The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-05-28

blame them much as they certainly
would not want their readers to know
the truth, after making the charges
they have and which they have utterly
failed to substantiate.
Under date of May I4th we said:
"We defy them to show that any
other proposition was made to OF
considered by the Council except the
question of the ACCESSIBILITY of buying
$4,000 of first mortgage bonds. I"
This they have not even attempted to
dispute.
Again we said that this city "acting
in its official capacity as corporation
through its duly elected officers"
never bound itself to pay Mr.. Ashley
single dollar. This they do not
dispute but try to show that a private
committee of self appointed citizens
agreed to do something (they don't
say what) and that this city has not
carried out the contracts of this com.
mittee. Well, why should it? This
committee was not appointed by the
Council, chosen by the people or
created by the charter. They were
just such committee as is often APP
pointed in public meetings, caucuses,
conferences, ETC., and had as much
power to bind this city as had any
other half dozen men and no more.
If committee appointed at a public
meeting could bind this city, what
would be the use of electing a city
government? According to this doc
trine, our city officers are mere orn-
aments and figure heads, and any
committee appointed in any public
meeting, caucus or conference, con-
stitutes the real city government, and
their action is legally or morally
upon tie city. What arrant
nonsense! What ridiculous propo.
sition for anyone with common sense
tc make! To such preposterous and |
stupid position, is the Independent
brought in its efforts to avoid owning
the corn and admitting its mistakes.
Now, let the Independent prove that
this city ratified the action of this
committe or retract. Let them show
that the Council acted upon or the
city voted upon any proposition differ
ent from what we stated in the pre-
ceeding paragraph, or let them stand
convicted of wilfully slandering
Owosso's fair name.
The Independent in its vain efforts
to besmirch Owosso's citizens will not
tell its readers the truth and let them
know that at the spring election,
Owosso was not voting whether it
should pay old debts, but whether it
should incur new obligations, that the
question was not relative to some.
thing done in the past but what was
it best to do in the future. The
question was whether il was policy to
pay $40, 900 for a competing line be-
tween Owosso and Durand, and Owes
so voted no. This springs election
did not and could not affect anything
done in the past. Owosso's relations
with Mr.. Ashley, respecting the rail-
road arrangements made in 1883, are
the same as if no election had been
held. The question voted upon did
not touch that, but was on a new,
distinct and different proposition. In
our opinion Owosso is not and never
was bound legally or morally
to pay Mr.. Ashley a single dollar,
but in no event is anything due him
till he builds his road and this he
has not done, and we say Owosso
has not repudiated its debts, even if
it made any, since Ow osso voted at
the spring election not upon carrying
out old contracts but upon making
new ones. You, Mr.. Independent
stated Owosso had repudiated its
debts and you cannot sneak out Of it
by saying you meant to say Owosso
was going to repudiate its debts.
Under date of May I4th we said:
eve admit there is some diversity of
opinion between citizens of Owosso
relative to the railroad matters" but
no one here or elsewhere seriously
pretends that Owosso has "repudiated"
anyjust obligation and we don't believe
the editor of the Independent thinks
it has. This being so, the reason for
his slanderous attacks can only be
laid to his jealousy of Owosso's pro-
verbal enterprise, healthy growth and
continued property, and the animus
of his wilful attack on The TINES is
found in the last paragraph of his
article, wherein he displays his envy
and jealous rage and shows his asinine
qualities very prominently.
HENRY b. DEWEY.