The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-11-18
TILE lola REGISTER, FRIDAY november is, l8a8

un-parallei. If the friends of the
bonds had managed to cast the fret
twenty votes at the first election and
the opponents of the bonds had there
upon given up the contest, then they
might have been compared to the
general who abandoned his cause
after losing the first skirmsh. But
the opponents of the bonds kept up
the fight until 10 was ended and they
won. Have they not az good u right
to claim the fruits of victory as
Washington had after he had won,
or as the North had after it had won?
1t seems to US this Is much truer
parallel than the one Mr.. Tudor sug-
there Is no real analogy between the
peaceful methods by which self
governing people bind themselves to
decide their disputes, and the "stern
arbitrament of war" which IL a law
unto itself. We bind ourselves to
submit to the decision of the majority,
and 1t Is contrary to the spirit Of that
compact and contrary to all constitu-
tional presidents to permit the
minority to force the majority
to record its decision again and
again upon the same question. If it
is wise, as Mr.. Tudor truly asserts,
to provide that the State shall not
| be thrown into the convulsion of "a
| gubernatorial contest oftener than
once in two years, is it also wise
to permit city to be thrown into the
convulsion of a heated bond contest
every thirty days?
But passing from this matter,
which does not really touch the ques-
ton at issue, Mr.. Tudor says: This
gas belongs to the city" We are at
a loss to understand this statement.
Mr.. Tu lor surely cannot mean that
those who now own the gas plant
have no right to 1t. The gas certain
ly does not belong to the city any
more than the water which private
citizens have sunk wells to find.
MIR. Tudor's second and chief argu-
mentor he frankly states that
were it not otherwise he should have
little interest in the question lis that
If the city does not buy the plant it
may fall into the hands of parties
having no interest in the town and
who might mismansge the plant for
the very purpose OF injuring the city
We confess that we cannot imagine
such a possibility. 1t is incompre-
hensible that any one shOuld invest
many thousand dollars in an enter.
prise without desiring and expecting
to make money out of it, 1t Is clear
that the greater lola grows the great.
er will be the income from the gas
. plant, while any set back to lola
would at once diminish that income
of the plant, whether otherwise in
terested here or not, should deliber.
ately damage their own property
AS well declare that a merchant
having filled his shelves with goods
should stand at his door with club
and drive away those who sought tC
buy. 1t really seems to us that upon
more mature reflection Mr.. Tudor
will see that the owners of the gas
plant, as mere matter of self-inter-
est, must always be the most active
| mo, l. Tnr hn .
and development of lola. They will
have personal financial reason for
spending money and time and labor
In bringing industries here that will
bring more people to become their
customers, so that the private owner.
ship of the gas plant IL bound to
make it always IA great factor in the
upbuilding of the town, whereas its
public ownership would take 1t en-.
tirely out of that category.
Mr.. Tudor's letter suggests some
other arguments but as he rests his
case chiefly upon the one just con.
sidered we will not take them up al
this time. We wish again TO express
our appreciation of the manliness and
courtesy OF Mr.. Tudor's letter. 1t is
indeed IA satisfaction to have his as
surance that "the vile element
whose weapons in previous contests
have been personal abuse and an
tagonism to individuals" "has been
eliminated" and that the pending
contest is to be one of calm, dispas
sionate argument. Mr.. Tudor IL cer-
tainly entitled to the gratitude of the
community for eflecting so great n
change and setting so good an eX-
ample of the manner and spirit in
which public question should be
discussed.
THERE was meeting OF the anti