The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-25
AGAINST THE BONDS.
A Large Audience Listens to Strong
Arguments Against the Propos-
al to Burden lola With Debt.

The first public meeting called for
the purpose of protesting against the
bonding of the city for the purchase
Ofthe gas plant, was held at the Opera
House last Saturday evening and
was a gratifying success in every
way, In spite of the incement
weather the hall was we'll filed, and
the speakers were listened to with
marked attention and interest. The
meeting was presided over by Mr.. d.
Ewart who introduced as the first
speaker of the evening Mr.. Oacar
Foust.
Major Foust devoted most of his
time to an argument upon the legal
questions involved In the bond propo-
sition. When the REGISTER suggest
ed some time ago that it might not be
lawful for the city to run the gas plant
at q profit. the bond advocates said
with their accustomed courtesy tina
they would like to see the color Of the
hair Of the Lawyer" who would as
sert such an opinion. They may
now be satisfied, for Mr.. Foust as.
serted it very strongly and he is
generally regarded as nearly as much
of q lawyer, at least, as Mr.. Acers or
Mr.. Ritter. Mr.. Foust made the
further point that If these bonds were
voted the present territory of lola
would be responsible for the payment
of them, no matter how many addi-
tlons might be made to the town. He
also asserted with all positiveness
that the decree of the court fixing
prices was absolutely binding upon
the company for the life of its fran
ehise, and that is another point that
the opposition waited some "lawyer"
TO risk his reputation on" Mr..
Foust also protested against bonding
the city for $4,000 Co buy the present
plant when there was nothing to pre-
vent the city from putting in new
plant at any time and it could be done
for little more than half the proposed
amount. He was of the opinion that
it would be great deal better to
spend our money for school houses
and to encourage factories than TO in
vest it in the gas plant.
Capt. Slower was the next speaker
aud he exploded bomb by declaring
that the bonds that might be issued
at the pending special election would
not be worth the paper they were
printed on for the reason that the call
for the election did not specify what
interest the bonds were to bear or
what term they were tn run. No
issue of bonds could be valid, he as
serted unless these particulars were
definitely stated in the election call at
which they were voted. He called at
tention also to the fact that the law
unG ar which 1t is proposed to vote
these bonds provides that the value of
the plant to he bought shall be de-
termined by commission appointed
for that purpose, and that provision
has been utterly ignored in the present
case. He protested also against pay
ing $3S, 900 for the present plant when
the evidence was that the city could
build just as good plant for $40, 600.
The last speaker was r. II. Bennett,
and he called emphatic attention to
the harm that would inevitably be
done the city iu case the bonds should
carry. He quoted q carpenter who
told him he personally new of nine
houses that would be under construc-
ton now If it were not for the fear of
bonds. The men who were going to
build we're waiting to zee whether the
bonds were voted:and would not build
il they Were. Mr.. Bennett showed
also that it was u very grave question
whether In case we voted the gas