The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-19
TALK OF INJUNCTION.
New Library Board Might Be
Restrained.
This Would Test the Validity of the
Election Law and Might Restore
Present Conditions.

There is talk of injunction proceed
ings being brought after the library
board election has been held, to test
the validity of the new law and the
right of the board elected under it to
do business. Even though the present
board were all reelected, the proceed
ings might be brought, so that no acts
of the board might subsequently be
undone on the ground that the board
was not legally constituted. In case
any of the present members were de-
feated, the injunction, if successful,
would restore the management of
library affairs into the hands of the
gentlemen who comprise the present
board. So the people who are after
the scalps of members of the present
board may not be grati6ed even
though they command majority of
the votes at the election.
The library board did not transact
any business at its special meeting late
Thursday afternoon. 1t talked over
the approaching election, notice of
which has been posted by CityRecorder
Williams, and decided to have tickets
printed bearing the names Of the pre-
sent board, which will be offered to
the voters who participate in the cleo
tion. No other meeting of the board
will be held until after the election.
st. Cloud, after all, is to have an
election for members of the library
board, Notwithstanding the opinion of
its city attorney that the law is uncon-
stitutional. That st. Cloud is in the
same boat as Mankato is shown from
the following, from the editorial col
umn of the Daily Times of that city
There is to be an election on Sat-
urday, July 90, in the court house.
from three to four o'clock, at which
nine directors for the public library
board are to be chosen. This is in
pursuance of one of the most absurd
laws ever enacted by legislative
body. We have heretofore discussed
this statute and will not now repeat,
except to say that there was no de-
mand for an elective library board law
in any quarter"
Recorder Williams has been subject
ed to some criticism for having called
the election as required by the new
law, and especially for having called
it for an hour in the evening. In JUS
LITIGATION of his course, Mr.. Williams
stated to Free Press reporter today
that he considered that the law made
it his duty to call the election. He
did not like to go against the wishes
of the library board and the council,
but he did not see what else he could
have done. In case no election had
been called or held, certain people had
threatened to make it warm for him,
and he feared that they might have
the law on their side.
Another matter that influenced him
in calling the election was the fact
that if no election was held, the acts
of the board might be questioned and
Mr.. Carnegie might not like to have
the building erected by board about
the legality of whose acts there was
question. This might delay if not
endanger the carrying out of Mr.. Car
negies intention to give Mankato a
public library.
In regard to the hour for holding
the election, Mr.. Williams said that
he had called it at time when he
thought that the business men could
best attend. The hour is also one
when ladies can go, as it is shortly
after supper, 2 80 to s 80 p. m. Work
ingmen could also attend at that hour
He called the meeting at the city hall
because that is centrally located for the
entire city and costs nothing. He did
not wish to put the city to any more
expense than was necessary.
"Uncle WASH the well known old