neely stated that this was ust what he
meant in drawing up the rrso ution.
Mr. Davis of Esston, said that SO far 81 he |
was concerned he endorsed every word and
felt safe in say ing every one il the north end |
OF the county would do so.
Mr.. II. ID. Rush said "Amen TO the Reso'u- |
tion.
Mr.. Drew, of Kcbapoo said the same.
Nr. J. Z. Bauserman Joined in the amen |
Everything had been swept from under tue |
people except a Iood fighting platform, |
which would also GO If these officers surren-
de ed and made the levy, when would be |
the turning point totake the prop -riy OF |
himself anu his neighooas.
Coz. Baker and owen Duffy strongly en-
dorsed the resolution. |
DR.. ID. W. Thomas could only say that the |
resolution would receive his hearty SUPP OFT
every sentence in il. a compromise had
been partly made; but if this levy was made, |
the work stopped. Every officer stood pledged
before the people not To make the levy, by
his statements before election. This M after
had arrived al the culminative point, and ne |
believed that the people should tell the COM |
missioners and council to say TO the court
that they would not levy for one cent. 1t was
all well enough to say that TINS tax need not |
be paid If levied; but those who n d mortga-
ges on their real e,tate, would hsve TO pay
the tax or lose by foreclosure-and these were
the least able TO afford 1t, We should stand |
by each other and tell these officers not to /
levy for one dine.
J.F. Richards came here TO endorse the |
programme agreed upon long before FIVE
or six years ago IL might have done 10 talk |
about pay ing these bonds in full; but the time
had passed. and II could not now be done
without utter ruin. |
Col. Anthony wanted TO amend by prefix
ing the following preamble TO the Resolutions: |
WHEREAS, The debt of our city and county |
is nearly two million Of dollars, thirty per |
cent. of the tax valuation of all our property,
and forty per cent. of the tax valuation OF |
our city property ;snd
WHEREAS. 1t is impracticable TO pay this |
debt without psralyzi the industIisl en-
terprises of the county and pauperizing the |
great majority OF our people; and
WHEREAS, The Mayor, City Council, Board |
of Educxtion and County Comissioners /
pledged themselves to carry out the wishes |
OF the people, never TO levy a tsx to pay the /
boudeI Indebtedness unless compromised, ., i
Therefore, Resolved, etc.
He stated that he wanted it brought before |
the notice OF the Court that 1t was the wish |
OF the people who had elected these commits
sioners and coupcilmen that this course
should be taken: that it was not from mere /
vi lfulDess, but because they were elected on Il
tn s pledge and becsu &c the people wanted IL |
done. Let the Judges and the bondhold rs
know that this debt cannot be paid in fu ]. |
The speaker said: SIT II not because IL viii 4
hurt my self. for can stand IL; but there are /
thirty thousand people whom IL viii crush l
S9f ocs l is e my Per ssns ant