Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-01-24
WATERBURY. CONN
WHIPPED INTO LINE.

The action of the court of common | council in passing,a vote which means the adoption of the Hop brook scheme of President Welton of the board of water commissioners, is unique. It is without precedent, so far as we know in the history of Waterbury. It might be called scandalous without departing from the truth. The solemn oath taken upon assuming the duties of public office seems to have been for gotten by those who are on record as being in favor of adopting the report of Engineer Herring, yet who voted to go to the west for water. They were outwinded; bluffed; whipped into line. They were told that the city must go to the west for water-or go dry. Councilman Brewer presumably voiced the sentiments of his fellow towards, when he said that although he favored the eastern project, and believed the great majority of the people of Water bury desired the adoption of Engineer Herings report, yet he would vote for Hop brook. And he actually voted contrary to his best judgment
 The result of last nights meeting is no surprise to the DEMOCRAT. We anticipated just such an outcome when it was announced that a special meeting would be called to consider the water question. The advocates of the eastern project, know ing that they were right: feeling reasonably sure that they were on the side of the people; trusting to the honor and honesty of all of their number who had on former occasions by voice and vote declared themselves in favor of going for water where it could be found in the largest quantity, of the best quality and at the least expense to the taxpayers, whose servants they are, took no underhanded means to gain their point, but were ready to meet the question and discuss its actual merits at any regular meeting. After years ot lobbying and bulldozing, after defying the court of common council and set ting at naught the report of an eminent hydraulic engineer, the handful of men who presume to dictate to the people of Waterbury, upon counting noses find that they can control majority of the council and with undue haste call a special meeting of that body and in a twinkling railroad their project through the board, and with characteristic poor taste applaud the announcement of a vote that means so much to the already over burdened taxpayers.
 The vote of the council means that President Welton of the water board rules the city i'll matters pertaining to water. The other members of the board are mere figure-heads. Indeed, in the discussion of the question in the council, it has been stated that certain members of the water board knew practically nothing about the various sources of supply proposed, but signed whatever report President Welton prepared. General s. w. Kellogg, who, twenty five years ago, drafted the charter which gives such unlimited power to the water board, appeared before the council and said the time had come for revision of that charter. He spoke to deaf ears. This sacrifice of public rights, viewed from the point of public duty alone, is unexplainable. During all the controversy over the subject of water there has not been advanced a single argument in favor of the Hor brook scheme that could not be picked to pieces, while or the contrary the most unanswerable arguments in favor of the Mad river project have been presented. There is one inference, and one only, to be drawn from this deliberate surrender oi
 the rights of the people.
 There should be an organized effort tc lprevent the passage of a bill through
 the legislature giving the common
 council power to issue the bonds neces
 sary to carry out the proposed scheme
 In all fairness a question of such i'm
 portance should be decided by the peo
 pie themselves. It concerns the pocket
 book, of all of us. We protest agains giving to men who vote contrary tC
 their best judgment the power to plac
 debt of half million dollars on tn
 people of Waterbury.
 MANY persons who regard themselve
 as tolerably well informed on mos
 public questions will be surprised to b
 be told, for example, that in the stat