The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-04-25
THE MAYORS NJ MEssM1GE. &c E.
Attention is Called to the Re-
puted Diseased Moral Con-
dition Of our City.
To the honorable city council of the city

To the honorable city council of the city
of Corvallis
GENTLEMEN:-By section 40, Of chapter
VI, of the city charter, il is made my duty
to make such special communications to the
council as may be proper an,l useful, aud
pursuant thereto, it seems expedient to call
your attention to certain matters affecting
the morals of the city.
1t has been currently asserted for weeks
last past by many reputable citizens of Cor
wallis, that there exists within this city
very diseased condition of morals that has
reached the putrid stage; that disgraceful
aad licentious exhibitions, in which the
| daughters of Africa largely conduccd, have
| attracted sufficient general attention within
a month past as to become current street
talk and provoke editorial comment from
our city papers; that gaming and gambling
, are being carried on in direct violation of
law and our streets and sidewalks at times
are crowded with class Of gamblers, largely
importations, who maintain a precaIious
exlssancs by fiiching it from the unsus-
pecting at the gambling table and otherwise;
that the laws OF the city being violated
in the selling and disposing of spurious and
malt liquors in open houses on Sunday; that
the general moral tone of the city is lower
than at any other period within several
years last past. Very conservative citizens
make such statements which l have speci-
fled and others of like nature; and it would
seem that the sources from which the state.
ments enlinatc should merit aud challenge
your attention.
l am aware tEat mtny citizens are chronic
fault findcrs-still the source from which
these statements so persistently come, con-
vince me that the shame and ignomy to
which our city is being subjected must have
some real foundation in fact, that impera.
lively dem ,nds your atten tion. [ am aware
that very large petition from your fellow
citizens of the city was presented for your
consideration within the past year asking
that certain of the laws7 in onjunctlon
with the saloons be enforced under both
| the letter and the spirit of the law gov
erning tho same; but that majority of the
|
the Sunday laws at least be relegated to
the state of Oregon.
1t would seem that we owe it as duty to
the city and its laws that the same should
either be enforced or annulled. Ii it is
necessary to have laws, no consistent course
seems to be in order, except to enforce
them. As you are well aware, our city is
an educational center, i'll which is located
one Of the leading educational institutions
of the state, and We year by year are invis
ing the young men and women'of the state
to the advantages of this institution which
should warrant the city authorities to con-
ducs to the degree of moral standard within
the city limits and to that end repress the
demoralizing factors which are claimed to
exist here at the present time.
It would perhaps not be amiss to call
your attention to the fact that the two mill
tax which you deemed advisable to levy,
stands in lieu of the old road tax under the
state law as it existed prior to the amend
ment to the charter-this tax, which has
been levied for two years is for the specific
within the city; would recommend that
these street improvements' be confined to
the two mill levy and that there should be
no warrants drawn on the general fund fo1
street work. Over $400 properly charge.
able TO the street fund has already been
drawn at this time We are at this TINA
confronted with general indebtedness in
excess of $l4, 900, SO that every cent of the
general fund is demanded to maintain our
credit in the payment of interest, etc.
Your recent action in providing that at
least so per cent. of all the taxes and Ii.
censes should be paid in CASH will conduce
largely toward providing fund to liquidats
accruing interest and the payment of the
; city's liabilities growing out of the build
ing of the oity hall,
Respectfully submitted,
W. S. MCFADDEN,
| Movcr