Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-02-12
THE SCHOOL MEETING.
WHAT WAS DONE AT THE
COURT HOUSE LAST NIGHT.
Speeches For and Against the
Calling Ofan ElectiOn-The Ques-
ti"n of Legality Raised-Com.
mitee Appointed.

Initee Appointed.
Asheville may get Bingham's school
without a popular vote.
A committee of five has been appointed
to canvass the city and see how many
persons will lend Maj. Bingham money
at 6 per cent. interest on long time.
The meeting called for last night, to
consider the matt ,r of asking the board
of aldermen to call an election and allow
the people to vote on the question of
aiding Maj. Bingham in the removal of
his school to Ashevillc. came off at the
court house.
Perhaps 300 people were in the room
when the meeting was called to order.
Prominent men of the city were there,
men who are deeply interested in the fu-
ture of Ashcville, and who seemed deter
mined to see the Bigham school matter
settled satisfactorily.
Mayor Blanton was called to the
chair, and the representatives, of the
press requested to act as secretaries.
Mayor Blanton called on Mai. Bing-
ham to state his proposition to the
meeting, in order that every one might
thoroughly understand what was to be
done.
THE PROPOSITION.
Maj. Bingham said that the amend
ment to the charter Just passed called for
an election III this city on the question of
endorsing his bonds for $4,000. He
proposed to put $25 900 into buildings,
etc, and would make the property worth
100000. He would then give the city a
mortgage on the property which would
secure 1t against any loss. He made no
appeal to sentiment, but made a plain
business proposition. He wanted to
bring his school to Ashevillc, because it
was the best advertised town in the
southern states, and the conditions were
exceptionally favorable. lie had never
failed to meet an obligation in his life,
and felt confident OF his ability to repay
the city every dollar which il endorsed
for.
RESOLUTION.
w. b. Clayton made a short speech in
favor OF calling an election and offered
the following resolutions.
Resolved, That the mayor and board
of aldermen of this city be requested to
submit to the qualified voters the propo.
sition to endorse the bonds OF the Bing.
ham school to the amount OF Twenty-Five
thousand dollars when the said school
shall secure the city for such endorse
ment by first mortgage lien on fifty thous-
and dollars, value OF real estate"
w. b, Gwyn spoke in favor of the reso-
luton, He had good reason for know
ing Maj. Bingham. but he had had
eighteen years in which to forgive him
He thought the way suggested in the
proposition was the most inexpensive
way of getting the school here. Mr..
Gwyn'S talk was full of sound reasoning
and humor.
{. T, c. Deake spoke in favor of the
resolution.
KNEW A GOOD THING.
d. c. Waddell said he thought he
knew good thing when he SAW it, and
he knew that the removal OF the school
to this place would be of the greatest
possible benefit, and was heartily in
favor of the proposition.
Prof. 2. =. Claxton knew of no better
location for such olsouth of Mason
and Dixon's line than Ashevlle, and the
school would succeed here as it would
~ nr nlC 10 L.
not his own opinion. but that of persons
in other states who knew whereof they
spoke.
Capt. Matt Atkinson made a lengthy
speech favering the proposition. He
SAID it had been suggested that the car
rying out OF the proposal would be un-
constitutional. He, in company with
several ofthe best lawyers OF Raleigh, had
looked into the matter, and Attorney
General Davidson had expressed the
opinion that it was constitutional. He
hoped there would be no hcstancy in
putting it before the people.
WATERS, SUNSET, ETC.
N. p. Chichester in howcry, eloquent
and short speech, endorsed emphatcally
everything said in favor of the proposed
aid. The trickling waters, the sun-kissed
mountain tops, and the blue ether all
came in for their share of praise, and Mr..
Chichester sat down amid thunderous
applause.
Mr.. Clayton, who introduced the reso-
luton, pledged the support of the work
ingmen, and wanted to see the school
come here.
A SUBSTITUTE.
Up to this time everything had been
plain sailing. Everybody was speaking
in favor of the proposition and there
seemed little doubt as to the sentiment of
the town. Capt. 7, W. Patton offered a
substitute to the resolution, requesting
the chairman "appoint committee at
once to receive pledges from those
gentlemen present, who feel disposed to
assist in this matter, and to appoint a
committee of three persons to solicit as
sistancc from those not present who may
feel disposed to unite in this effort"
Capt. Patton gave his reason for op-
posing the d submission of the question
to popular vote, and proposed to lend
| plHSiltillI VI WV va tHN lCll HIS
as proposed in the bill
| ULTRA WIRES.
Geo. A. Shuiord supported the substi-
tute. He had looked into the matter
thoroughly and quoted authority to
show that the proposed move was
illegal, The legislature has no power to
levy tax ITSELF or to authorize muni-
cipal corporation to do so, or to lend it's
credit except for public purposes, and as
Bingham school is a private corporation,
chartered and organized for the pur-
pose of conducting a private
school, the act authorizing the
city to issue bonds or lend its credit
in aid of this private enterprise is void
for want of power in the legislature to
pass it, and the endorsement of the bonds
of MAJ, Bingham or his school by the city
will be void for want of authority in the
city to make it, 1t was also establishing
a bad precedent. If the city could en-