The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-31
A PROTEST..

A protest against the sale of the water and
sewer bonds under the contract arranged
between the city government. and N. w.
Harris & Co., of Chicago, was made yes
terday by II. L. Yesler, d. T. Denny, Hill
lory Butler, w. II. Humphrey, ]. B. Kel-
logg, p. III. Lewis, Dexter Horton, Amos
Brown. e. NJ. Smithers, G. O. Halter and
Geo. Kinnear. Its form was an application
to the Superior Court for temporary re-
straining order pending the hearing of an
application for an injunction. The grounds
upon which this actionis brought are pure
ly technical, but it is understood that the
real basis of the procedure is dissatisfac-
ton with the bargain made by the council
with Harris & Co. By agreement the mat
ter win come up before Judge Lichtenberg
next Thursday.
The men thus protesting are among the
most responsible and respectable in Seat
tie, and it must not be supposed that they
are actuated by other than the very best
motives. But, while they are unquestion-
ably well meaning. they are in this pro-
cedure doing a thing which may, which,
indeed, is very likely to overthrow and
undo all that has been accomplished to-
ward giving the city the ownership and
control of its water system. To prevent
the disposal of the water bonds is. in effect,
to leave the city government without the
means to carry out its contracts, and to
throw the water-works back into the hands
of private company. We cannot believe
that these protestants-good citizens all of
them, and all anxious to promote the best
interests of Seattle-would knowingly and
willingly force the city to take a step back
ward.
The PosT-INTELLIGESCEB is willing to Nd
NIT that the bonds were sold for less than
they were worth. 1t believes, and so stated
the day following the sale, that better
bargain might under other circumstances
have been made. But the special facts of
the situation should be borne in mind.
There was serious public exigency. A
determined and concentrated effort was be-
ing made by certain interested parties to
discredit the bond issue. By a constant
harping and bowling upon certain alleged
defects, an effort was made to prevent the
sale at any price. And the very people
who since the sale, and who still are loud
est in their criticisms, were the ones who
are really to blame for the low price re-
ceived. The council had to choose between
immediate action with what seemed securi-
ty for the city in its control of the water.
system, and delay with the chance of sac.
rifcing the water system TO private owner
ship. We believed at the time, and be-
lieve still, that the council did right-that
immediate action was the best course as a
means of carrying out the oft-expressed
wish of the people and of defeating a
scheme which threatened to stop and turn
back the progressive effort OF the city to
own and control its own water supply.
The blame for whatever was unfortun.
ate in this transaction should rest not
upon the council. which did what seemed
best under the circumstances, but upon
those whose criticisms are now loudest.
They are to blame, for they brought about
the transaction which thew now condemn.