The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-14

County Convention.


l.asaos sli,able CANDIDATE FOR 5adse of said Dbl.
ira. BY nsaer Of The Co. Central Com
+ febs 49, >. n. PATTON, Chairman.
ne Oe1kl Salary Ordinance.
AZ in party daky bound, the Democra'
Aas taken tie position in favor Of the Alder
men salary, ordnance passed last Mondas
evening by our Democratic City Council
In lie leading editorial Of yesterday. II
show cd Just how little can be said IN de-
fence Of this ordnance by person dispos.
ed even to the leagth Of direct misTepresen n
,a,ion 10 back up those who passed it. We
can but pity an editor who in what he con-
sidsrs party duty, sufisrs himself to De
placed in position go utterly indesenslbie
and on the side OF plain error wrong and
folly. Our neighbor cannot honestly be-
I;eys the action Of the msieri,y OF Council
rixht. Il would require, We are sure, strong
er areunen,s Than the singie one conta'net
in his own editorial, 10 convince him or any
other person that his position is correct
for We can ind in his article bot one arsa
ment, that The duties Of Aldermen are s.
onorous and yexations they should be psi'
for their services. In oil the private dis
cussion which We have heard on this sub
iee., no one In our presence has assume q
the position that Aldermen should sos b
paid for their services. We assumed THU
in our 6rss editorial on the subject, ans
wsde the statement a. plain ~ we eouic
Sad language to express it-yet the Demo
crst, With shameless perversion, assumes
that we are opposed to paying Aldermen
anything. and msmbles over its Argument
on the labors and snferings Of Council
men demanding pay. II also grossiy mis-
represent. ~ in stating ,os say !. is vel
enough to pay future Aldermen $500 pei
aanum. A prominent part of our article
was devoted to proving that this pay is
too high. We are directly opposed TO pay
ing Couacilnen $500 per annum. II IL
equivalent to over @ per evening, for their
regular meetings. or 70 aboa, "a per even
ing. saying they hol meetings a. often on
an average "a onc1 anek. which they dc
not. These tioa6Rn III.
BILE, and sesy e tina, our tra.
positions ART Die, tha, they
mus, be misrepl befoT: they can be
touched.
We want citizens TO understand this
matter, and we are determined they shs
do it, or a, leas, tina, those shall who are
interested enough in it to read the explana-
ZION. We are determined that this body OF
men shall not be permitted to play Al their
own discretion With city money, taken from
the pockets of the people ~ direct taxa
ten, and alter the city charter and pass or
dinsnees To repienish their own pockets
without The matter being fully understood
BY taxpayers. These members OF Coun-
Gil were elected under the old city charter
which granted no pay TO members OF the
Council nor permitted them 10 vote them
selves pay. They voluntarily, on becoming
candidates for the once. agreed to sers'
the city in the capacity Of Aldermen 10 In
best Of their ability and without pay
There was no eompulsion in the business
Ne encouragement was given them iha
they would be paid, much lsss did tbel
make il known 10 voters that during ths
term they would demand pay. II they oh
ieeled to performing the duties OF their OIL
ice ia the customary manner with formed
City Councils, they bad only TO say so, an'
no doubt other cilizens could have beer
found TO take their places - candidates
Their opponent, would have been eleete
had these gentlemen made any open ~
preston Of an intention TO do what the
have since done. Thus elected The pres
ent Aldermen took their seats. They rent
ed and handsomely ftted up coun ci
Chamber, to make themselves more com
Portable, and no one publicly objected. TIN
old charter would not permit them to CIV
themselves salaries, % the following sec
ion was in,r odueed into the smendm ent
recently sanctioned by the Legislature, sn
upon which our citizens were permitted i
no ma inner TO express their opinion. The
kaew nothing except from rumor what thes
amendment. were til they became lac.
See. 25. Said City Council is hereby au
thorixed u grant and allow by ordinanc
such compe nsstion TO the Aldermen ..oi sal
Council for their services a. shall be sp
proved BY vote Of two-thitds Of eli ,h,
members elected.
These amendments were published b
order in the Gase,te and Democrat, bt
owing to important errors in tie copy, the
were republished. aud the amendments d
not 70 into legal force till last Tuesda
morning. Tie evening previous, such va
the hurry Of the Council, an ordinance wa
passed paying Aldermen s2oo per anHuE
each, commencing the lat Of last April, ex
cepiing those vino had removed from thei
wards, OF resigned their Offices. BY thi
tAStfbOh wv psisphs sao hao aaDS'NN .
the Council the greater part Of the yea
~ere cut of from the iosyes and fishes s
greedily grssped by those who are still ren
bers of tina, respectable body Was ther
ever more ridiculous absurdiiy perpetri
led BY even aa City Council They Ia
the same RICH, to presen. the members Z
last Council with $500 piece, IS to PR
sent themselves money for past services
ave, the same right 70 presen, this gum
the members Of every Council which "
have had since our city incorporation en-
they had the same tight 10 present them
selves a thoassnd dollars sc two huBdfe
dollars. They usnseende5 their duty
they committed moral wrong il not le
gal wrong. They have taken, or are en-
deasorine 10 take, from the City Tressur.
that to which they have no more right thsl
the very mea who voted them into Office -
II makes no difference what their labor
have been or how srduous. They sgfee
10 do the work without pecuniary reWsrt
and they had no right to reward themseivs'
The ne, was as indicate as il vas wron!
and sc wrong at indelicscy and grsspin
..is.t...a c,,,i5 ,nske II We proms