Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-04-17
THETRANSCRIP1'
AUSTIN, MINNESOTA:
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL II, 1879.
Those Court.H Ouso Bonds.

Those Court Ouso Bonds.
We suppose the only proper points t"
be considered IN voting on the PROPOSE.
tion on May 18th, to issue $4,000 in
bonds to build courthouse, are, whether
new building is needed, whether the
amount asked for is too much, and whetlh.
er it is true ccouomy not to provide suit
able buildings for the safe-kcepins OF the
County property and records. Now, we
desire to answer these questions, and we
will endcavor to do so fairly:
First, Is new courthouse needed
Any taxpayer who has ever been to
Austin and in the least examined thu
present building will not need any argu
mcnt on this point. The building Is a
poor, 1ickcty concern, very poorly ar
ranged, and cannot accommodate tht
officers with half the room which is need.
ed. There is but one vault in the build
lng-in the Register OF Deeds otfice-and
that ls not near large enough. The
County Auditor, Treasurer, Clerk of the
Court and Judge of Probate-all of these
officers, in addition to the Registers
Office, should have fire-proot vaults for
the protection of the very valuable records
and papers belonging to each. 1t these
papers should be burned, there would be
loss to the county and to individuals Of
hundreds Of thousands of dollars. Can
the people afford to vote down the bond
proposition and thus assume the respon.
sibllity Of jeopardizing the interests OF
every property owner in the county! We
think they cannot afford it, And it would
not be right for the people Of Mower
County to place themselves in this posi-
ton.
Second, Is the amount asked for too
much: There is hardly need of dwelling
on this point, as we think no one will
claim that any less amount would answer
til" most simple requirements of the
County.
Third, This question whether 1t is true
economy to leave unprotected the valua-
Wv puoAAN ACSOAOS VI lAC OOuotI, "OuAu
be answered promptly by every intslli.
gent citizen in the county in the negative
Yet proportion of these same men, per-
haps, will vote against the bonds, on the
grounds of some little petty i'll will to
wards Austin, or its location geographi
cally considered. Now, at this time, the
:Dl, 10 =,
shall we provide proper protection for
our county property? Shall we have
convenient offices, with fire proof vaults.
a courtroom for the convenience of the
courts, &C., &C.?
We hope every citizen will weigh this
subject well before he goes to the ballot
box and votes against bonds for new
court house. He should remember that
it IS not for Austin he is voting, but for |
for the county at large. We
understand some will vote against the !
bonds, DO: because they are opposed to
the building Of new courthouse, bu: !
because they want it b1ilt by direct
taxation. And there being many who
share this view, Of course 1t will not neces- !
sarily follow, if the bonds are voted down,
that the people do not want court house |
built. 1t will thereupon become the
duty Of the Commissioners TO at once
levy direct tax to carry through this
and necessary enterprise. Now,
friends, which do you prefer-20 year 7
per cent. bonds, or a direct tax? Your
vote at the coming election will decide
Ihe matter one way or The other.