Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-06-03
Street Paving.

Shooe 0ubbes
The communication in your yester.
days paper signed "Citizen" would re.
main unanswered but from the fear
that some might take an unanswered
charge to be true.
1t was always absurd to assume that
the Legislature knew the needs OF
a city better than it's citizens, and
therefore should decide as to the issue
of bonds by such city. That, however,
has been the accepted method of bond
ing cities for public improvements.
Whether wise or unwise the fact re-
mains that only in exceptional cases
have these questions been submitted to
a vote.
If "Citizen" will 60 through the State
of Ohio and inquire how the money
thus authorized by the Legislature has
been expended, he will find how neces-
sary it all was to the progress, yea, the
very existence in some cases of great
masses of people. He can't measure
these waste interests with his little
seven by eight rule. Every city is per-
fectly competent to decide how much
debt it can stand and what public i'm
proVements are necessary (much more
competent than stranger sitting in
the Legislature.) When the limit of
Indebtedness beyond which it is unsafe
to go, is reached, the citizens them
selves will call halt, even if the Coun-
Gil should fail to do 50.
The other method, submission to a
vote. is the only proper one, but "Citi-
zen" says that is not right because the
voter who owns no property votes a
debt on his neighbor who does own
property. Well, if that is wrong then
our whole system of popular govern
ment is wrong for we depend implicitly
on universal suffrage. The irresponsi-
BILE voter clothed with the franchise as
with coat of mail, walks up side by
Side with the millionaire and casts his
ballot
The voter who owns no property
himself, rents property, and as rents
go nowadays, be has to pay pretty
high rental for moderate accommoda-
tions He thereby acquires as good a
right as the property owner to decide
on public improvements. If the theory
of "Citizen," that none but property
owners should vote on public improve
ments, is correct then the lot owners
having great means might combine
and prevent any public improvements
whatever, keep the city back and rem
der it SO dead that even the rats would
move out OF it.
Z ''Citizen" asks what became Of the
$4,000 authorized by the Legislature
for building Market House. In reply
] want 10 say that those bonds were
never sold, this he could haye ascer-
tanned by going to the Clerks Office or
by reading the bond advertisement in
the newspapers. u
The best way to improve street
satisfactorily TO the lot owners. is to
form Street Improvement Association,
same as they haye on Third street,
open to all, but having at least one
from each square. The Third Street
Association have now about completed
their house to house canyass and the
verdict is, width, 4Oft; materials, best
in the market And unless some con-
tention is stirred up between now and
the letting, the lot owners will have
their way. S. j. HATHAWAY.
p. s. Hereafter | will not answer
further communications signed anony-
mously, as my time is too much taken
up with my own business and city af-
fairs to answer such attacks as those
recently published by Citizen"