The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-03
MIR. O'MEARA'S RECORD.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE COPPER
PLANT BONUS AFFAIR.
The Letting of the Contract For the
Proposed New City Jail and Mr..
O'Meara's RecOmme ndations in
That Connection.

! The Fifth Precinct campaign commit
tee, of which j. W. Ham is the able
chairman, has just gotten out little
circular referring to Mr.. O'Meara and
his record as a member of the city
council. His actions in connection With
the copper plant deal as shown by the
files of the city and district court is
disclosed in the circular in which read
ers ere reminded of the time when the
copper plant craze was on that the
members of the city council in their
madness resolved to donate in an indi-
rect way $25, 900 Of the municipal funds
TO the copper company as a bonus and
persisted in this course notwithstand-
ing the veto Of Mayor Baskin and the
manifest Elegantly of the act and the
council was only prevented from carry
ing out it's purpose by James A. Cum
ningham bringing suit in the district
court and obtaining an injunction re-
straining them from so doing.
The Copper Plant Deal.
On March 6, 1894. at the instance of
Mayor Baskin a resolution was INTRO
duced in the council revoking the au-
thority given the committee to pur-
chase real estate and requiring the
committee to return the $4,000 TO the
treasury. Mr.. O'Meara was there and
voted against the resolution. 1t was
adopted. but was reconsidered at the
next meeting and was defeated,
O'Meara again voting against it. On
July 10, 1894, the circular states. when
MA tn hn a
failure, O'Meara became more vigor-
Gus in his efforts to give the company
the $4,000 of, the city's money, and in
troduced a resolution to the effect
that the trustees be requested to sell
the twenty-five 1,00C bonds (Which had
been deposited instead of CASH and
hold the money received from The sale
under a resolution passed Febru-
airy ID, 1898.
owing greatly to the efforts of
O'Meara the resolution was passed and
only the prompt action of Mr.. Gun
bingham in obtaining the injunction
prevented the resolution from having
been acted on.
The costs of the Cunningham suit
were taxed up TO the city and when
the council on June last appropriated
the amount, Mayor Baskin interposed
a veto couched in the following IAN
guage:
Mayor Basl>in's Veto.
Salt Lake City, Utah, June 10, 1895.
To the President and City Council, Salt
Lake City:
Gentlemen herewith return disap-
proved the appropriation list passed by
the city council on the 4th instant. for
the following reasons:
There is on the list an item of $685. in
favor of D. C. Dunbar. clerk, and fo,.
$4,000 in favor of William Mcqueen,
sheriff. BY reference to the vouchers i'm
these matters [ find that they cover the
costs in the case of James A. Cunning
nam VS.. Salt Lake city, which case in
volved the question of returning the
$4,000 Copper plant donation to the city
treasurer
1t will be remembered that I interposed
a veto to the action of this council re-
garding that matter, on the ground of |
the iilegality of such action, which veto |
was, in disregard to the reasons which T
assigned as Wen as of official courtesy,
aid upon the table without consideration |
Mr.. Cunningham periodically |
instituted suit enJoining the perpetrat ton !
Of the threatening wrong on the treasury |
Of the city by this council
The court recently held your action in |
the premises, illegal and void enioined |
the proposed expenditure of the SIS GOO |
Tor the benefit of the Copper plant, and |
The treasury, and entered Judgment for
costs against the city in favor of Cum I
bingham for the amount covered by the |
.wo items before mentioned
The city proper has been guilty of no |
wrong for which it was thus mulcted |
with this cost. The wrong causing this |
vas the wrong of the individual members
If the council who, in the face of legaI
objections interposed by myself, as well
Is by the city attorney, persisted in a /
nanifestly Illegal assault upon the treas
Try of the city.
In view of these facts this startling
is presented.
You have appropriated the money of |
he city to pay the costs expended in de-
ending its treasury against your own
and manifestly illegal as
aults.
If it be true that every tub should stand
lpon its own bottom, and that no limo
ent party should be punished for the
'ulit OF another, then in equity and con-
o pay this cost but it should come from
he pockets OF those of you who persisted
n the wrong to protect against which the
OSt was expended.
[ recommend that Mr. Cunningham he
eimbursed for any amount within a reas-
nable limit, which he may have paid out
or regal expenses J.; in maintaining this
ry and taxpayers $25 coo. Respectfully.
r. N. BASKIN, Mayor.
lis Connection with the City .Jnf
In the matter Of the proposed new
ity Jail and the letting of the con-
ract Mr.. OMeara's course of action
, again referred to. Plans for
he new jail were prepared in
December, 1892, at cost of $780, In
he summer Of the present year the
representative of the Pauly Jail com
any came to this city and O'Meara
Introduced a resolution in the council
alling for new plans. The original
lans did not contain any stipulation
hat the patent device of the Pauly I
all company should be used. New
lans were ordered at a cost of $500
nd they did provide that the Pauly
atent device should be used. The
'auly Jail company put in a bid for
he erection of the Jail and among other
ids was one from Craig & Atkinson of