The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-09-12
oorcrnErra rax pnoPosIrros
$50. .s !: ::1 s: = =; g S.A

coecEREIKs TaE PRoPos1zfos
To vote sss. 800 is Reads - Ths onsh..
Kaasss q s0athern Railway o.
To THE EDITos OF THE JOURNAL:
The proposition TO vote s., 600 In
bonds 10 the Omaha, Kansas d
Southern railway company, should
be defeated ct the polls for several
reasons, primarily because it is not
worth 100 10 the city II built In
good faith, and as yet nobody IL
able 10 determine whether 10 10 O.
bona ede proposition or not.
I am strongly inclined 10 believe
that 10 n not. There n entire
IL too much mystery about this 90
called railroad company, and no tax
payer In Sallns can justify himself
In voting this aid until be knows
more than II now known about 10.
I am In favor Of q north and south
road, and am In favor Of voting
bonds for that purpose, whenever
there IL o guarantee that the city
will get value receiyed therefor and
not Otherwise. We have no money
to throw away In questionable 10
say the least) enterprises.
We are told that the gentlemen
connected with this scheme have
money enough 20 build dozen rail-
roads. Well, nobody, 90 far - ]
know, ever questioned their hnan-
eial standing. The matter Of money
has nothing whatever TO dc with IL.
IL r. o question Of good faith ~ far
a. the voting Of these bonds II con-
cerned, more than money. Why are
we not informed who these gentle
men are? We do not know whether
10 10 the Rock Island or Union Pa
cific or some other corporation that
proposes 10 operate the road when
completed. The gentlemen who are
looking after the matter, locally, do
not know, 20 they say, but they tell
us confidentially that there ere .
great many things connected with IL
which they are not at liberty to d.
vuIge at this time. They intimate.
however, that it II their opinion that
In all probability, II nothing hap
pens more than IL now known, 10
will be the Rock Island-or some
other company. This n about as
definite Information a. can be had
concerning q matter involving the
expenditure of S2O,OO0 by the city.
I am satisfied that these gentlemen
know too much or too little; In
either case the voter will be amply
Justified In voting down this 900
proposition. OF course 10 would not
do to ask for sd 900 for right Of way,
terminal facilities and depot grounds
for the Rock Island, because that
road has already had nearly $4,000
fOrthis very purpose. And what has
a. n. . l. -
their depot building aud answer the
question for yourself. IL it IL to be
the Rock Island, then Its promoters
are wise In not permitting the public
to know II until after the aid IL
voted, for the simple reason that
neither the Rock Island nor the
Union Pacific need spend 81 600 TO
get into and thro ugh the city Of Sa-
lima, nor will they In case the bonds
are voted. The proposition can be
legally carried out and the city
forced to issue and deliver the bonds
without the expenditure on the part
Of this 90 called railway company Of
81 600. IL there IL any doubt In this
connection, read the proposition,
particularly that clause objected TO
by the city council. Here IL L.:
1.-THE conditions upon which said
bonds shall be voted and issued 10
the said Omaha, Kansas q South
ern railway company are n follows:
said company shall construct the
line Of such railroad Of standard
guage from some point on
the north line OF saline county,
Kansas, In . point rithin the corpo-
ration lImits Of said city Of Sallna,
together with freight and passenger
depot, within one mile Of the inter-
section Of Iron avenue with santa
Fe avenue" Now what benefit can
be derived by the city, or what ex-
penditure Of money will be necessary
II this company simply builds into
the corporate limits on the north,
connects with the old Lincoln
branch and goes out on the McPher-
son branch? Or suppose they build
into the limits on the east, make q
connection on the Rock Island track
and 20 out on the Mcpherson
branch? IL this should be done
then the only thing left 10 do In
order 10 comply with the conditions
ON which the bonds are to be voted
would be the building Of few hun.
dred feet OF switch and what they
very significantly term a"suitable''
depot, any where within O mile OF
any where else involving an outlay
Of perhaps $500 and the bonds are
theirs. IL Il IL not the intention to
do something Of this nature why
was IL stated by the attorney for the
road that any change In the wording
Of this peculiar proposition would
result In its withdrawal by the rail.
way company? The city council
were induced by this Ingenious
railroad attorney to believe this
railroad ordinance as prepared by
himself, was q thing not be trified
with by an vulgar common council
o holy Of holles as it were, and so II
was passed I'm Its original instead OF
the amended form as IL should have
been. In conclusion l repeat that
the proposition TO vote $4,000 In
bonds to the Omaha, Kansas a
Southern railway company, 90
called, should be defeated at the
polls. II. p. CRAvENs.