, 1889-08-08
CoNsTITUTI0SAL CONVENTION.
The Convention Opposed to County Sub
sides.

The committee on water and water
rights presented their report on that
question.
After considering the regular order OF
business, the convention then resolved
itself into the committee OF the whole,
for the consideration OF the article as re
ported by the committee on state, county
and municipal Indebtedness.
Upon this article much discussion was
| anticipated, and the anticipation was
realized. Oi course the section upon
which most opposition was to center was
section :, which l deem it advisable, for
the benefit Of the rcaders OF the ARGUS,
to present in full.
SEC. :. No county shall hereafter give
or loan its money, property or credit to,
or in aid Of any individual, company,
corporation or association unless two
thirds of the property taxpayers thereof,
being legal electors therein, and voting
thereon, vote therefor at an election 10
be held for such purpose, and i'll no case
shall the sum so voted exceed in the ag-
gregate four per centum OF its assessed
| valuation for county and state purposes,
| as shown by its assessment next preced-
| ing such election.
Upon this question there was both a
majority and minority report. The
committee reporting this article was COM
posed of nine members.
The members OF the committee Oppos-
ing the majority report hail from Spo-
kane, Whitman, Stevens and Lincoln
l counties, and those favoring the same
from Walla Walla, Columbia, Thurston
Pierce and King counties.
One of the strongest speeches in oppo-
sition to the section was made by Mr..
Buchanan. He appealed to the conven-
ton not to let the counties squander
their faith and credit. Adopt this sec
ton, he said, and you throw down the
bars, and the state will be rife with all
| sorts and kinds of wild cat schemes.
Mr.. Sturdevant spoke in favor OF the
section and pictured the necessities OF
| many OF the counties in this state, and
| argued that without such 4 clause in the
| constitution they would not become pop
| ulous and prosperous. He said that he
believed that county should be per-
| mitted to contrel its own finances.
The speech OF the day upon this ques-
,,,,Ia 1.yr ATr IInpra Of
kane. He portrayed in glowing terms
the poor widow who would he compelled
to pay tax for something against which
she was opposed. Adopt this section,
the citizens 10 oppress the rest. There
could be no more vicious a measure than
| is sought to be carried out by this sec
| ton, and Mr.. Moore said he hoped that
| this convention would not engraft upon
| the constitution such rotten branch.
Mr.. Jones voted against the majority
| report because he believed in the prin-
ciple that public property shall not be
taken for private use, which in sub
stance would be the effect OF section :, ii
adopted.
The motion to adopt section resulted
| q in favor to. IL against. The question
then came upon the adoption Of the mi
| nority report, and the same was adopted
by a rising vote. The minority section
| reads as follows:
No county, city, town or other muni-
| cipal corporations shall hereafter give
| any money or property, or loan Its money
or credit to, or in aid of any individual.
association, company or corporation, or
| become directly or indirectly the owner
of stock in, or bonds of any association,
| company or corporation.
The defeat of this proposition is a black
eye to the hopes OF Walla Walla, for she
more than any other county desired the
adoption of section Z.
NOTES.
MIR. Moore in his speech to-day stated
that moss-back was an institution; the
| character and kind he did not say.
Mr.. Crowley is now known as the
Prince OF Happy Valley, owing to an al
lusion to him in such terms by Mr.,
Moore.
Mr.. Dunbar Is known as Ulysses
| Dunbar"
| Mr.. Dyer is dubbed it seems.to-me -
on account of his frequent use OF that ex-
| preston.
LEDDY.