The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-11
THE BOND

f AAA6 o0AN~ W A0 IA
''Citizen'' comes to the rescue of
the Inter Mountain in its advocacy
of the loan proposition in a some
what lengthy communication to that
journal. He starts out with the
rather mystifying statement that LAS
long as misrepresentation and a per-
v~ersion..of both facts and figures con-
tinue to be made on one side, it is
necessary to counteract their effects
by exposing their fallacy and pre-
senting the true issues which the
voters and taxpayers Of the county
are called upon to decide" "Citi-
zen" does not state wherein "misrep-
r%esentation and a p~erversien of both
facts and figures continue to be
made" or wherein they have been
made in a single instance. He simply
assumes such to be the a 8 and then
sets himself to the task of "expssing
their fallacy and presenting the true
issues which the voters and the tax
payers of the county are called upon
to decide" If we were disposed to be
captious or ~hypercritical we
might enquire, what "fal-
lacy'' he proposes to ex-
pose, and might also deny that he
has presented the true issues which
voters will be called upon to decide.
But we are neither and will credit
"Citizen" with sincerity if we can
not with knowledge of the subject he
discusses.
"Citizen" acknowledges that if the
proposition to build county buildings
to cost 1892, $50 were before the pee
pie it would be opposed by an over
whelming majority. But he holds it
is not. The way he puts the ques-
ton it should read about this way:
Shall the people Of Silver Bow
ty stand by the folly of the comfy
commissioners and plunge the coun-
ty into a debt of $4,000 or 100000
by voting for the bonds, or shall they
say ''stop right here" with an
actual cash expenditure of 1884, 78
upon the building? Or it may be
stated thus: It is admitted the Com
missioners have made a series of mis-
takes in their estimates and although
we have no assurance they will not
the series would it not be
better to vote the loan rather than
haye the building unfinished as at
present? We submit if this Is. not a
fair Interpretation of "Citizen's'' way
of stating his case? Admitting it,
there can be but one answer to his
question among intelligent voters.
"Citizen" then repeats what the
Inter Mountain has iterated and re-
iterated-that the Commissioners
have expended $62 $50 on the build
ing; have paid $25, 900, leaving I'M
paid upwards OF $37, for which,
he says, the county is liable.
Right here IS a question. Is the
county liable for the $4,000 unpaid?
or was contracts covering that
amount let subject or dependent up
on certain specified conditions? An
other question. If the Commission
ers have the power to contract an in
debtedness of $37 900 in the name of
the county when they knew or
should have known there were but lit
tie over $1,000 in the county treasury
subject to their order, could they not
have contracted a debt 0. $500, 900 and
built the court house on promises to
pay? The first question should re-
ce1ve a direct answer the latter de-
mands none.
"Citizen" says: 1.-The county now
pays Sc, 15G a year for court rooms,
public offices, and the increased ex-
pense incurred by the insecurity of
the present county jail" "Citizen"
will pardon US. The county pays nc
such sum. This is Inter Mountain
figures and does not admit of proof.
The county pays about $1,000 a year
rent. The county Jail has two guards.
Nc less would be engaged if the new
jail were finished tomorrow. These
are the facts and as such lets down to
the groundal all of"Citizen's" mislead-
ing figures. The fact is the county
will be in debt $4,000 in less than a
year hence without this bonded debt
upon it. 1t will, at the least figure,
require about $500 00 to put the count
house and Jail in condition for occu-
pancy. This will make an indebted
ness of $780, 900 for the county to face
at the end of the present fiscal year.
Taxpayers will comprehend the full
meaning of such an Indebtedness
hanging over the county and will
avoid it if their votes are not showed
under by those n~on-taxable residents
who, having no present interest in
the county, are Indifferent whether
it is one dollar or one million dollars
in debt.
TaxnaVers who think thew will es-