Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-18
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.


e pretend that was or am Indifferent TO
8 the confidence, good opinion, or honor of
] my fellow citizens. | certainly am not.
But to hold the official position in ques-
+ ton greatly interferes with my private
business. This is perhaps small matter.
The duties of the Office are very engross-
, ing and exceedingly harrassing This is
of more importance; and l find that he
, who shall attempt to discharge the duties
of the Office of Mayor honestly, must
render himself odious to many persons
whose wishes it may become necessary to
dissppoint. 1t is unpleasant for me to be
hated. But when an unworthypor of
this class of disappointed persons make it
a business to slauder and misrepresent me
for sinister purposes, this is gerry trying
upon the philosophy of man used to at
tending to his own business, and letting
that of others alone.
But have become a candidate for re-
election in Difference to the wishes of many
citizens whose sincerity could not doubt.
whose interest is the interest of the city,
and who insisted on the prOpriety, if not
necessity, of my reelection. My present
competitor Che only candidate in the field
when came out) must allow me to say
candidly that great numbers of citizens
are of opinion that, whatever may be his
kind intentions, he is not the man for
Mayor just at the present critical period
OF financial embarrassment AMI though
l will not assert that ADLER financiers than
either of us could not be found, yet can
| produce the figures to show that / have
assisted the City Council in accomplishing
much. at
was assured that if l should not be-
come candiGae for reelection there
were other men, and those very good
men, who would become candidates, but
that the misfortune was they were too |
numerous, and would not defer to one
another, but l0OuLd defer to me if |
should run for reelection. After much
hesitation | consented, and am now |
candidate for reelection. / have but one
purpose to subserve in assuming my pres
ent position, and that is the interest of |
the people of Nashville. When speak
of the interest of the people, mean the |
interest of the taxpayer and the rent |
payer, the capitalist and the labOrer, the |
white man and the colored man All
alike have common interest in an honest |
and economical system of municipal gov
ernmen'.
REDUCTION OF RxPENDITUREs-PAYME OF |
DEBTS.
The current public expeni niitures during /
the present municipal year will, when the
month of September shall be added. |
amount in round figures to 5000, 900. This
is about one-third of the average annual
expenditures since the war, and certainly |
not more than half of the expenses of the
most economical year of that time. This
economy in current expenditure has en-
abled the corporation to pay out in cash
the sum of 1882, $40 on old debts, in ad-
dition to $79, 210 paid by Receiver Bass;
and the above amount of 1882, 610 will
be increased to $40 200 by payments
within this month. But the above figures !,
do not fully show the amount of reduc-
tion of the public debt, which has been
greater than the above figures indicate.
No new debts have been made, to
be deducted from the above sums;
but many debts or claims have
been compromised at less than the
nominal amounts of such claims, by the
payment of 20, 70, or 80 per cent. in
cash, thousands of dollars being saved to
the city in that way. Other debts have
been IN like manner compromised at less
than par, and paid in new bonds at par,
thus saving other thousands to the public
treasury. Beside this, there were many
claims outstanding, where the claimants
held two sets of evidences of debt; as,
for instance, party in Missouri held a
note for four thousand dollars, Alden
bonds for four thousand dollars, and Matt
Brown bonds for five thousand dollars.
These were all taken in by the payment
of the four thousand dollars and interest.
Other large transactions of this kind have
been made, the payments sometimes being
made in money and sometimes in new
bonds at par, the apparent Indebtedness
being in all cases reduced largely more
than double the amount of the money or
new bonds expended.
A HOPEFUL FUTURE.
In the manner above indicated, the in
debtednass and apparent Indebtedness of
the city have been put into a gradual |
course of liquidation; and it is now be-
lieved that within few months to come,
the entire Indebtedness of the city may be
liquidated, except the cases of a few
claimants whose demands seem to be un- .
From this statement l would
also except the issue of bonds known US
the Alden bonds, and the Park bonds, and
$50, 900 of the Matt Brown bonds left un-
sold by that administration, and sold by
the first administration of Alden. These
claims, amounting together to 1926, 500,
remain still in litigation, without a pros
pect of settlement so early as the Others -,
THE GLOOMY BEGINNING.
When the present municipal adminis- {
tratiOn was inaugurated, the city corpora. i
ton was surrounded with troubles and 1
dangers which were little less |
than appalling. There were judgments
then already rendered months before, and
unsatisfiedOn the dOckets of the {
various Magistrates of this city, amount +
ing to $133, 900. There were unsatisfed '
judgments for several thousand dollars on 6
The docket of the Circuit Court. There q
was a judgment for $25, 900 which had /
been standing for year ON the docket of '
The Federal Court. On the same docket, Ii
here were judgments standing unsatisfied, | {
which had been rendered in May, 1869, d
and which were final, amounting to about Ii
S3O, 900. On the same docket were some S
;welve judgments, amounting together to o
more than $4,000 rendered in May, d
1869, on which motiors had been +
made for new trials, and continued b
,ver TO the October term of that L
court. In all there were judg-
nents outstanding against the corporation b
or more than 1925. 900. Suits also were b
pending against the corporation in the b
Tarious courts, and new suits being II
brought almost daily in the Federal Court, n
or thousands and tens of thousands, with n
he prospect that in the Federal Court F
judgments would be rendered against the
,ity for many and large sums at the i'm II
nedlately ensuing October term. Execu- II
ions were being issued from the Magi5- a
rates. Courts, and often from the Federal 81
court, and were being levied on the per- it
onal property of the city, especially upon p
he engines, equipments and horses el
# the Fire Department ard upon k
he horses and carts of the Street el
Department. The prospect was, that o
he property ofsthe city would be ruin Ii
,uslV sacrificed and that probably the | q