Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-05-31
MR.. SKINNER AND THE TOWNSHIP
BONDS.

0AAs' A4O AD ASSAAA
BONDS.
In the Kansas City Times Of the 2Sth
inst. Mr.. Il. X. Skinker makes a estate
ment," whereby he tries to justify his
unreasonable and inconsistent conduct
in continuing to prosecute iii town.
ship bond suits, after taking All active
and prominent part in the township
bond conference held at the law Office
of Gen. John B. Henderson, on June
2Oth, 1882, in which conference a basis
of settlement and compromise for II
bonded townships was agreed upon.
under which agreement some $235,O00
have already been compromised.
The Statement" of Mr.. Skinker
when closely examined, only shows
what he now says he did say and con
tend for in the conference. Beside,
MI. Skinker must remember that it
makes no difference what was said,
claimed, argued or contended for in
that conference. 1t is the final agree
ment-the basis of compromise as final
ly agreed upon, and faed by that con-
ference that binds and concludes all
taking part therein. Mr.. Skinker was
either in that conference as a disturb
ing element, without intention of &C
quiescence in its result, or he was
there in good faith, trying to compro-
mise an immense and very oppressive
township indebtedness. Ifhe was there
in the first character, he is still conclud-
ed as an individual by his participation
in the meeting: if in the second charac-
ter, then he and all those represented
by him are bound by the final action of
the conference. We prefer to think
that Mr.. Skinker was acting in good
faith in going into the conference, and
we now ask that he prove this good
faith, as we'll as his own consistency,
in standing by and carrying out the
final agreement of the conference in
which all of his addresses, agreements
claims and demands were merged.
1t is not necessary for us in this
place to explain to MIR. Skinker the
Importance, nay absolute necessity, of
concessions upon the part of all par
ties to an arbitration or compromise.
He is a student of law, and knows bet
ter than we can tell him the principles
which underlie such proceedings.
Moreover, he must certainly forget
when he says, Speaking for all of
these I notified the conference in the
most positive language that none of
them would under any circumstances
accept less than the terms l proposed"
The minutes of the conference kept by /
Secretary Little fail to show any such
statement on the part of Mr.. Skinker,
o do our representatives in the con-
ference remember any such statement.
Mr.. Skinker in the conference did ask
of Lexington, Sni-a-bar and Washing
ton townships, 65 per cent. for judy
ments and 81 per cent. for bonds and
coupons; but suppose he had made
the statement, as he nov alleges, what
difference could that fact nov make ?
There was not a single bond-represent-
alive in the conference who got as
much as he asked; therefore, according
to the reasoning of Mr.. Skinker all
would be justified in repudiating the
final agreement of the conference.
Then, again, Mr.. Skinker says, 81 ar
gued that there was nc reason for MAX
ing the rate Of compromise less in one
township than another, as was pro-
Then why did not Mr.. Skink-
er move in the conference that the rate
for the townships of Davis, Freedom
and Middleton be reduced to Is per
cent, the amount he says he asked
from Lexington, Washington and
Or why did he not move
to have the three last named townships
increased OF raised to the rate of the
? This is all CANNON. Mr..
.kinker knows, and knows well, that in
arriving at the rate and basis of settle
lnent the conference took in. considera-
lion all the equities as we'll as the
of each township to pay its
indebtedness. 1t would have been I'M
Just to even ask of Sni-a-bar township
20 pay the same rate as that of Free
dom, and the proposition and position
IF MI. Skinker prove that he recog-
nized the gross injustice of such
We sincerelyiregret that MI. Skink-
n cannot see his way clear to a ~cessa-
ion of hostilties against our people.
He is one of the very few who are will
ng to continue to harass them. The
public debt of this county, with all
he compromises effected, will amount
over one million dollars. Even
the county is a fertile one this,
with the other burdens it must bear, of
making roads, building bridges, educa-
ing its children, keeping its poor, &c,
must continue a high rate of taxation
Tor years to come. We cannot stop
here to answer all the specious pleas of
his paper in the Times. 1t is jaundiced
with prejudice from first to last. There
is not a boy 10 years of age in the
county who cannot point out to him its
numerous inaccuracies.
He is surprised at our contumacy on
bond question. If he was one of
the people here, knowing the circum-
stances, and paying out taxes, year by
year, for no value received-mot one
not n cent-his obstinacy in a
mistaken course co~nvinces us that he
would be as lively q. kicker as a six
corn-fed Missouri mule.
Beside, he knows it is wrong to re-
ceive i'll n hand a salary from the
people of Missouri, while the other is
raised in angry hostility against one
third of those who contribute the mon
ey to pay him.
If Mr.. Skinker is not past PRAYING
for he will relent.
While the lamp hollis out to burn.
|
In exact accordance with the spirit
Of the article which appeared last week
upon the subject in the Intelligencer