The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-11-24
"REVELATIONS"
Containing Comments on the, Ac-
tiOn of Our City. Council,
Relative to City Contracts - Are They
Jobs in the Interest of "Ring7"-
Questions to be Considered.

Ed. DEMOCRAT:-In your issue, 18th
November, my eye was drawn to com
municatiOn signed "ObserVer No. 2"
bearing on the West TuscaTawas street
improvement and facts incident thereto.
The article suggested TO my mind that
il would not be amiss to review for the
period of time beginning with the origin
of the city building project down to the
present, Developments and some of the
acts official and unofficial of certain
branches of our city government, to-
gether with those of persons who, by
their peculiar interests and consequent
action, have incurred the liability of
public criticism. Such n review may
haVeithe effect too of awaking Taxpayers
and law observing, economical citizens
to the Importance of scrutiniZing with
an eagle eye the future conduct of these
people.
The city building project is in itself
of doubtful origin. Who, where or
what the inventive genius that gave
birth to this scheme Is, promises ever TO
remain cOnundTum, but thanks to
this mysterious being his generous
thought and laudable mOtlVe(O there
was attached to the main project "lit-
tie" market house, and one, TOO, that is
comparatively in keeping with the
mind of its undiscOVerable protector,
aptly illustrated by the building itself.
1t may be charitable, however, to be-
lieve in justice to this great unknown
that the little" market house was
simply "rider," that he cOmmuned
with himself and said: "A market house;
while an impracticable idea is neyerthe-
less an essential one, for without IL
city hall and an engine house cannot
pull through. Now, I'll tack this market
house Ctis only little thing) onto the
main project, the fish (the vOters) ought
surely to bite at such bait" and the fish
bit more than, at this late date, seems
calculated to produce healthy develop
ment. Now, an engine house may have
been an indispensable necessity, as for
the rest of the project 1t savors OF fraud
and extravaganza throughout.
The voters having passed upon the
matter to the satisfaction of Mr.. Pro-
jectOr, a location is next in order, and
the City Council is called upon to pro-
vide it. What followed? A location
selected that had for its object desire
to respect the wishes of great majority
of CantOn's citiZenSp No! A disposition
to so locate as would increase the city's
attractiveness at proper point? mol A
determination to cOnscientiOusly observe
the binding power of an oath? mol But
an infamous scheme to enhance the
value of property adjacent and border
ing onto these city buildings and fool
hardy resolution, perhaps, to beautify
by reflective powers some of the neigh
bOrhOOd barns and shanties. The en-
gine house, the first of the two COM
pleted, is in due form rendered to the
City Council, and by that eminent body
of citizens duly accepted, but not with
out objection, and taken from the con-
tractors hands as being constructed in
conformity with the plans and specid-
cations. So much then off the cOntrac-
tors troubled mind. But, has this en-
gine house been so constructed, has the
city got what it had right to eXpectp
Why, the fact is notorious, that by rea-
son of certain deyiatiOns, weakness or
defect was created which neceSsitated
the ''OrnamentatiOn" of the building
with q series of trusses or supports
under the roof so that It's walls might
not be leveled to earth before its con-
sorts should also be completed, duly
rendered and duly accepted. In cOnnee-
tiOn with the engine house it may be
we'll to refer to a report in circulation
that the block stone pavement directly
in its front will stand the city OF Can
ton upwards of seven hundred dollars.
The proposition appears incredible, but
is not surprising, for the pavement has
the appearance of being substantial,
and with substantially seems to come
compensation merits either inferior ma
terial or inferior workmanship about
these city buildings. The original and
statutory appropriations for these build
ings was $50 1000. 1t was represented
that that sum would be all sufficient to
supply all that would be- desirable in
the shape of city hall, engine house aud
market house. VIII the delivery be
made for that money? Emphatically,
mol What with heating apparatus,
block stone pavements, area walls,
weather vanes, bells and other attri-
butes, all at fancy prices, and too num-
erOus to mention, can any one fOretell
the ultimate cost or endp When that
end does come, however, woe to the
originator, should he be discovered in
the interim. Woe to the supporters of
this eIephantine scheme. There stands
in the city of New York to-day court
house erected during the Tweed regime,
the history of which and consequent
disgrace visited upon Tweed and his ac-
completes might be studied with con-
siderable profit by the champions and
OVerseers of this city building project.
Is it not time that some members
of our City Council should awaken to
the duties that surround them, pay a
little more heed to their Oaths in an
effort to cOnscientiOusly perform sworn |
duty than to a weakness and imbecility |
of conforming to the wishes or demands |
of this or that other member, whom |
they are perhaps modest enough to con-
cede has had better education, or better |
opportunity to intelligently consider
matters coming before the body. 1t does |
not follow that because a member is by |
profession lawyer, that he can or will |
render better judgment than, for in |
stance, carpenter; on the contrary, the |
opinions of a lawyer are, as a rule. mar |
ketable, sold generally to the highest |
bidder. A lawyer, however, by reason |
of his profession, should at least encOur- |
age the observance of law in the acts of |
the Council. But look at the Council |
proceedings of Monday evening of last |
week. There was presented the specta- |
Gle of legal light of that body debat- |
ing the West Tuscarawas street improve |
ment. And while admitting the ille- |
gality of the proceedings and contract,