Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-03-03
LECLAIRE CHARTEE NonINA1IoNs.-

| pi TIE democracy OF lie CIAlre, beid at IN
effies Of |. M.Talnage, E-q., tn Tuesiay ever
.ng last, the following city ,icse: vas put il
to the field: For Mayor. George ". Horton
for Reco. der, John W. Arnold for Treasurer
J. Is. Ware, for Assessor. G. F. Disney; 70
Marshal and Collector. II II. King for stree
Commissioner. Joseph v atson for Aldermen
First Ward. Dennis Barnes and j. +. Hare
Second Ward w p Hills and A. Stonebrs
ker; Third Ward. Henry Work and s. 0
Scott; Fourth Ward, Jonathan Z-bley ard De
sid Hawthorn. l. NJ Talmage.J Ware snc
:. a. Leonard were appointed city Contra
Committee on election. The eec;oa is held
today. Wetrust that the Democracy in L.
Claire may be triumphant.
OCR CRY AND ITS CONDITION.
We continue this sutject to- Gay. With regard
to the Mississippi and Missouri Rail,oAd Com.
pong, We should have aided yesterday. that
| the whole course Of this road towards The ciii-
zens and taxpayers Of this city has been one
OF continued oppression and wrong While We
Lave been struggling in our troubles and pov
erty TO raise funds with which 70 ray oif til.
interest on the bonds, obtained by them fl ON
u " Misrepresentation ard fraud, they have
rsPudated euery promise made to US by them
express and implied, and il has at tines se.u
Cd as if they took particular pains and deligh.
IN wronging our property owners on Fifth
street, and trampling upon their rights As
soon "a they obtained our bond, t ey turned
upof Us, sn if We had opposed them from The
fret, ana Lad refused them pecuuiary aid their
hostility could not have neen more bitter and
decided.
Following the loan for the benef, OF the II
& n railroad company. came the loan Of .5e
Geo. This was sde for the purpose Of cut
scriting $4,000 to the gas stock $40 900 10,
water works. $4,000 or ire engines and $25-
900 for macsdAmizng the levee Tie civ did
subscribe 81 900 to III. gas company stock,
and its citizens have had, ever since, the
privilege OF paying most outrageous
prlce for gas, nearly twice as much as is
charged in Chicago L uder the adminis,ra-
tion OF Geo. i. Sargent, a. mayor, and his SUI
ce:sor Eoenezer Cook, the other partner Of
Cook SargeLt. tie balance Of the bonds ere
i.sutd Notwithstanding. a viii be seen, this
loan Was made for a specific purpose the bonds
were issued By these two mayors. with The
most entire 'iooseness, aud The balance left .nf
Ter paying .he commissions to Cook 4 Sargent
and their attaches, irii,ered away in oae ard
another direction, doing Us but little good. ON
these bonds We are paying over So 900 Der
year Including interest, commissions and ex-
change From this We derive no income. Ii
is a constan. drain upon our treasury.
On the sth day of April 1857, George B.
Sargent entered upon the Office of Mayor OF
this city. He was considered an active, Jude
ious and liberal mindel Ian sni the great
msjority cf the citizens believed him a spieu-
die hrancisr, and the banking house of which
he wac a member. the great heart from which
all the heslthial blood OF the city lowed
Personally, We ,.erer like this roanation. but
in those days it was deemed equivalent 10 pc
cuniaiy, social and political death, TO oppose
est. and being somewhat young in journalism,
and little dan, witha' We folio we'd where
they led the way. We missed it. sal missed
it, ard We acknowledge that We have much to
answer for We have learnel wisdom sine.
those days, and have found that the people !
ike bod and independent organ-one tia,
pins tie faith 10 no msns coat sieeves-and |
since then we have been, aud hereafter We
shall be found where the interests Of thenass
es are, no matter what man or number of men
or what interests CT influences are arrayed |
agalrst us Bat v have said our euppor, |
Of Geo. Il. Sargent Was an error, endorsed by |
large majority of our citizens. and ,hs ,nsas- |
ures of his administration by nearly all Of our |
taxpayers. But they were grievous mistakes,
both his election and measures, and if we can !
lie forgiven for our sins in that respect We
-lall try and not 90 the like again.
Dur ng the administration OF Sargent. over
e20o, 900 was added to our public debt, and !
notwithstanding the ordinance provided that
ne bond should le sold at less than par. oct one
U q. SO sold. The lroceeds, after paying .rib-
ate handsomely, to Sargent or hi. friends, was
rofiigste manner. We believe that fully
kla5 600 was absolutely wasted. and We are
ashamed to say, that. We and the other citizens
IF this city, quietly looked on. ard saw this
money tsirg expended in beau,ifying the
grounds, and improving the streets adjacent to
he Msycr's property, and much Of the work
n such manner done as to be nuisance rath-
r than benefit to the city. We were i'm
,ued With the grand confidence 90 universal in
.ho.e days but We soon after discovered that
,ur confidence had been misplaced, and co.,
.luded that thereafter it would be our duty
u we'll as p,saaure, TO see that no similar ou:-
age should be perpstrsted upon cur citizens
~ any man.
1t will be seen that We are paying over
.4o, 900 year As interest on our bonded debt.
si,hout being in the receipt Of . single dollar,
except by way Of taxes, to meet it with. Ths
citizens and property owners OF Davenport
,0n,.ot pay this sum-.hey have net, ard cannot
get. the money. Land enough they have. but
bis property is at present-as will ve-y plain
3 appesr-neither more nsr less than burden
I cannot be sold at any price. ye: from year to
,ear must it be made to bear this enormous
can be paid in money only The
,eople have managed for the pas; two years,
q ecme manner, TO raise suffei, Mt 10 keep their
property from Marshars sale, and at he same