Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-18
THE MAIN STREET PAVING CON-
TRACT.
4 Serious Talk About an Unpleasant Phase Of
our Public Affairs

| OF the council themselves, and the quicker
| they make it the better. The peoples bust
ness should not be done in the dark or be
| hind closed doors, and it must not be-
There is no warrant for any
secret secessions of city council, nor
law for star chamber arrangements under
the guise of executive sessions" The
property holders along the streets to be
paved pay the bills in the main and the
city council are simply their formal repre-
sentatives. whose duty, whose whole and
only duty, is to do the will of the people,
and not their own. The idea of dozen
men as members of a city council, with
but d comparatively small pecuniary in
terest in particular improvement, refus-
ing the presence and voice of a street full
of representative men, business men whose
greatest material interests are at stake
and who must foot the cost, pay the bills
and the penalty of all mistakes also, if
any should be made, is simply intoler-
able. The members of the city council, or
its majority, may have some reason for the
course pursued, but they have none which
should not be made public before action is
taken But there is no right, no law, no
council, or for any other body Of merely
representative men awarding contracts for
and in behalf of the people. except in the
most open manner. We are making no
charge of Doodle or of improper influences,
but are speaking in the interests and in
behalf of all the property holders of one of
our principal streets, and who must feel
outraged over the way they were treated,
as also in the interests OF a city council
and city administration whose motives
nor actions can the city of Wichita af-
ford to have even sUspicioned. Talks,
and hints, and winks OF corruption
against an administration, or against a
majority of its representatives along the
streets, or in private Offices, becomes dis
astrous. Distrust follows and all public
spirit and enterprise are at an end. Wich-
tia can't afford such a state of affairs.
Mobs would be cheaper and less democrat
izing. Nor can the city council afford to
permit even the chance of such charges
or suspicious. If they will, then the peo-
pie want to organize and take matters in
their own hands. All that the city coun-
Gil have to do is to transact the city's bust
ness in such way as would permit of no
warrant for suspicion upon the part of
straightforward business men. An ag-
gregation of the taxpayers, the people,
own this town. 1t is not owned by the
city council, whom the people have only
temporarily chosen as their representatives
for the discharge of certain formal legal
duties, which duties are to be performed
in the most open and honest manner.
For raorc XViobito boc oil IF
her public affairs conducted in such an
open and circumspect way that seldom
was suspicion ever uttered; and, public
confidence and public spirit were the legiti-
mate fruits. Now that we are in the
midst of great enterprises and improve
ments, which must involve vast expendi-
lures, and must become, in some sense,
burthen to property holders, it is essential
and paramount that the utmost conf
dence of the people be maintained
in the integrity of the city officials,
in the honesty and capacity of
the members of the city council. 1t has
been a rule OF the EAGLE, a rule which has
governed its entire career, to ever praise all
that pertained TO Wichita, and where
praise was impossible to simply remain
silent; but, in matters of such great i'm
portance, of street improvement and fran
chises, of sewerage, paving and the like,
which must cost millions, and upon which
hinge the entire interest of the city, its
present and future, we would be untrue to
all our past endeavors, and untrue to the
interests of all this people were we to fail
to speak when solid representative bust
ness men express doubts or evince distrust
of their servants
So far as that pavement proposition is
and SO far as the action of the
city council on night before last is con-
cerned, the majority of the property hold
ers on Main street, or on any given street,
have a right to decide what their
street shall be paved with; and, when
the choice of that majority is known, the
city council, without reference to the
Judgment or opinion OF its individual
members, should promptly so order.
1t is humiliating to thus refer to these
matters, but condoned offenses and wrongs
soon grow into outrages. The little smoke
of the electric light contract, and the after
warmth of the street railway franchise,
promise to eliminate now in an indignant
blaze over the Main street paving bust
ness, and it is due TO the city council that
they know that different line of action
is expected and demanded of them
by the people, one not only
more open, but one which shall
conform to the expressed will of those
whom they represent, of those whose voice
cannot be silenced by the closed doors of
of the so-called executive session.
Wrong motives nor improper Influences
are not charged by the EAGLE, but other,
more open, and less suspicious methods
must shere after be adhered to by the city
council in matters involving great sums of
the peoples money, or there will arise q con-
fiict and condition of affairs which will
injure the good name, if it does
not retard the prosperity of the city.
p. :. AND LATER.-After the above
views had been put into the hands of the
late in the evening two prom
nent bankers of Main street called to in
form us of the action of a meeting of fifty
principal property owners on Main street
who met at Mr. Williams office at the DC
,idental for the purpose OF protesting
against the very matters Of which
we complain above. The men com.
posing the meeting were not only
prominent citizens, but of that stamp,
standing and character whose voice when
united must be needed. The meeting was
not less earnest than vehement, not less
lot than it was unanimous. 4 remon-
STRANGE against the sandstone and petit
ism for asphalt WAS reported and COM
nittee of seventeen appointed to circulate
he same for the better information of the
,ity council and 10 present the same TO
hat body in open session and TO demand