The Holt County sentinel., 1896-10-23
STATE CAPITAL REMOVAL.
Answer to Some Sedalia Arguments
by q Taxpayer.

Answer to Some Sedalia Arguments
by a Taxpayer.
Setalia claims the capital should he
moved in order to give work to the labor
Ing classes IN the construction Of new
state buildings. THIS argument proves
tOo much; * true. the capital should be
changed every two years; kept constant
ly on the move Besides. it. is altoseth
er impolitic and unsnuad to destroy one
city or to build now state buildings sim
ply to give work to any persons or class
ee.
Sedalia claims that the removal will
cost the state nothing: if this be true
(which 1t IL not), It will he the first in
stance OF the kind IN recorded history.
All past experience shows that schemes
like the present removal one are but En-
tering wedges to Colossal appropriations
of the public moneys. 1t is wholly un-
true that taxes cannot be increased be-
Gauss of the tax rate limitation OF Is
cents On the hvndred collars contained
10 Article Y, section 10 of the present
state constitution. Section II, Article
" Of that instrument expressly provides
that in case of any unforeseen emer
gsncy or casual deficiency Of tho rev.
enue, bonds in the sum of S25O.GOO for
any one year may be issued. Four years
of such issues would make Sl.OO3.OOo.
and se on. Besides. the sum of S2.O00,-
600 is annually collreted 10 taxes from
the taxpayers of the state. aud there is
nothing in the constitution or in the
proposed amendment to prevent the
legislature from app'op',ating large
sums out of the foregoing revenue for
additions to the buildings at Sedalia.
and the improvements of the grounds
and like matters. The improvements Of
the grounds alone for the new capitol
building in the state uf Indiana cost the
sum of s5Oo.OO0. The uprootins and re-
movai of the state capita! is 30 small un
dertaking. as both Sedalia aud the tax
payers of the state will find ont il the
removal scheme carries.
Sedalia says Capital removal means
honorable work for honest men, millions
OF dollars for private enterprises and
city improvements and hundreds OF
thousands of dollars for public build
ings at Sedaila." II would be nearer
the truth u say hundreds OF thousands
pf dollars for city improvements and
"miliions for public buildings to be paid
for in the end by the state"
Sedalia says new capital "means new
state buildings TO The great state OF Mis-
ssurl instead of d disgrace as they now
are" And yet Sedalia proposes 10 re
build at Sedalia only as good buildings
as those nov at jefferson City; proposes
to expend for that purpose the sum of
S594,20a. when those at Jefferson City
have cost approximating twice that sum.
are in good condition and sufficient Tor
all the wants Of the state.
Sedal,a claims that il is a n.trero!i
tan city Of 10000 inhabitants. Untrue.
Its last census showed n population OF
liO63, and its vote at the city election
held last April iudicates present
population Of but $50, or only an in.
crease OF l ,6}2 in SIX years rather poor
showing when We consider the amount
OF self laudation INDUCED in by Sedal
iaps.
Sedalia claims she has railroads in SIX
different directions. Jefferson City is
within thirteen miles Of the geographi-
cal center o: the state, and also has rail
roads running in SIX different directions.
Sedalia claims that"Its guaranty bond
OF S6l5,OOO" will absolutely protect the
state. She executed two bonds, one for
$4,000, to furnish a site for the new
buildings, and the other in the sum OF
SjOO. 900, to construct the buildings. The
architects reported it would cost $780,.
2o6 to rebuild the present buildings at
Jefferson City, yet Sedalia gave bond
in the sum only Of S6OC, 900 and gave the
American Surety company Of Ne" York,
Wall street corporation, as its surety.
1t would be exceedingly hun,iliating to
the people OF Missouri, in case OF default
on the bond, to be compelled to sue on
# 10 the courts Of the state Of New York.
SedaI,a calls on Wall street to help her
| to rob Jefferson City OF the state capita!
given her by our fathers.
Sedalia says that il the removal prop
| osition carries, the present buildings at
Jefferson City can be used ":or some
state institution, school or asylum"-aD
| unfortune argument for Sedalia, for
each OF the state lunatic asylums now
cost the peopl' Of the state SlO3.OOO an
uuaily to run them. The Sedhlia re
moval scheme therefore means the crea
ton Of another and unnecessary asylum
at large cost aud expense to the taxpav-
ers OF the state.
Besides, the four sections OF land con
stituting the site Of jefferson City we're
donated by the United States to the
etate for the location Of n permanent
| seat Of government. II the state aban-
dons the site, the latter might revert to
the United States. This idea was sug.
gested, n his lifetime, by the late Judge
Napton, Missouri's great jurist, nad is
not without force as legal proposition
This view, il sustained, would literally
destroy all the property interests OF the
citizens OF Jefferson City and cause great
pecuhiary loss to the state.
Sedalia in 1864 obtained the county
seat OF Pettis county from Georgetown
on the condition. expressed in the re-
moyal act OF the legislature itself, thai
Sedalia and it's vicinity would furniss
suitable buildings for a court house. Al
though brick and stone were bountifu
in Missouri at that time Sedalia furnish
e6 a one story frame building, without
office vaults and the necessary conven
fences of a court house. This infiamna
BILE structure, as was to be expected
caught fire after few years and burned
down, and the taxpayers Of the count,
had to build suitable court house
Thus did Sedalia keep faith with the
state and the people OF her own count!
10 the court house matter.
Voters, beware Of gift bearing Greeks
The capital removal scheme is gigan
t.c land speculation having it's inception
in in,qulty and fraud, and il successful
will irretrievably injure the people o
Jefferson City and v,ctimize the taxpay
ers Of the state. Let it be defeated