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I feel quite sure that if the council men will take the time and
pains to look into our finances, in such manner as a business man would
if dealing with his own affairs that the views of some of you at least
on this question would be changed. If you will look I think you will see
difficult ahead of you which if you love our city and its best interests
you will not further headlessly rush into. While the majority of you
may be willing to ignore the laws governing this questions yet I do not
think some of you will be proud, when the day of review comes to face
the record you are now making in this matter. If my appeal to you to
respect the law and in making you contracts, and act in a business way
in the city's business shall not prevail then it is for the citizens-
ship to invoke the referendum or the power of the courts if they choose.

It is an extraordinary condition when citizens will present
and represent and press and repress upon their city officials the ac-
ceptanceof a proposition when said citizens know that some feature of
the obligation which they ask the officials to enter into are illegal; an and
it is more extraordinarly when officials will willingly assent to accept
a proposition knowing that there are features in it which are unlawful.
Have we both of this conditions?

Respectfully,
W. D. Harris
Mayor