Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1899-11-03
COUNCIL LIBELED.
Charged With Conspiring To
Commit a Fraud.
By Men Who Helped With Votes
and Money To Do The Same
Thing Five Years Ago.

In the petition filed by the plant.
ifs, E. M. Flack, T. J. Tate, A. e.
Bentley and others, in the injunc-
ton suit set aside oy Judge Cool,
last week, seeking to destroy the
wards of the city, it is charged
that the ordinance changing the
ward lines was the result of "a Sc
cret corrupt and fraudulent con-
spiracy, confederation and bargain
on the part of the defendants" the
city council. They alleged that it
is "an unjust discrimination
against the great body of the peo-
pie of the city and brings about an
enormously MISREPRESENTATION,
the Fifth ward embracing about
$50 voters.
A principal instigator of this
suit, E. NJ. Flack, was a member
of the Council when a similar ordi-
nance was passed a few years ago
taking about so votes out of other
wards and putting them into the
Fifth. He presided as Mayor pro
TEN and approved the ordinance
and when the Republicans went
into court he subscribed $40 to de-
fend the contest growing out of the
succeeding election. The paper
containing this subscription can
still be seen by any one who thinks
the love of office will not change
such man S principles.
This time only 20 or 80 votes were
taken out of the river colonies and
placed in the colored ward, and
this same man risks his standing
In a community that has honored
him far beyond his deserts in the
past, by joining with Republican
partisans to obstruct the business
of the Council, for the insignificant
office of Councilman paying $24 a
year. This is the man who asks
the honorable voters of the Sixth
ward to return him to the position
he was turned out of two years ago.
Some of the best men in Hopkins
vile are charged by him with be
ing parties to "a corrupt and
fraudulent conspiracy, men whose
shoe-latches this plaintiff is not
worthy to unbuckle.
Let us turn to the charge Of "un-
equal representation. " The bus
ness interests of the city are to be
guarded always. The taxable
of Hopkins,Ille Is listed
1t S2,121, 900. OF this the colored
people, all of whom do not live in
he Fifth ward, pay taxes on only
'149,945. In actual taxes the white
people pay S31, 265.35 and the
olored people $1,124.58 and last
ear $500 of that amount was re-
urned to them for school support.
Why should taxpayers paying
300 taxes complain because they
ave less representation than con-
paying $1,000 or So, 900?
AS a matter of fact, the complaint (
Oes not come from the voters
the CO., Fifth ward, but from
disappointed and defeated ward
i'll other parts fthe city. I
The cOlOred Councilman of the !
fifth war; so well understands {
lie motives of these worthless that 1
e has caused a publication to be t
ade in the city papers repudiat- /
10 any connection with them and k
otifying them that he will not have d
nything to do with them, but will t
axe his own race independent of
ltangling alliances. If Ed Glass
links 1t necessary to deny his af-
iation with this ticket, the white c
eople at least ought to act with
e same prudent clrcumspection.
Men who will charge such citi-
ms as represent the people in the
esent Council with being "cor- Ell
pit and fraudulent conspirators" k,
ould be buried so deep under an c,
aianche of votes that they will al
yer against seek Office at. the p;
.nds of Democrats. til
Mrs. ]. Nick Thomas went to