, 1890-02-28

T RUE TO THEIR TRUST.


The council committee on ways and
means yesterday reported in favor Of
tabling Mr.. S~chnitger's infamous bill re
Garding the collection Of municipal rev
enues. From what we can learn there is
little difference Of opinion concerning
the character of the bill and the council
will undoubtedly kill it when it comes up
for second reading.
The statements made in THE LEADER
yesterday regarding the true InwGrdness
OF this measure caused a great deal OF
talk in this community, particularly among
the taxpayiug people who would be most
affected by its passage. There was no diff
ference Of opinion as to the public outrage
of the %offense but the feeling was intensi
fed by the reflection that such a bare
faced attempt had been made to impose
upon the crelulity of the people. Here
was a bill which on its face was a good
one. The peoples representatives in the
house, the men whom they had selected
in the full confidence that they would
tuAN IA7A avs ulktu NiG piSShEt VI Nut
bill upon the grounds of increased econ
omy in the public service. And yet these
men while pretending to accomplish
a public good were in reali,v attempt
ing to encompass a public outrage. The
citizens of Cheyenne realize that we are
now about to be placed in a rather anon
olous position. We have contracted to
undertake the building of a stone viaduct
this year which will cost $45, 900. We
en- make no provision for the immediate
pigment of this amount, nor can the city
be bonded for the purpose. In addition
the season is opening with a degree of &C
tlvity that promises a good deal OF build
ing in various directions which will neces-
sarily entail some expense for public i'm
provements.
This, therefore, seemed to be the time
OF all Others when we should husband
our resources, and instead of making
wholesale exemptions from taxation, dis
tribute the burthens generally and equit-
ably, so that possible investors may not
be scared of by exorbitant taxation. II
the measure was one which public policy
demanded, there need be no attempt
made to hoodwink the people. Railway
corporations have bern treated with the
greatest generosity tv the city. Any
legitimate demand which they have made
has been cheerfully granted. When the
contracts between the city and the Bur.
lington and the Union Pacific were signed
concessions were made by the municipal
authorities which we're considered ex-
ceedinGly liberal, but popular opinion
generally ratified them. No mention was
at that time made about complete exemp-
ton from taxation, as there Is a limit be
yond which it is neither safe nor right to
go.
1t took our own Laramie county dele
CATION to work by undermined means
what even the corporations themselves
would not openly attempt. They willingly
allowed themselves to be made cats paws
70. the railroad companies in the effort to
cheat their " constituencies out of
what Justly belonged to them, and, to
make bad worse, when the bill was rep
dated by the representatives from every
other section Of the territory. they con
scented to a COMPROMISE whereby of all
the taxpayers Of Wyoming, only the
taxpayers of Cheyenne, the men who had
honored them by an election, should alone
be robbed.
This is the plain record with which
they must hereafter face the people.