Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-11-10
THE TAXPAYERS CONVENTION.

AA
On the outside Of this issue will b
found a full account of the proceeding
Of the taxpayers convention whic
was held at the court house last Mon
day.
1t is not at all e%xtravagant to say
that this meeting was the most impor
tanr one to Lafayette county that ha
been held since 1875.
In spite Of the fact that the day wa
the most inclement of the season, tn
Injecting was a very large one, every
township in the county being wei
represented. No meeting of M hal
the number and representative charac.
ter could have been secured for any 9th.
er purpose, thus evidencing the deer
interest which is felt among the people
in the questions involved.
The unanimity of sentiment in the
meeting. was remarkable, and was a
rebuke which it will be well for those
persons to note who from selfish mo-
tives insist that a few men have been
leading the policies of the county con-
trary to the wishes of the mass of the
people. Here were men knowing their
own minds very thoroughly, substan-
tial citizens OF the county from every
neighborhood in it, come to declare
their sentiments and those of the COM
munities which they represented in NO
uncertain sound. They did not come
to hear useless speeches, or to be bored
with buncombe. They had certain
purposes to accomplish, and they did
so promptly and effectually.
They provided for the filling of
Judge Lockhart's place with a gentle
man whom they knows and can trust;
they repulsed firmly and unhesita-
tingly proposition on county bonds
to depart from the compromise of 1875;
they entered a clear, calm and states
manlike protest against the arbitrary
manner in which the state supreme
court refused the people of Lafayette
and other counties a hearing OH Mr..
Skinker's conduct; they elected an
executive committee to act for the peo-
pie In all emergencies, men the mere
mention of whose names insures for
their acts the confidence and approval
of the people of the county; they in
structed the county officers by MI.
Beatie's resolution that there must be
no deviation in settlement of bonds
from the terms of compromise voted
by the people, and which e first
approved by the bondholders; and
they expressed their thanks to the
county judges for the faithful DIS
charge of their duties.
Every act of the convention was
adopted UNANIMOUSLY, or practically
SO. Each one carries with it the full
est meaning of its language, which was
carefully deliberated upon. We have
neither time nor space to elaborate
them, but persons who are interested
in the subject will do well to reflect
that the voice of that convention
is the voice of Lafayette county, and to
that the tenacity of purpose
of this community is lin the ratio to that
of the bondholder as are the lives of all
its men, and their sons after them, to
his one life and n purpose.
The progress of work on the Panama
canal is shown by the following state
ment which has been telegraphed by
way of the Central and South American
Cable:-''The total length of the canal
is "a kilon etres, divided into - sec
lions. These united sections employ
80 steam excavators, 40 locomo-
Ives, and 800 tip wagons. There are
90,O00, 900 cubic metres to be excavated.
The grand cutting, about two thirds Of
which has already been excavated, is
he cutting between Obispo and Paradise.
The force employed upon the work is
Upward Of 10000 men, and the excava-
ion up to Oct. Is amounted to more
han 2,50O, 900 cubic metres. During
;hese latter months of the bad season
he excavations have amounted to
'bout $4,000 metres per month. This
igure will be quintupled during the
inc season, which begins in December,
md next year, when all of the necessa-
y machinery is at work, the excava-
ions will amount to 1000, 900 metres
yer month. The working force will be
increased to a total of $4,000 men. At
?olsn the port works are nearly COM
'lete. The Terre Plein, with the break
vater, destined to lessen the effect Of
he heavy seas at the entrance of the
anal, is finished. An entire town has
ppeared there, with a collection of
warehouses and connect
ing railways for the reception and dis
ribution of the material. From Colon
o Gatun the contractors are Huerne &
'lavin Of San Francisco. These engi-
leers must, with three machines of 100
lerse power each open the first section
n six months between Colon and
a distance of nine kilometres. {
The first of these machines is in full
last, and is able to excavate the enor-
nous quantity of 5000 metres per diem, ,
Q be paid at the rate of one franc per i
fifty metres. The Pacific opening be-
the mouth of the Rio Grande .
md Paraiso is contracted for by the
'ranco-American Trading Company.
The first machine of the American sys- !
EN- will begin work in a few days and i
will be supplemented by others which +
will be necessary to finish this part of
he canal in two years, as a maximum. :
rom Gatun to Bahia and Soldado. On /
he Atlantic side the company are
working two machines, furnishing a {
minimum of 1000 cubic metres per G
lem. The Hercule, an American
is giving satisfaction. The {
'verage days work at present may be !
ct down as about 5000 cubic metres. i
Post ispatch:-"By beating Butler l