The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-09-11
CITY Council.

on Monday, but convened on Tuesday
evening, Mayor Woods in the chair and
Aldermen Mccarthy, Schnuettgen, Fail
Ion, Price, Ingersoll and Getchell
present. The minutes Of the
special meeting i'll which the
council ordered the suits with re-
gard to school lands withdrawn and the
same transferred to the Rapid City, Mis-
siouri River and st. Paul railroad, was
read. A petition from many taxpayers
was received and read. 1t approved the
action of the council in the matter OF
school lands. Mavor Woods, who was
absent at the time OF the special meeting,
announced his veto OF the instructions
Of fhe council. We give the veto in full:
RAPID CITY, S. d., Sept. s. 1891.
: Gentlemen Of the City Council OF Rapid City,
South dakota.
Upon examination Of the records kept
by the city auditor during my absenc.,
l find that on the 31st. day OF August,
this council was convened by the then
Acting Mayor, P. B. Mccarthy, at which
time q resolution was passed author
izing the City Attorney to withdraw
suits now pending III the Supreme Court
OF the State to recover lands hat belong
to this City for school purposes,
l must gentlemen, dissent from your
official acts. This fund and suit has
been handed down to us as a trust Tor
our schools and should be sacredly guard
ed above and beyond every other inter-
est. 1t is not u matter we have the least
do no good whatever to pass this reso-
luton, as any tax payer on the school
Board could and would apply to rein
state these cases and continue the prose
cution of them to a ina decision. This
whole matter looks to me like d few men
for a purpose, want the earth
but want someone else to as
sumo the responsibility OF deliv-
ering it over to them, knowing well
they could not holdi it after delivery. But
to sum up, the whole matter gentlemen,
it is illegal, wrong and unjust to allow
them to take from'our school fund the
day, that should have a school fund
sufficient to support our schools without
u dollar of tax, is now bankrupt as lar
as the school fund is concerned: and
lands and lots so generously provided
by acts OF congress-, have from time to
time been gobbled and squandered by
INSCRIPTIONS, dishonest men; and to be
plain, by a set of theiving officials, and
now by your acts you propose to turn
oyer illegally the little that is left to aid a
railroad company. Isimply will say that
as James NJ. Woods, as acitizen, l will give
as much and will probably do as much
Paul Railroad as anyone connected
Herewith. 1t isan enterprise that should
be encouraged and sustained by this
people and is OF more Importance to
them than any project which has been
~inaugurated in the last decade. 1t has
now and will hereafter have my hearty
support and every encouragement that |
can possibly give to it as d citizen, will
be unselishly given; but as Mayor OF
of this CITY 1 shall and will until next
May, protect every interest that has
been handed down by those pro-
ceeding me. think that there
scented to me put upon the plea OF
a benefit to our city, that 1 would not be
willing to approve, but when asked to
prostitute an official trust, it is some
thing that I cannot and will not do. l
do not doubt that the motives that
have actuated you in the passage Of this
resolution, have been unseltish and for
the best interests of the city az you see
it, and / hope gentlemen, that time will
demonstrate to you that the position
that I have taken is al honorable one.
At least. Ihave examined this matter
from It's legal bearing and find it is only
childs play on our part. The Railroad
conld not hold it. orany oft, than
they could put to practical uses. 1t has
been stated and / believe reliably, that
the parties interested will not relinquish
could the city do SO. We are gentlemen,
servants of the people and should the
people at the polls demand the dismiss
sal Of this suit, it would certainly have
our serious consideration. We will say
that without sufficient investigation
and thought upon this important sub
ject, a majority may be today in favor
Of a dismissal Of this suit, but alter
proper investigation and consideration,
we are fully Of the belief that a majority
OF our people will sustain us in this
action. Should they notdo SO, we will
have the satisfaction OF doing III duty
as we zee it. JAMES Nj. WOODS.
On motion OF Alderman Mccarthy the