The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-05-17
SCOTT COUNTY
BOND ELECTION
Is CALLED OFF
1890 Signed Remonstrance
Against 100000
Bends
SECOND VICTORY OF
TRIBUNE is SCORED
County Court Recinded Order
Fo:S)t:.,' ! ecti0n, Set
For May II

The special election. of the 100000
good road bond issue, which was set
for May II, was called off by the
County Court sitting at Benton, when
the business men and farmers present
ed a remonstrance containing the sig
natures of more than 1900 voters Of
Scott County. The opposition to the
bond issue was started by The Trib-
une, ard soon spread to every town
ship in the county.
Secretary McKibbin, OF the State
Highway Commission, was sent to
Scott County in an effort to head off
The Tribune's work. He made speech
es in various sections of the county in
favor of the bond issue. County Sur
veyor Murray also stumped the coun-
ty in behalf Of the bond issue grab.
The opposition to the scheme was
led by William 7. Tanner Of Skies
ton, w. H. Heisserer of Benton and
John Dohogne of Kelso. They in
duced other influential men in each
township to make a canvass among the
voters. John Dohogne obtained $50
signatures in the immediate vicinity
of kelsO, and Tenner and Heisserer
simply swamped the court with names
Of people who We're opposed to the
project.
When the County Court convened to
hear arguments for and against the
-emonstrance, McKibbin, chief spouter
for the scheme, was on hand to de-
liver a Patrick Henry Grafton. After
he finished his address the County
Court took look at the names.
The opponents of the bond issue
maintained that the petition asking
for the special election bore names of
many who were not bona fide signers,
and Prosecuting Attorney Blanton was
called in to give his opinion as to who
could be termed e qualified signer.
He commended that those whose names
appeared on the tax lists of Scott
County could sign the petition. The
tax books were brought into court to
compare the names on the petition and
the books, and it was found that the
required number of signatures was
lacking. A total of 200 signatures was
necessary to make the petition for the
special election valid.
The advocates of the bonds declared
after the failure of the proposition
that they were not discouraged by the
outcome, and would renew the fight for
the bonds. Nearly every farmer in
Scott County has opposed the issue Of
the bonds, mainly because of the great
increase of the tax rate and the I'M
satisfactory manner in which the i'm
provement of the roads had been plan
ned.
1t was figured that it would cost the
taxpayers of Scott County approx
mately 81 100000 to redeem the bonds
and pay the interest of the 100000.
Besides the taxpayer whose road
would not be improved would share
the burden of the expense as well as
the man who would have derived a
benefit from the issue of the bonds.
The defeat of the bond issue was
largely due to the fight waged against
the proposition by The Tribune. Nu-
merous letters were received during
The past weeks by wealthy and influen
tial farmers of Scott County, setting
forth the unjust levy contemplated by
the road bonds advocates and asking to
oppose the issue.
The attempt made to burden Cape
Girardeau in a similar manner was
frustrated in the same manner as in
Scott County. A campaign was start
ed after the County Court had set a
date for the special election, but called
off when it became apparent that the
bond issue would meet with a disas-
trous defeat.
WANTED to hear from owner of good