The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-01-25

Mark my words. After the $32,OOO Is eX
hausted the taxpayers will be called upon
for additional money to complete th'
buildings.
Then, too, neither the commissioners
whom the law says shall select the site Of
the county buildings at any place within
a mile of the point selected for such coun
ty seat, nor the the county court, nor thu
judge of the circuit court, who is by law
required to pass upo the title 10 the land
selected, have any say In the matter, bal
by the very terms of the bond, the site IL
to be located in block 1, title or no title.
Suppose the commissioners should re-
fuse to locate the site upon block 1? The
bond would be void, as the condition
thereof is not complied with. Suppose
they should locate the site upon block l.
the title to the ground defective? The bond
could not be enforced for the same reason
/ do not know who proposed to make
this bond, but l I doubt not they are hon.
orable gentlemen, and maybe would fur
nish the proposed amount, although the
conditions of the bone failed; but nc
man can count upon life for a day, and
uppose some of the principal bondsmen
should die, woul their heirs-who might
possibly be minors, incapable of contract.
ing--come forward and makea new bond,
or furnish the bond? Suppose the admin
istrator OF such as should die would re-
fuse to pay b bond, for fear the heirs
would hold him responsible for satisfying
a void obligation, who then would fur
nish the money? So you see, and / shall
further show, that this proposed bond is
only a bare contingent agreement, not
rising above the dignity of q verbal
promise.
There is another feature of this propos-
ed bond which renders 1t utterly void.
IL is against public policy. 1t is q promise
- give money in consideration of votes
The c~orrupting tendencies of this offer
remain to swerve the voter from his duty
as a citizen, to blind his perceptions as to
the sole question which he should con-
slider, to-wit, the advisability of the con-
templated change OF county seats. the
relative conveniences and claims OF the
proposed new site and the oldone-and
to fix them upon considerations altogether
foreign to the highest right known to
freeman, the right of suffrage. A right
exercise of which depends the prosperity
of our republican Institutions. (Great
~applause.)
In other words they appeal not alone to
the fair and honest judgment OF the
voters touching the ~desirability, W
fence and atness of Higginsviiie as a site
for the county seat, but to the fact that
il they would vote in favor OF Higginsyille
that sixty Thousand dollars would be
| donated to the use and benefit of the
county, thus making the proposed site
not a matter OF qualification public on
venience or fitness out of bargain
and sale, thus saying In SO many words
"Higginsville is the best place for the
county seat, ''.but in addition to that II you
will vote for the location there we will
give the county $4,000 towards the
! necessary costs, inducing men who other
wise would not yole for the change, to
vote for it on account OF such promise.
1 give the gentlemen fair warning now
that in the law the county court can
make no such conditional order of
election, nor would an election founded
upon an order made o a petition with
such conditions be valid. 1t might be
otherwise Eould the legislature make a
law submitting the question upon such
conditions, but the mass meeting at Hig-
ginsville has not the power of legislature.
OF course any donation made after the
location is settled at any given point is
legitimate, but when made to induce the
voters to support a given proposition,
without legislative sanction, not only ia
the offer uncomfortable, but the election
founded upon such offer il invalid.
But, my fellow citizens, / appeal to you
sense of Justice to determine whether IL 10
fair, instead OF going before the people
upon the merits of the respective locations
alone, to also offer to pay a money con-
sideration as an inducement to votersf
We have no money to offer you to vote
against this proposition. We stand upou
the merits of our cause alone, and we are
willing to trust the voters of Lafayette
uDOl THESE IucTlDo dAOHC. N0hCdt aHRiddbc.J
But gentlemen, although they offer
compense you for the great loss you will
sustain. /
In Lexington you have a court house
square located in the heart of the city.
You have upon that square a Jail which
cost you $4,000; you have there a clerks
office with hre-proff vaults, worth $40, 600;
you lave a court house there which cost
you over $50, $50; the ground In that square
is worth q large sum OF money. This all
may revert to the original land owners II
abandoned by the county as a court house.
Here then they offer to give you 10000 II
yon will sacrifice Sl00, Q00-a clear loss OF
sac, 900 to the taxpayers. They do not
offer to build a clerks office sufficient to
hold the county records, land to provide
offices for the officers will cost you
$40, 900. This !they do not offer to furnish.
They do not offer to furnish the new pro-
posed court house with suitable furniture.
This will be an additional expense to you
of -, 200. They do not offer to make up
county consequent upon the depreciation
of the value of assessable property in Lex
ington on account of the removal OF the
county seat.
| warn you now, that even il these
gentlemen comply with all of their
promises, you have 2 tax levy Just ahead
Of .You-Thich viii surely some-to
Uuliu 1OuI ClClhp OAiSOss "|bh hfp-Ptoot
vaults, and to provide your new court
house. with suitable furniture, and 10
supply the deficiency, by reason of the
decline in aSsesssble property in the city
of Lexington, on account of the removal
of the county seat.
Read section BIOS, page 1893, volume l,
of the statutes, which is as follows:
.'As soon as the court house and Jail
shall be erected, and the circumstances
80 4ha anumtfu nvilT ylarmit fhara QhaD /
also be erected one or more fire-proof
buildings, at some convenient. place
neal the court house, in which shall be
kept the offices of the recorder N of
the clerks of the several courts of such
county"
This positive requirement. OF tho stat
ute these gentlemen have not offered TO
perform. 1t will remain for you to be
taxed to, supply this building.
They promised you when circulating
tho petition to the legislature, that the
court house already in Higgilsville
should cost you nothing; that every
thing should be provided for the court
to open business. yet your county rec
ords will advise you that you had sew
eral hundred dollars to pay to Quilt the
concern.
1t might ba q matter OF great interest
10 know Whn OWNS this block |. men
III lbG1O hASNthS
they are the same parties who propose
to give this bond; whether these gentle
men SC deeply interested in this removal
have not many vacant lots about
Higginsville which they desire to un-
upon confiding purchasers? Human
action is always lnstigated BY some no
tive,
- They claiIn that it Is fer the public
good; but in looking over this matter ]
am forcibly reminded of the saying OF
an old German philosopher; That when
any great wrong was sought to he per
petTated, it was always done under the
plea and pretense OF a great public
If this movement is successful
| am SURF Il great wrong will be consum-l
that it will be for the public
good, L do not believe.
In conclusion, gentlemen, the grand
old historic city of Lexington has been
yppr friend when YoH needed fFienas.
WHEN youp fathers lFst came Into tins
at Il time when there were miles
Of uncultivated land between this
and Lexington, and the site
of HiggInsyille was u wild prairie, they
laid tho foundations of your fortunes by
hauling their hemp, wheat and produce
to- Lexington, where they were received
with open arms, and found a ready
market, enabling them to enter, culti-