Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-05-12
BONDS OR NO BONDS.

BONDS OR NO BONDS.
If all who oppose bonds are to be met
at the outset with the denunciation that
their opposition is based purely on per
sonal and spiteful individual feeling"
they must make up their minds TO bear
such orprobium, if true, as best they
may. 1t is hardly to be expected, how
ever. that they will surrender the right to
full, fair and free discussion of the
question even though by such discussion
thev thereby incur the i'll will OF others.
ii delinquent taxes cannot be collecte 1,
there is every reason why the city should
be bonded. 1t would then be unquestion-
ably the best business policy. But a
strenuous effort should first be made to
collect these taxes. No such effort has
vet been made.
In the meanwhile, we are with indie
cent haste hurrying the city into a
bonded Indebtedness. The preliminary
steps, SO far, are certainly open to the
grave charge Of want of careful considera-
ton; and if followed to the end, must
simply involve the city in a useless
election. Pre-supposipg that the council
desires only to be fair, the HERALD asks
them to reconsider what has already
been DONE
The ordinances. as printed, provide for
propositions entirely different from what
the people imagine will be submitted to
them on the 21st inst. To begin with:
Ordinance No. 75 purports to be Gan
ordinance to authorize the creation of an
Indebtedness by the city of Aberdeen to
the amount of $4,000, &C." tSee ordi-
nance.) As stated at the beginning of
this ordinance, there is no way whereby
city or its council can by ordinance
authorize the creation Of such an indebt-
edness. AS stated in the ordinance, the
power is conferred by the state legisla-
ture upon the people to vote whether
they will ratify or reject proposition to
create such an Indebtedness. 1t is the
legislature, in the act entitled can act to
authorize cities and towns to borrow
money, &C." that does the authorizing"
The city ian not by ordinance, before the
question has been submitted to the peo-
pie. say that the city is thereby author
lied" whether the ordinance does ordoes
not go on to say that such authorization
is subject to the ratification or rejection
of the people. The council can take
the necessary steps to incur such az in
dehtedness only after the proposition is
approved by tn. people
1t is a fair question to ask, and one
that should have fair answer, what
was to be gained or lost by the insertion
OF the clause entitled Gan act authoriz-
ing and empowering cities and towns
organized prior to the adoption of the
state constitution to extend their credit
and to fund their Indebtedness, &C.? 1t
can have no application to Aberdeen.
We had no corporate existence at the
time of the adoption of the state consti-
tuition. Then why insert extraneous
matter? .~-f -.
But of greater importance still is sec
ton two of this ordinance. So far as the
HERALD has been able to learn, both
those who favor and those who oppose
the bonds are under the impression that
the bonds are for specific purpose, and
that purpose is to pay outstanding war
iants. Why does the ordinance not say
so instead of leaving the purpose to be
decided by the council, provided the
purpose happens to be strictly munich
pal" In order to prevent the possibility
Of a misrepresentation, the people have a
right to ask that there be no indefinite
ness on this point.
The HERALD believes that no voter
realizes, If by any possibility these ordi-
nances should be declared legal, that
under section 8. of ordinance No. rs and
the whole OF ordinance No. 76, it would
be the duty of the council to incur, under