The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
A Last Word on Ferry Franchises.

applied to the City Council for license
to operate steam ferry boats between
this city and East Cape Girardeau,
Ill, for the space of five years, for
which privilege, if granted, they are
to pay into the city treasury each, five
hundred dollars, and enterinto a good
and sufficient bond for faithful dis
charge of the duties required
Much of personal nature has been
written which We think is untrue. ir-
relevant and unkind, if not lima
tured. We make this assertion with
the implicit fact that no thoughtful
nor candid man will gainsay that the
gentlemen composing the respective
companies are each and all men of I'M
exceptional conduct, and are justly
held in the highest esteem by their fel-
! low citizens for their moral worth and
for the faithful discharge of all social
and civic duties devolved upon them,
no one can dispute. If this assump-
ton be true then nothing of a person
al nature can or ought to intervene in
the proper discharge of its official
duties in this behalf by the City Coun-
ell. No sentiment of partiality or
antipathy is tolerable under such cir
cumstances.
The duty of the City Council is
further made plain. The Supreme
Court of Missouri has repeatedly held
that it is not in the scope of the power
of City Council to grant any party
or company an exclusive ferry license,
and has recently taken occasion to
reiterate that rule. AS officers of the
law and upright, honorable men. we
take it that the Council will not vol
UNFAIRLY assume the attitude of law
breakers, instead as required by their
official oaths and consciences to be
cOnservators of the law. This leads
one who is not burdened with official
responsibilities, as no doubt it has
already led the members of the City |
Council to reflect upon the question:
What is the proper discharge of duties
in this behalf? a moments reflection |
in regard to this matter and a correct
answer to the two following queries
will rightly solve their difficulties and
be light to their feet which will lead
them safely over the environment
Ill fba;- III of 6,,t,-
1st. Who selected them for the
places of trust which theg now occupy,
and why so selected?
2nd. Whose agents are they and
whose interests have they been selected
to guard?
The obvious and only true answer
to the first question, is that they
were selected by the voters of this city
to the positions of honor and trust
now held by them. and were so chosen
because a majority of the voters in
their respective wards had faith in
their integrity and relied upon their
The only true answer to the second
is that they are the
agents of the inhabitants of the city
of Cape Girardeau and were selected
to guard their interest. Not to pro-
mote the welfare of party or personal
friends or to depress the interest of ,
or party adversaries. In {
this ferry franchise matter, is it not ,
the interest of the inhabitants of this 3
city and those who have trade rela
lions with US TO have the very lowest
traffic rates fixed on persons and on
their property for which ingress and
egress is sought. and get the license
rom those persons and companies
desiring to embark in the ferry trans :
n
It i no answer to say that business
will not justify two or more ferries. !
hat is no concern OF the Council. 1t
would be as absurd to so maintain a.
% contend that the saloon patronage
would not warrant more than one per- {
son 70 procure saloon license, tndt
an De Of no concern 20 the Council. {
/ is the affair alone o. gentlemen VINO
lesire to engage in the retail liquor
raflc. II the Council should take that t
position and grant only one saloon
license and thereby deprive the city of !
he revenue It l. accustomed 70 receive
rom that source. what d tempest l
would roar around them. If the /
rouncil refuse TO grant a ferry license
% either company il viii not only Is,
ablish monopoly. but deprive the
.ity treasury Of the sum Of five humid {
ed dollars. / 1t not the duty of the I
-ouucil TO get money from every legit- y
mate source, and thereby tighten the /
burden Of our well taxed citizens as I
ar as possible:
TAX PAYER. "