The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-05
KILL PROGRESS.
Determined Effort to Cut To-
peka's Throat
By Parties Opposed to Building
the Bridge.
IT Is OFTEN SAID
That No Public Improvement is
Made in Topeka
That Does Not Have to Fight
an Injunction.
WE CAN'T GO AHEAD
As Long as Selfish Self-Seeking
Citizens
Try to Block Everything for the
Good Of Topeka.
We CAN'T GO AHEAD
As Long as Selfish Self-Seeking
Citizens
Try to Block Everything for the
Good of Topeka.

More quibbles. More distractions.
Will the peoples will ever prevail?
A lawyer can be found to knock out
every proposition looking to the growth
and improvement of this town and
county.
A proposition can never be formulated
that a half dozen obstructionists cannot
obtain legal opinion saying the propo-
sition is illegal
The opposition TO the bridge deter
mined on, is omprehensible. 1t is
monumental gall 1t is enough to dis
gust the citizens and business men who
can only profit and extend their business
by the growth of the community.
Some few people can grow wealthy on
the poverty and necessities of the citizen.
Some people could make more money
here if we had mud streets, horse cars,
pontoon bridge, one railroad, one news
paper-the Capital-and one horse facili-
ties generally.
But there are others. There are i'm
proved things. Most of them worth any
thing are patented. Mr Mulvane's tele-
phone has few patents.
Let US do like other cities, use a few
more patents, aud get into the march of
the procession instead of sitting on the
fence and watching it 60 by.
1t becomes more evident every day
that there is determination on the part
OF d few persons, aided by the Topeka
Capital, TO defeat the proposition for
the new bridge the people have decided
to build. There is a suspicion that these
people are working in the interest of an
iron bridge and all their actions in
dicate that such is a fact. The next
thing heard of will be an Injunction to
prevent the sale of the bonds.
There are two classes of people who
may bring the injunction proceedings.
The members of one class are what ara
known as fossils, and they op-
pose every needed public Improvement:
the others have sume personal reason
for their action, and they will be bene-
flied personally if some other bridge is
built. The latter class never allow anv
Improvement to be made unless they get
E rake off. One of these will enjoin
the new bridge, and the Capital is the
organ OF both. The JOURNAL predicted
when the bonds were voted that some
progress killer would come forward to
enjoin the bridge, and now it is plain to
be seen from what source he will come.
The latest thing out is a long letter
from Col. W. h. RosslngtOn in which he
says that the bridge can not be legally
built. Though Col Rossington is law
yer of ability his letter shows that he
knows very little of the bridge PROPOSE
tiOn or the facts in the case. His opinion
reads as if it had been written to order.
He bases his opinion upon the one
statement that the bridge is a patent
structure and that therefore but one com.
pany can bid upon it. He says that all
competitive bidding is shut off" by the
adoption of the bridge
Colonel Rossington should know, as he
reads the JOURNAL. that the first PROPOSE
tion made by the Melan company WIS
made with view of making the bidding
free to every one. It simply provided
that the Melan company should do the
engineering at price not unreasonable
In comparison with what other engineers
ask. Nothing was said about ROYALTY in
the proposition, and all that talk came
from the unreliable Capital, which has
started out to defeat the majority will of
the people.
The city is about to place some new
dynamos in the city electric light Dlant
and some one should come forward with
an injunction because royalty will be
paid for the use of the patent. ALI dyna
mos are protected by patents. If the
unity has no right to build a bridge
then the city has no right to purchase pa
tent dynamos.
The county on the same principle has
no right to patent elevator in the new
court house; system of electric light
Ing, a patent boiler to heat the building
they ought, according to this view, light
the building with pine knots or candles
and heat 1t by old stoves on which the
patents have expired.
When the plans and specifications ara
completed under instructions of the
board of county commissioners thew will
be placed on file in the office of the
county clerk and the company promises
that they will be sufficiently comprehen.
sive and explicit that any contractor NAV
be enabled to bid on the bridge. That is
what the plans are for.
a Melan bridge is being built in De.
troit now. The proposition for bids was
made and the contract was let to De-
trolt contractor, the Melan company
being among the unsuccessful bidders
The proposition submitted by the Melan
company to build the bridge complete
for $135,0OO was to prove to the commits,
Bioners that the bridge could be built
for that sum, including the cost of engi-
neering.
The statement that the bridge can be
built only by the Melan company is not
!Eue, and Is only subterfuge to defeat