The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-07-12
q Matter of Justice.

Under the above heading, the Even
ing Argus in referring to a communica-
tion which appeared in it's columns in
reference to the constitutiopality of the
bill recently passed by the legislature
legalizing the county Indebtedness
when the majority of the voters vote
in favor of issuing bonds, the paper
says:
LAS to the validity of the law, we
are not a constitutional lawyer, and are,
therefore, unable to determine the force
Of the objection offered. The Evening
Argus has no hesitation, however, in
stating that it favors the payment of
the notes. 1t seems to Us only fair and
right that the county repay the money
that was borrowed and which was used
by the men who officially represent the
county.
1t will require only a slight applica-
tion of the golden rule to convince a
fair.micded man that the creditors Of
the county should receive their pay.
If the law has been violated, it was not
by the six creditors, who We're fortunate
enough to have surplus funds and will
ing to accommodate the county with a
loan. If the funds were illegally expend-
ed by the county, surely the six credit
ors are not to blame, and should not be
held responsible.
The county has time without number,
considered it necessary TO make loans
to tide over emergencies. II is true
that the representatives of the county,
in the case in question, carried the mat
ter to an extreme point, and gave the
people just cause to complain-which
they did.
1t would seem that the matter should
be left to the judgment of the people,
Laying passion and prejudice aside,
and considering the question fairly in
the light of all the facts, it is more than
probable that majority of the voters
will favor closing up the old sore, by
authorizing the payment of the notes. u
The editor of the Perry Journal ex-
presses his opinion as to the county in
debtedness as follows:
At meeting of Board Of Supervisors
on Monday, July 1st, it was moved to
submit to the people the question of
bonding the County to pay the county
notes for money borrowed to pay Coun-
ty Contingent expenses and finish the
Court House. This money was loaned
to the County in good faith and by her
own citizens; the County has had the
money and used it. And given her notes
for the same. And has one of the finest
buildings in the state to show for it, a
building without flaw in the work
manship-more than can be said of any
public building in the state. No graft
has been proven. The Board of Super
visors may have erred in matter of law
but not in matter of business and econ
omy- for the time to finish the building
was while the artisans, workmen and
machinery were on the ground. We
have got rid of the cry for moro funds
to finish the Court House. The Court
house is finished. The work is well
done. And these notes must be paid
and if not now at some future time
Let us be honest and pay back to our
citizens the money they have loaned.
"
Now that there is to be another spec
ial election for the purpose of voting
upon the bonding proposition, it is we'll
that we look at it from an unbiased
standpoint. The money was used for
the building of an elegant court house,
one the people of any county should be
proud of. 1t cost more than we expect
ed but who Of us has not been caught
in the same way when building or re-
pairing houseH Things unlocked for
will come up that require an additional
expense. The board of supervisors met
these emergencies just as you or / would
meet them. There are many innocent
purchasers of the obligations of the
county whether legal or not, who gave
up good money to the county and they
now ask that we make ARRANGEMENTS to
pay them. Why not2-Bancroft Com
mercial
Charles Whittum, representing the
tax inheritance division of the Auditor
Generals department, called on Judge
Matthew Bush today.