The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-29
By FIRST LISTENING
To All the Hostile Authorities
in Existence
Instead of Going Ahead as the
People Voted.

1.-THE iron bridge people are determ-
ined that Shawnee county shall not
build the proposed ATelan bridge across
the Kansas river. 1t is a model Of ele-
gance ana strength. 1T is almost as
cheap as an iron bridge and would last
forever. 1t would give employment to
many of our laboring men and very
little of the material would be secured
outside of the city Tt is better in every
way than an iron bridge and there is
a very good reason why the iron bridge
people should fight the Introduction of
a system of bridges that would de-
stroy their business"
That is what County Attorney II. c.
Sanford said to Journal reporter to-
day in talking about the repeated de-
lays in selling the bridge bonds.
The whole proceeding is discouraging
to the people of Topeka and Shawnee
county who know that every day the
old bridge stands is a menace to life
and property. But in spite OF the viii
Of the people SO forcibly expressed a
lot of irresponsible bond brokers
backed apparently by the iron bridge
men themselves seem to be able to
thwart the people OF Shawnee county.
The county commissioners, too sit by
in a dazed manner and do nothing
On December IT the bridge bonds
We're formally sold to the firm of Deitz,
Dennison q Prior of Cleveland Ohio,
and a very loosely drawn contract was
signed The bond buyers got it into
their heads that they could secure all
the interest on the bonds that would
accrue after the first day of January
and they at once started on a policy of
.-Ff zAs -n
data which was to be submitted to
Judge Dillon who was to pass on the
legality of the bonds until months had
passed.
w H. Rossington, who is said to be
the attorney Tor the TulOck Bridge
company OF Leavenworth. had written
am opinion that the issue of bonds was
not legal because a certain kind of
bridge had been specified in the propo-
sition and the bond buyers used this to
delay the delivery of the bonds. An
eminent legal authority had said that
the bonds We're not legal and therefore
bond buyers would not be justified in
taking them
Then came the report from Deitz.
Dennison g Prior that Judge Dillon had
decided that the bonds We're not legal
on the same grounds taken by Col.
RossingtOn. The opinion was how
ever. never filed either with the com
missioners or county attorney.
Deitz, Dennison & Prior kept up their
bluff that they intended to take the
bonds and they formed a com bination
with at least two other firms, Splitter &
Co, of Toledo. and Gay 81 Co. of New
York, and they continued TO insist that
they would take the bonds when their
legality was established. Meanwhile
the bond buyers We're busy circulating
a report in the east that the Shawnee
vent their sale to any one else, but the
Deitz, Dennison & Prior com binatiOn.
They did their work we'll and the con-
sequence was that the men who were
at first anxious to take the bonds be-
gan to lose their enthusiasm Now the
commissioners and County Attorney
Stafford are satisfied that it viii take
decision of the state supreme court to
establish the legality of the bridge
bonds. as told in yesterdays Journal
Behind the whole scheme is the
cloven hOof of the iron bridge men who
want to see the plan to build the ATelan
bridge turned down If the commits
sloners had acted with decision ait first
the bonds might have been disposed Of
long ago and the work now have been
well under way, but they parleyed and
listened fearsomely to the talk of inter
ested parties and unconsciously played
into the hands OF the iron bridge men.
County Attorney Stafford is confident
that the supreme court viii decide that
the bonds are legal and he thinks that
this can be done in thirty days After
that there can be no more clubbing
But we shall not have the bridge done
this summer
All this time Topeka worllingmen are
cut of employment. They are suffering
because of the conspiracy to defeat the
bridge They know that If the con-
spiracy succeeds and an iron bridge is
built that it viii give very few of them
employment. If they find out who is
responsible and If votes can reach them
their votes viii ten what they think
The people of Shawnee county have
just cause for anger They have been
lrihed with in this matter and have
&c far submitted with but a feeble pro-