The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-04-07
IT GOES THROUGH.
Franchise Granted for the Sec
Ond Time.
The Council Gives IFS Meeting Over to This
Matter, Postponing the Assessorship
Until Saturday Night. ,ss

. 7.
Gil spending several hours IN It's con- on
sideration to the exclusion OF all otnef
business, The election of an assessor
was postponed until Saturday night
when the council will meetto canvass
the ballots and to transact nysother
business coming up 4 '...lq ~, ,4r "a &
Mayor Pfau presided ati1last nights
meeting, and all of the aldermen were
present. The lobby was filled with
SPECTATORS. some of whom opposed the
granting of the franchise and others OPP
posed granting track rights on Broad
street. 80 "'@ j. y.e = sl .lg4
When the council was called to order.
Ali.EHimmelman moved that the rules
be suspended and the ordinance given
its second reading, ~s@ .'.'''s
BIC. Taylor stated that he would
like to appear and present "a renonr
STRANGE against the passage Of. the ordiT
nance. ... .s.-.... * ,isl $50
The motion was carried, and Aid.
Petersen moved that the ordinance be
given its second reading. 100 sa&G
Aid. Bradley said that it was not
right to rush the ordinance through,
and suggested that recess be taken to
propose amendments. 80 80. ne
Mr.. Taylor stated that the council
was about to vote away important
rights He said that the citizens are
IL hot 1n1s Ic q
very strong sentiment against rushing
the ordinance through before it can be
given sufficient consi deration. Mr..
Taylor read a largely sighed remon
STRANGE against hasty action. He said
that he did not think that anything un-
fair was asked when delay was coun-
seled, as the council was about to act
under the unusual proceeding of sus-
pension of the rules. Citizens would
have no opportunity to demonstrate
against having cars go on streets where
there is objection. -. '~ ssfs.2ta~.
City Recorder Brown read the list of
names attached to the remonstrance. os
The remonstrance itself is as follows:
We, the undersigned residents of
Mankato respectfully but most earn
estly protest against the passage of an
ordinance authorizing the building OF a
street railroad: in this ,cityauntil such
time as the proposed ordinance can be
fully examined by our citizens. We be-
lieVe that this is a matter of most vital
interest to the welfare of our city, and
that ample time should be given to its
consideration, and that at present such
time and consideration has not been
given as will enable the people to intel
ligently express their wishes concern
ing it. 80. ..s--s,r1 = .o1
A, E. Clark spoke on behalf of the ap
plicants for a franchise. He said that
if the remonstrance had been sighed by
the Mankato Gas and Electric Light
Co. it would be complete He said that
it had been some time since. the eordi-
nance had been presented to the coun-
Gil. 1t had been up for public discus
sion for several weeks. 1t had been dis
cussed in the papers in manner not
very creditable to them if they advo
Gated improvements for the city, He
had been informed that the circulators
of the remonstrance had been trying to
procure signatures by traducing those
who want the franchise calling them
thieves and SO forth. A person could
start out on the street today with petit
ton to hang the most prominent cit
dzen in Mankato and nine-tenths of those
asked would sign, ass}E0
Mayor Pau: Especially if he was
Democrat" ~
This brought out laugh all around.
Mr.. Clark said that the people who
invest their money in the street Car
enterprise are comforting greater favor
on the city than the council is on the
company by granting the franchise,
The streets have been tied up for forty
years. No reason for delay is given,
but it is because they desire toput the
matter over to the next council. Those
who asked'fer the franchise are not
sswindlers but represent the wealth and
vested interests of Mankato. We all
desire street railway. The fight is not
made on the street railway but the
lighting plant feature. We desire to
know very. soon whether the franchise
IS to be granted. There is no sense or
reason for further delay. Mr., Clark
said that he did not care snap of his
Finger whether or not the franchise is
granted.
Mr.. Taylor said that if the granting
of the franchise ~as so immaterial, he
would ask the council not to grant the
franchise. The signers of the remon-
STRANGE had read the latter and had fire.
quently commented on the haste of the
council. The aldermen should respect
the wishes of their constituents The
ordinance had not been under considera-
tion more than two evenings.
Mr. Clark asked who fathered the re-
uenstrance2 No one seemed to father
it, he said, The Mankato Gas and
Electric Light, Co, seem to have taken
an interest in the, ordinance, for a di-