Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-02-06

opposltlun 10 long time bonds or 10
increasing the city Indebtedness as
any set .Of persons could be; but they
have an houest and sincere desire 70
uleet the present financial difficulties
of the city 10 manner calculated 10
serve the best interests OF the city and
its taxpayers; and l am constrained
10 belleye that the proposed charter u
passed will meet these demands OF
the city as nearly a. measure OF TINS
kind can.
The real facts are that these few
men that are making the vigorous
fight against thls charter are not
dghtlng 10 on account Of It's demerlts
but on account Of It's merits; they DO
not want IL 10 pass; fearing the good
results from ~, Further explanation,
1 think Will bear me out 10 this state
ment, their great hue aud cry against
IL II simply 10 intimldate and decleve
the people, and prejudice those who
have not fully considered this bond
measure.
We, the makers Of this charter, are
AZ much opposed 10 long time bonds
as any persons Gao be; we prepared
this new feature Of bonds and other
measures, purely on the llDe OF
economy, and 20 prevent the posslbil-
lty OF Issuing long time bonds. This
character OF prejudice they eylnce re-
minds the writer very much OF what
I heard a circus clown say, when a
boy, by asking the master II che ever
slept on a feather bed 2" the an
swer was "he did whenever an oppor-
tunlty presented Itself, the master
says, "why because | had a brother
die Ia feather bed.
Now because the city, through It's
council, has been extrayagant IN bet.
ter days, created all these debts and
issued long time bonds In payment
thereof, aud have made no effort 10
pay, neither could they pay any OF
these bonds until they became due.
and that was from 20 10 30 years.
The coatlnuation OF this same char
acter Of council created this outstand-
Ing warrant debt OF over $4,000. and
as far as known, they never have
made an effort 10 curtall expenses or
pay any part OF this debt, except by
asking the state for authority 10 Issue
bonds, 10 take up these warrants;
COPY or suCH A CHARTER WAS BB-
FORE THE EXTRA SESSION Oh THE
LEGISLATURE THIS LAST FALL; II
these few active parties trying 10 de.
feat this present charter. tried TO de-
feat the long time bond charter offered
Ia the extra session, no one knows Il,
The facts ,are that most OF these op-
posing parties held once IN the
c0uncll when these debts were created,
aud they made no PROVISION
for paying, except by lssulng
long time bonds, ! will further state
that some OF the opposing parties
we're lately placed on "a committee Ot
citizens u act with this council In
trying 10 formulate u charter that
would help 10 get the city Ia better
dnaucial condition, hut they did not
show up I'll this tlme; another one Of
these charter fighters told me Just
before the election, I'VE don't need tu
worry about the city debt, for It's
creditors cannot touch auy of our indl.
dlvidual property, only the city prop
erty, such as the city hall, parks, lire
apparatus, etc, and II they take that
they cannot use lt, aud will haye 20
sell II back 20 the city at our own
dgures. THIS gentleman Is one Of
the most prominent charter fighters.
Another one of these very Important
Obstructionlsts that has made a
special light against these short time,
nome bonds, at very low rate Of in
terest, said to me, when we were talk.
lug over this charters IL have no Oh
lection 20 auy part ~ this charter ex
cepe the bond clause, and the trouble
With that was they would be gobblel
dp With outside money" told him
" a sum client number OF people here
with small amounts ~ idle moaey ,and
the banks had given me every assur.
ince that II would be taken up at
once he then made the honest remark
that "thc trouble was there would not
Oe half enough bonds 10 go around. "
All OF Those gentlemtn's acts go to
show the insincerity OF their efforts
ia trying to defeat this charter.
Thls committee devised aud con
'ldered every possible way In best
handle tnis $ per cent warrant debt
Finally proposition vas submitted
oy small syndicate of Salem resi-
tents, that they would furaish money
"a take up thelwarnuts, aud taEe new
warrants la lieu there of at o per cent.
rheg would not agree 10 take them at
a less rate, Tue accrued Interest on
these warrants, which even nov draw
,ns Interest," added 10 the principal
at al per cent rate would be equal
TO an 5 per cent rate, as they now
stand,
IL Is easily seen that these gentle
men were not actuated solely bya de.
sire tnald The city siuce the city
would be 40 0ctIer Oh after IL had ae-
eepled their proposition than before.
Later parties cane 20 the trainers
og the charter aGd submitted pr,.
poslticn To take bonds OF the city OF
the character aud az the rata men.