Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-25

Chairman Board of Trustees.
s+-><<>-<-~~s<<->~>
building or buildings thereon for a
public library, or for the payment of
interest on any Indebtedness incurred
for that purpose and for the creation
of a sinking fund for the eXtinguish-
ment of such indebtedness, and certi-
fly the same to the county auditor with
the other taxes for said year.
Section 9-The president and secre-i
tary of said board of trustees shall ex-
ecute to the city of Ottumwa a good
and sufficient bond for the faithful per-
Torrance of their duties.
Section 10-It shall be the duties of
the library trustees to supervise the
erection of such library building as
the council may erect upon such site
as the city council may select for that
purpose, but no building shall be-
erected until the plans have been sub
mitted to the city council for approval.
Section II provides for the punish
ment of persons who wilfully and ma
liciously deface library books or build
ings, by imposing fine not exceeding
500 and COSTS
Declares Election Illegal.
On Tuesday, July 3, 1900, Judge F.
W. Eichelberger, of Bloomfield, rem
dered his decision in the Injunction
suit entitled j. P. Anderson ct al VS..
r.. j. Phillips ct al by which the plain
tiffs, through their attorneys, Seneca
Cornell and G. c. Leech, sought to re-
strain the city council and city officers
from accepting the library proposition
as adopted, on the grounds that the
election was illegal because women
voted unconstitutionally. Judge Eich-
elberger in his decision held that
women had no right to vote at the Ii
brary election because although the
statute gives them that right, the con-
stitution does not recognize as voters
any except male, adult citizens. He
held that it was an election authorized
by law and therefore recognized by
the constitution, and that as women
are not recognized by the constitution
as electors, they had, therefore, no
right to vote in the library election.
This placed the situation in regard to
Ottumwa's library just where it was
before the election was held.
To Garry it Higher.
On July 10 the library association,
of which Captain J. G. Hutchinson was
president, decided to carry the matter
of the legality of the library election
to the supreme court, and Attorney
William McNett was employed to act
together with Captain w. H. G. Jaques,
the city solicitor, in getting the de.
cision of Judge Eichelberger, if posi-
BILE, reversed by the higher tribunal.
Another Meeting.
On Tuesday, July II, public meet.
ing was held at the city hall to secure
an expression of the people with re
gard to the library matter. After a
thorough discussion it was decided tC
petition the city council to order an
other election, and an executive com
mittee of fourteen people was appoint
ed to take charge of the work of circu
lating the petition for sigma
lures. The meeting was called
to order by S. H. Harper, who named
William McNett for chairman and f
P. Baer for secretary. A. w. Lee, il
stating the object of the meeting, sale
that he thought that as the people o.
Otumwa grew to understand the libra
ry question more thoroughly the!
were more in favor of it. Others eX
pressed similar opinions, among then
being S. H. Harper, A. G. Steck, j. f
Byrne, j. G. Hutchinson and others.
Labor People Talk
The Ottumwa Trades & Labor As
sembly had previously adopted peti
ton to be presented to the city coun
Gil, asking for new election, and thi
petition was read at the meeting.
was as follows:
'sTo the honorable Mayor and Cit.
Council of Ottumwa.
"Gentlemen.-In view of the fac
that number have misunderstood
the articles that have appeared in tn
papers in regard to the library elet
ton, by the trades unionists OF thi
city, we therefore submit to you tn
following resolution, which was draw
in the interest of fairness for all col
earned, and so that organized labor c
~. a+c may be paced upon record
follows:
:'Resolved, that in view of the d.
cision, holding that the Iowa law gi'
ing women the right to vote on tn
question of establishing a library,
unconstitutional and hence that tn
recent election is null and void, we r
spectfully petition the city council
order a new election upon this matte
In order that, the conditions now b