The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-11-26

by the six councilmen who attempted
to pass the obnoxious gas ordinance
for the Canton Gaslight & Coke COM
pany, at special meeting last We'd
nesday night, to foist another upon
the people of Canton that is no better
than the first one, for it still fails
to have clause in it definitely fixing
the price that natural gas is to be sold
at. The matter came up again Mon
day night in the council chamber when
Attorney Thomas F. Turner, who 1t is
supposed drew up the first ordinance
for the East Ohio Gas company, asked
the privilege of addressing the coun-
Gil. When this was accorded to him
he said that he was there as repre-
sentative of Mr.. Raymond, who had
come to the city from Muncie, Ind,
with the ordinance to take the place
of the one that was killed in the
special session. He said that all he
desired was a franchise for the Can
ton Gaslight & Coke company that
would put them on footing with the
East Ohio Gas company. He declared
that the company wanted no greater
rights-but that they placed on an
equal footing. Mr.. Turner said that
a good reason could be advanced for
not putting "22 cents" in the ordi-
nance. He intimated that the company
which he now represents would be
bound down to 22 cent rate, while
the East Ohio Gas company might be
given a higher rate by the courts
Turner said that some objection had
been made because the ordinance had
not been drawn by the solicitor. He
said that he had been the solicitor
of Canton at one time and that no
franchise ordinance had been drawn
by him while he held the Office and
he doubted if any OF the franchise Or
dinances had been drawn by the solic-
itors. Mr.. Turner then pulled this
Cut-and-dried ordinance, prepared
somewhere in Indiana, from his pock-
ct and he walked leisurely to the desk
of Clerk Lloyd and presented it to him.
The clerk wheeled in his chair and
asked President Owen if he should
read it. He was told that he should
and then gave the ordinance it's first
reading.
After it's reading Member Shorb was
the first to be recognized by the chair
and he asked that the ordinance be
referred to the public property COM
mittee and to the solicitor, saying
that his committee was fully compe-
tent to take care of it. Aungst said
that the ordinance should be referred
to the ordinance committee and the
solicitor and when a vote was taken
upon Shorb's motion it went the same
way that all his motions on the gas
question do, he being alone in his
vote for the proposition.
Sanders then asked that the rules
be suspended and that the ordinance
be given its second and third read
ing and his motion prevailed by the
same vote. After Clerk Lloyd did this
Sanders asked that the ordinance be
laid over under the rules for one week
and he hoped that the newspapers
would publish 1t in order to acquaint
the people with it's contents. But he
did not want it to go to the solicitor,
who up to this time had never looked
at it.
Attorney Allen Cook then received
permission to say a few words on the
subject. There's colored gentleman
hidden away somewhere" said the
speaker. He said that the members
of the council did not know who and
what the gentleman from Indiana was.
He said that II it was a corporation
that meant right that they would not
have any objection to stating the
price at which natural gas was to
be sold. He said that if % cents was
not enough for the East Ohio Gas
company that they could carry the
matter up in the court and keep 1t
there for four OF five years and in this
event the new company could get all
the business in the city at % cents.
81 do not believe that there rs dis
honest man in this council" said
Cook, "but If this ordinance is passed
- -~.sJIIisTTe+it the longest day you
live" He said that the councilmen
had better have the respect of the
people of Canton than the respect OF
the gas company of Indiana. He then
smoke of the many franchises that had
been given away in Canton and re-
ferred to the Northern Ohio Traction
company as a fair sample. why,
these people almost own the city. The
council and the B. P. S. have been
trying to make them sprinkle their
tracks for the past few years and are
only laughed at. If this council and
the gas company want to handle %
cent gas they should say plainly 22
cents and not A, B, c." Cook poured
in some hot shot and was warmly APP
plauded.
Then Turner got up and put his
foot in it right He said that he did
not expect to win applause for his re-
marks from the rabble. What do
you mean by that" whose rabble, "
and the like came from the AUDIENCE
in chorus. He started again by say
ing, '1f | can't appeal to sober Intel
ligence, then l will hold my tongue" ("
said Turner, when the echo, came
back from the audience, Then hold
H."
He attempted to defend the N. o.
T. by saying that it was one of the
best factors that the city of Canton
had, when someone in the audience
broke in with How about the Dueber
works?" Turner made a remark that