The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-03-13

In our issue Of Sunday morning We
copied from the Kansas City Journals To

In our issue Of Sunday morning we
copied from the Kansas City JOurnors To-
peka special the following paragraph:
Mr.. Legate, rising to question OF privi-
leee, said he understood bill had been
smuggled through the House by which il
was possible for Leave uwoTih county 10 be
swiDdled out of S20OCO1, md he moved To II.
call the bill from the Senate Objection be
ing made, he moved to suspend the rules for
that purpose, watch prevailed-ayes 50, nays
II, and the bill was recalled.
The measure referred TO Is cne introduced
by Mr. Frank NJ. Gable, 20 authorize and
empower the county of Leavenworth, 10
raise money TO purchase It's bonds Issued on
account of subscriptions to the stock Of rail
oad companies-that is, 10 autA Aorize this
county to issue and sell for cash, new
bonds, and TO use the proceeds for taking
up outstanding railroad bonds, at their
market value. The bill is good, in
its main features, but it contains
covert clause, TO which Mr.. Legate evident
ly ref rred, and in which is concealed
deal of mischief The large sized niger
ensconsed in this bond issuing wood pile, is
to be found in section II, which, after de-
claring that no portion Of the funds so
raised shall be used for paying the Matt
Carpenter contract, or the John c. Douglass
contract, proceeds 10 open the doors to
other claims Of like character, which
,cy be paid out of the proceeds of the
sale OF the bonds-a door through which
lawyer, or syndicate Of lawyers, would be
able to carry out and 'get away with" the
greater part of all the money the county
might receive from the sale of the bonds
authorized by the bill. The clause referred
10, after excluding the two claims above
mentioned, goes on 10 declare that
It.shalI be unlawful to use any portion Of
such funds in the payment of any clam for
expenses for compromising such railroad in-
debtedneSS, for expenses of its railroad
litigation, until such claim shall hare ben pre-
sGnted 10 and diLOIred bg he board Of County
Commissioners Of such county, GHdbU Il ordered
10 De pad; and such claim shall oL ly be paid
on the written order of such board, signed
by Its Chairman and sttesU.d by the County
Clerk, which order shall show upon its fac,
the nature and amount Of the claim and to
whom allowed, aud such order Slt0H BE- fsc
roUcher cf nfe IFeCSUTcr yUr the payment u the
same.
A man would not necessarily have 10 be
@much of lawyer" in order tho bring in
bill against the county for services in COM
promising our railroad Indebtedness, or in
the countyis railroad litigation" and the
whole responsibility of auditing such
claims being left with the County Commis-
sioners, it would be with them TO say
whether any portion of the funds received
from the sale of bonds referred to should go
10 the purchasing OF other bonds, or whether
the whole of it should be used for paving
expenses of railroad litigation, and the
claims of parties fur services in "compro-
missing such railroad bonded Indebtedness"
While We have perfect confidence in our
present commissioners, and believe that the
funds received from the sale of these bonds,
or from any other source, would be per-
fectly safe in their hands, We regard the
power which this clause confers upon them
as very dangerous, and as holding cut a
powerful inducement to dishonest men TO
seek place upon the Board.
The people of the county will cordially
endorse the action of Mr.. Legate in the
premises. A measure for the purpose Of
aiding the county to bear its fnspcial bur
dens should not contain any ambiguous
clauses. We understand that the coun,v
commissioners declared themselves opposed
70 the passage OF any such bill.