Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-19
THAT Repudiation Platform.

with the usual promises, II elected, U
do better in the future. He says:
First. favor an enforcement OF all laws.
Is it not a little significant that such
a commonplace declaration as this
should have been deemed necessary
from one who has been chief of police
of the city for the year last past? Had
there been the least attempt at IAN"
honest enforcement of the laws dur
ing Mr.. Matteson's administration this
ordinary promise to be faithful to bis
trust as mayor would never have sug-
gested itself to Mr.. MattesOn. The
almost entire absence Of any pretense
of enforcing the police laws of the city
for the year last past, renders it abso-
lutely necessary that the mayor promise
great amends in that direction for the
future. Mr.. Matteson' past record In
this particular will outweigh any
promises he may make for the
future. He made very similar promises
a year ago and his administration Of
the police laws has been misfortune
to the reputation of the city.
Second, am not in favor of TIE city pay
ing the S5,OJOgas bonds.
SO reads the second plank of Mr..
Matteson's platform. This of course
is reputation pure and simple. The
city obtained the $4,000 in cash for the
bonds. The men who furnished the
81, 900, furnished it in good faith. They
hold the city's obligation for the money
and unless the bonds were illegally
issued they will collect them whether
we want to pay them or not. As a
question of morals we ought to
pay them. We got the money and we
ought to pay it back. If it was IN
wisely sunk in A half dozen holes
around the city, that in no wise affects
our duty to meet our honest Obliga-
tions. 1t is only a dishonest man who
will repudiate a debt which he honestly
owes. 1t is only a trickster who seeks
to avoid his obligations upon techni-
cality. Tie city received dollar for
dollar for every one of these bonds,
and because those who had control of
it were unsuccessful in finding gas,
furnishes no possible excuse either in
law or morals why the city should not
pay the bonds. The moral effect of
any attempt upon the part of the city
to repudiate these bonds, even if such
thing be possible, would be disastrous
to our city. No municipal corpora
ton can afford to do moral wrong
and hope to profit DO it. The bonds
are only $4,000 and it would be better
by far for the city to pay than to bear
the ignominy which attaches 20 all
regulators. The refusal to pay will
involve the city in costly litigation and
costly disgrace.
Third, favor the WaIerworks company
being forced to comply strictly with the Or
dinance and its contract.
Thus says our candidate for re-elec.
ton. This is another of those genera
platitudes which could be said by any
one as we'll as Mr.. Matteson. Every
body in the city is now and always ha:
been in favor of this proposition ant
Mr.. MattesOn's conduct during the
past year hardly justifes him in trying
to appropriate to himself any credit fol
anything the WaterwOrks cOmpan!
has done or is likely to do. TIT
earnest desire of Mayor Matteson Il
entirely destroy our waterworks sys
tenn is too fresh in the the minds of tn
citizens of this city for him to deceive
any of them by any pretentious bun
|, combe that he favors anything connect
ed with the waterWorks system. IL
tried every means in his power to driv
the waterworks from Abilene. He dit
everything he could do to prevent tn
company from complying with it
contract" in the hope that the cit
J might cancel the entire contract. H
even went so far as to carry away fron
the files of the city clerk an ordinance
which the council had passed authoriz
ing the WaterWorks company t
comply with its contract by furnish
! ing Sand Springs instead of Mud creel
r water. And it was only after
t citizensimeeting composed of Iearl.
, all the business men, mechanics AM
q laborers of the city expressed its indig
q nation at the mayors reprehensibl
and disreputable conduct that Mr.
r Matteson finally consented to surrende
p the ordinance to the city clerk wheT
it belonged, and thus in spite of th
4 factious and obstreperous opposition {
q the mayor the city of Abilene has th
best water in the state of Kansa!
Had the policy of Mr.. Matteson bee
9 pursued the city would have not onl
a been without water but probably Will
J out wsterworks as well as defendant j
u an endless and costly line of litigation
J There has not been a single publ
It improvement made in this city durin
L Mr.. Matteson's administration that hs
q had his consent. The enforcement {
J the police laws has simply been vicioU
q and the condition of our streets an