Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-08
Councilman Evans Has Consulted an
Attorney, and Says the Bond
Issue Can Be Stopped,
EVEN AFTER 1T CARRIES TODAY.
A Lively Conversation on the Subject Ge-
tween W. A. Magee and the South
side Representative.
TIE VOTE is EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT.
Eaycr Gourly and Controller Morrow Confident Of the
Propositions Success


esting discussion on the bond question fol-
lowed. Both are earnestly in favor of the
city issuing bonds, but they differed
seriously on the millage to be fixed for next
wear.
81 will vote in favor of bonds" Dr. Evans
said. II believe the bond issue will carry
tomorrow, as it should do, but bonds or no
bonds, there must be no increase in the
millage for next year. The millage of the
last wear must be adopted for the next year.
] assume that position row and will hold ii
until the end.
''Now I want to saw" Mr. Evans went on
with some feeling, THAT there is a grave
question whether the city can issue bonds,
even if the contest is decided in favor of the
bond issue tomorrow. j tell you / have
been looking into this matter carefully. L
have consulted an attorney, and / now
know that the objection of any citizen will
prevent the city from issuing the bonds"
Then you propose to vote for the bonds,
hut you also propose to prevent their issue, !"
Mr.. Msgee suggested.
He Is Not a Kicker Himself
NO. am not going to do anything of
the kind. I say that such a condition
exists aud any irate citizen can stop the
issuing of bonds even if 2Oo, 900 people vote
IN favor of the bonds
The discussion was carried on in pleas
an5 way. and the point raised by DR. Evans
was somewhat of a puzzler to Mr.. Magee.
According 10 all signs in good standing
tn-dav's election will be one of the tamesJ
affairs of its kind ever known in Pittsburg.
InasmUch as the question Of issuing bonds
directly affects the pocket of every man
who owns property and every man who
rents the house he lives in this appears sur
prising But it is general conceded fact
that the vote to-day will he light.
Those who favo- the plan attribute any
opposition that NAV appear to two classes
First. are those whose property has been
improved. snd who hope to throw the bur-
den of costs on other taxpayers, and second,
are those who do not understand the situa-
tion. No opposition is anticipated from
any other source. Everything is ready for
the opening OF the polls this morning. Un-
der the supervision of Mavor Gourlev all
the polling places have been supplied with
the necessary papers. \ citizens commit
ice has detailed men for the polls to see
that none but the regulation tickets are
issued.
The Tickets May Nnslead.
They can also be secured at the offices of
Mayer Gourley and Magistrates McKenna,
Gripp. Leslie. Hyndman and Succop The
tickets are likely to be misleading to some.
rs the words Increase the Debt appear at
the head of all This is simply to show that
the question is on the issue of bonds to in
crease the CITY debt The second line on the
ticket is the one that tells the voters senti-
ment>. and should be examined carefully
before the ballot is cast. Plenty of tickets,
both for and against the movement, Will be
found at the polls.
Mayor Gourley is a sanguine advocate of
the bond issue. In speaking of it yesterday
he said: 81 feel assured there are enough
intelligent voters in Pittsburg to carry the
thing through. II the question was thor
oughly understood there would be no oppo-
sition. As it is, there is no organized
effort against the matter. 1t looks like
large majority in favor of the bond issue"
Controller Morrow said: 81 will vote for
the bond issue. If did not believe it
the ocst way out of the present difficulty L
would use every means in nv power to de-
feat it. 1t is a matter touching the peo-
pies pockets, ana they must decide"
More Light on the Question.
The question to be voted on to-day. con-
cerning which there is apparently so much
misunderstanding. cannot be better eS-
planned than in the following summary of n
letter signed by the Mayo: and Controller:
The street Indebtedness is S20c0,0O0 OF
this amount about $600,00 will he due and
must be paid in 1892 The remaining ST. 400. 600
will mature in 1892 The decision of the
supreme Court says, in plain words that the
city must pay this debt There is no legal
escape. There is but two ways to do this:
one is by direct taxation and the other by
Nj of hon 1Nx-d
tion il will require such an increase in the
tax levy of the next two years as will be-
come 4 burden on the taxpayers of the city.
To meet the payment of the coming year
will require an increase of mills in the
levy. anu TO provide ior the amount ma
turing in 1895 will take an increase Of g
mills.
1t the bonds are authorized this debt will
lie distributed over period of five or ten
years. and thus paid off gradually. If the
curative legislation Is sustained, the issue
OF all the bonds will not be necessary, as
sufficient money will be collected from RS
sessments to meet the debt OF 81 400 600 ma
turing in lS93. IT is believed this legislation
will oe sustained, ,iIut il is vet an unsettled
question. L. must be passed upon by the
supreme Court All moneys derived from
cura tive legislation will be used to retire the
bonds and Tor the payment of this indebted
ness, and for no other purpose. We have
pledged ourselves that no bonds shall be
isSEe;, except TO meet these debts when they
mature.
All Saloons Must Close.
There has been some doubt expressed on
the question of whether the law would sus-
tain the closing of saloons on special
election day. \ portion of section Il of the
license law puts these doubts to rest 1t is
a. follows:
1t shall not be la wful for any person, with
or without license, to furnish by sale, gilt or
otherwise 20 any person any liquor
on ahtdays upon which elections are now
or hereafter may required to be held.
Allegheny, however, will furnish the
usual supply of wei goods, and there will
probably be many thirsty citizens find bust
ness on the north side of the river.
The issue of bonds has been formally en-
dorSed by such men Hs William Smith,
President of the Flint Glass Workers As
sociation: William Meike, President of the
Amalgamated Association; George L. Coke.
Secretary of the Window Glass Workers
Association: L. NJ. Ferguson, T. H. Given.
Cashier of the Farmers Deposit National
Hank: Fl. W. Oliver, Mark w. Watson, A.
GroeIZinger, President of the German Ma
tional Bank: John Caldwell, President of
the Allegheny National Bank: Thomas
Wighfman, Joshua Rhodes, Captain w. w.
Kerr, II. VI. Curry, of Carnegie, Phipps &
Co.; August Ammon, of the NJ & NJ. In
surance Company; T. c. Jenkins the whole
sale grocer: County Commissioner Bowie,
ID. T. Watson, J: c. O'Donnell, Frederick
Maui, President of the German Savings and
Deposit Bank: ID. p. Berg, Cashier of the
Manufacturers Bank: Alderman McKenna
and many others, including the members of
the l,rjck and Grain Exchanges