The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-04-16
THE NEW COURT HOUSE PROJECT
It Receives q Good Deal of wordy
Attention.

The meeting advertised to be held in
Mankato last Friday afternoon-called
by the farmers to discuss the action OF
the County Commissioners with the
Board of Trade and citizens of Mankato
brought out a very fair attendance
There were twelve towns represented
by supervisors, or otherwise, viz: Pleas.
ant Mound, Garden City, Lincoln, But.
ternut Valley, Shelby, Vernon, Sterling,
Lyra, Danville, Decoria, Beauford and
LeRay.
The meeting was organized by the
election of Mr.. K. T. Champlin, of Yer.
non, as chairman, and Mr.. f. ID. Corn.
ish, secretary.
The chair briefly stated that the OBJ.
Ject Of the gathering was TO consult with
| the representative citizens of MankatO
regarding the proposed court house. The
| some rights in this matter, which the
| county commissioners should recognize,
and the people of the country felt aggriev-
ed at the action of the commissioners i'm
going on with the project. They had
| come together at this time to see if some
| steps could not be taken to cut off furth-
er proceedings. Lorin Cray, of Lake
Crystal, was then called upon to repre-
| sent the side of the farmers in their OPP
position to the building of court house
at this time, which he did in manner
highly creditable to himself and his
clients.
Mr.. Cray said that while the call and
organization of this meeting was some
what peculiar, it was of good deal of
importance, and the subject before the
assembly should be carefully considered.
In May last the proposition to issue
bonds was voted down by POO majority.
| At that time the city cast as many votes
as it did at the presidential election,
but the country showed higher vote
by fully 900 and he believed that had
this same vote been cast on the bond
question it would have been defeated by
| at least l2,OOO-sO solid was the country
against the measure. The commission
| ers, it now seems, are determined to
build court house in the face of the
| facts. The farmers voted against issu-
ing bonds, and they also voted against
building a court house, and the action of
the commissioners in levying a special
tax for the erection of a court house
was only another way of getting around
the emphatic manner in which the
farmers voted. The action of the farm
ers, after the determination of the COM
missiOners to ignore their verdict, to
stamp their disapprobation upon such
proceedings, passed number of reso-
lutions at the town meetings condemna-
tory of such proceedings. At the re-
cent meeting in Garden City fully half
of the towns in the county were repre-
sented, and there resolutions were
passed derogatory to their action, and
this meeting was called to see if some
thing could not be done to stop the mat
ter here and let it rest until some flu
ture time, when the matter can again be
| presented to the voters. Mr.. Cray said
he would not discuss whether or not the
commissioners were legalized in this
movement, but rather whether, if their
action should be carried out, it would
not cOmplicate our business relations,
and make untold trouble in collecting
taxes, etc. 1t lay in the hands of the
citizens of Mankato, with their influence
with the commissioners, to stop this.
There are four commissioners with no
constituency behind them in this mat
ter, and only one who is backed up.
Mr.. Cray became very earnest, and pre-
dicted that this action, if not stopped
would blow up great trouble. He took
the ground that two or three years de-
lay would make no difference, but to
keep up the friendly feeling between
the country and city is all important.
Mr.. Cray said he voted in favor of the
court house and would do so again, but
the will of the people had expressed
otherwise, and the will of the people Is
| the law of the land.
Mr.. S. a. Keith, of Sterling, desired
to hear from the members of the Board
of Trade.
Mr.. Noe, on behalf of the Board of
Trade, said the Board had attended the
meeting by invitation. The discussion
of the question seemed to lay between
| the supervisors and commissioners, and
he desired to wait until the matter had
been more fully reviewed.
Mr.. Parks, of Peasant Mound, de-
sired to hear from the commissioners,
and County Attorney Pau was invited
to present their side of the case.
Mr.. Pau remarked that he had not
been expecting to be called upon to
make any remarks, but whatever re-
sponsibility there was in his position he
was willing to defend. The first and
most important thing upon subject was
to understand 1t, and with all due de-
ference to Mr.. Cray, he did not believe
that gentleman had fairly stated the
question at issue. What are we doing ?
This is 10 new movement. For years
Blue Earth county has needed more
respectable buildings. Two years ago
the county commissioners deter mined
that something besides rat hoes for
county offices must be furnished and
something besides the old rookeries
that now contain the records must be
proyided. Steps were then taken to
provide the necessary funds with which
to supplant these unsafe and unsightly
buildings, and a levy of IS, 500 was made
to begin the work. No one expected
but it is well known that the commits
siOners are the only authorized agents
for the people in such matters, and upon
them devolves the work. They are the
ones that must determine the amount of
your taxes. No authority can be shown
wherein to invest it in any one else. A
year later the question arose with them
I-"shall we raise this money from time
to time by direct taxation, or shall we
issue bonds?' The commissioners felt
that it was but just that the people
should determine which mode they
would adopt for paying for the building,
and as consequence special act was
secured through the legislature granting
the people the privilege Ofvoting on the
question of issuing longtime bonds.
After these S., 500 had been raised, il
was not reasonable to suppose that the
vote was taken to determine whether or
not a court house should be built; that
had already been determined upon, 1t
was simply as to the question of what
means should be pursued TO raise the
money. Mankato was in favor of issu-
ton of bonding, the farmers objected to,
and upon the ground, he had been in
formed, that they did not propose to pay
per cent for 80 years, making total
interest of $50 cents on every dollar and
then have to pay the principal in add.
ton. They did not want 10 bond their
children. But dropping all this discus
sion-the county commissioners are the
only authorized agents who can deter
mine whether or not court house shall
be built. The people only voted down
| the proposition of paying for it with
longtime bonds. If it was the IN
tention of the commissioners to submit
the question of building, why was it not
so incorporated in the call? The voting
of the bonds, even, would not necessari-
ly carry with it that the commissioners
should build the voting down of the
same does not imply that they have not
the authority to proceed with this mat
ter. The commissioners are moving in
this case in just the course they would,
had no vote been taken. There is no
disposition nor have they attempted to
thwart the wishes of the people. Had
the gentlemen here to-day accepted the
invitation in February and attended the
meeting called by the commissioners,
and protested as they do to-day; no &C.
| ton would have been taken on the court