The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-01
Hot Indignation Meeting Held Be-
hind Closed Doors.
FIRED THE HERALD MAN
AND DECIDED TO RESIST THE
KAYSVILLE TYRANTS.
Efforts of Kaysville City to Collect Lii
censes Caused the Eruption-Lay-
ton Hen Pledge Funds to Carry
On the Fight-Kaysville Men Ex-
cluded From the Hall.

Kaysville, March 31.-The spirit of
intense antagonism to Kaysville and
its people, which seems to burn in the
hearts Of many of the people Of Lay
ton, was famed into a flame of indig-
nation today at a meeting called to
protest against Kaysville City attempt
ing to collect licenses from the bust
ness houses of Layton
The call that brought the meeting
together was issued, it is supposed, by
Ephraim P Ellison, who leads the
opposition. 1t is a warm document,
and refers to the raids. arrests and
unlawful demands of the officials of
kaysville City" 1t declares the object
of the meeting to be ito adopt such
measures as viii be for the best mu-
tual protection of all persons and their
property who live outside of Rays
vile City. as defined by the supreme
court" The call, which was posted
conspicuously, contains the sentence,
"All are most earnestly invited,
heavily UNDERSIGNED to give ii promi-
nence. This sentence is significant in
view of what followed.
The Herald correspondent was pres
ent at the public hail when the time
for the meeting arrived. prepared to
report what happened, relying upon
the public cali to give him admittance-
But he was unfortunate in being resi-
dent of KaysVille. When the meeting
came to order. Jesse NJ. Smith, the
chairman, read the call, judiciously
emitting the sentence. '.All are most
earnestly invited" and then he in
vited" certain ones to leave.
They left-about a dozen of them,
including the reporter. At the foot of
the stairs halt WAS made and note
was sent up To Chairman Smith, stat
ing that The Herald man was there
solely in the interest OF his paper. and
asking if it was intended to exclude
representatives Of the press. Mr.. Smith
replied that ii was.
After the firing" Chairman Smith
took the floor He called attention to
the necessity for action" protests"
and defensive steps" He related how
the city had been cut down by the su-
preme court to the lots and blocks,
which was news to his audience. Then
the plan of action was unfolded. IT
was simply the getting together of
funds to help the speaker fight his |
battles. Two corporations with which |
he was associated had already agreed |
to contribute to the fund, he said |
though one of them. the Layton Mill |
ing & Elevator company. was unfor |
tunate in having two Kaysville men |
as directors. which fact produced two |
dissenting votes when the appropria- |
ton was made. All this and more |
foated out OF the windows. and then |
committee on resolutions was ap-
pointed, consisting of Rufus Adams |
Henry Ellis and Alex Dawson, who |
went down to the Farmers Union |
store to get their resolutions. There
was warmth in them. too. indicating |
that their birthplace was near Mr.. Ell |
lisons hot-air furnace. They simply !
fiayed alive the Kaysville city council !
and said many things that Will not be
published.
Z. P. Ellison. w. c. Smith and James
H. Radon were appointed a commit
tee on agreement. and they agreed. |
Several others afterward signed the /
agreement they formulated, and |
pledged their property to the defense
of any suit Kaysville City might bring.
They were to bear the expense on a
pro rata plan. according to the vaIua-
ton OF their property as shown by the
assessment rolls of Davis county for
1897.
This was the only important bust
ness transacted.
This whole difficulty arises from the
efforts of the city council to obey a
mandate of the district court. which
has been confirmed by the supreme
court, compelling them TO levy and
collect a tax to pay interest on the
bonded Indebtedness, which was Gre
ated rs much for the benefit of Lay
ton as Kaysville people.