The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1871-08-24
The Honorable Mayor, and the
Honorable Board Of Alder
men OF this City.

GENTLEMEN-I claiuzths right tc
call your attention. azisioni
of the City Char u the
only power that you car 9ise, in
levying taxes upon property and per-
sons in the corporate limits of the
city of Austin.
The original charter authorized
the city board to levy one-half of one
) per cent. on all taxable property in
said city; that continued to be the
authority for some years. The citi-
zens of Austin petitiOned the Lsgis-
lature of 1862, to amend the char
ter that the city board could not
make a levy of city tax higher than
One-tWelfth of one per cent. The
legislature granted the petition, and
so amended the charter.
| The city board continued to make
their levies under the amended char.
ter for several years. The city board
made an application to Gen. Candy,
the then Military Commander of the
Fifth Military District, to suspend
the special provision of the amended
charter, and to authorize the city
board tv mako ivTy III aUUUrdGnGe
with the provisions in the original
charter. The charter was thus
amended by a military order. The
board then made a levy on the city
property of one-fourth of one per
cent. The authority given by the
military authority was good, so long
as the military authority continued,
but no longer. So soon as the mill
tary authority was withdrawn, the
provision in the amended charter was
virtually revived in full force, as a
part of the organic law of the city.
When the city authorities undertake
to force the collection of city taxes,
under the present levy, they will find
that they reckoned without their host.
They will only be able to collect one
twelfth of one per cent. under the
provision of the amended charter. If
they act otherwise, one-half of the
cases will be taken into the courts of
the county. The city will have to
pay the cost of suit, and will be sub,
| iect to an action of damage to the
p rty injured.
Well, gentlemen, l can see but one
way that you can be relieved from
your present awkward condition,
that is, to carry your case up to the
foot-stool of sovereign power, lay
your case at the feet of His Excel
lency; he is the concentrated HEAD
of all the civil and military power in
the State; he is an accomplished
IInker-in small matters. I think
he will have skill sufficient to mani
pulate you out of your present snap.
Try him, gentlemen, he possesses a
large stock of that kind of skill.
He has long been dealing in that
pettyfOging way: Tax PAYER.
The DaVIs-nCFadd1n Affair.
, To the Editor of the Democratic Statesman:
Governor Davis has lately been
engaged in a little reconstruction
business IN the Thirty-second Judi
cial District. In this instance it
seems Radical sagacity had not been
quite so acute as usual, and the NOR
. al conduct of one of the appointees
was rather too notorious for the ex-
: panded ideas of the great party Of
, progress.
: AS was stated in late issue of the
STATESMAN, after Lewis became
8 Judge of the above district, McFad-
din received the appointment, through
Governor Davis, of course, of Dis
! trict Attorney for the same, and al
once qualified and entered upon the
! duties of his Office. However, Nc.
t Faddin performed but few of these
duties, for scarcely two weeks had
elapsed when one Andrew Jackson?,
Vaughn, with colOrs flying probably
more conspicuously than ever those
of his great namesake, dashed into
D the field and triumphantly took pos.
0 session of it. McFaddin was thun,
, derstruck, and the people of William
D son shook their heads in wonder
but the following facts tell the tale
When the Radical meeting was
held at Georgetown for the purpose
of electing delegates to the New
Braunfels Convention McFaddin die
not present himself. He was off at,
e tending to more important duties
: working for the good of mems souls
t and feeling fully satisfied, no doubt
!, that those of Newcomb and hi
mixed confreres were already con
signed, he thought it best to devote
himself to such as were not already
lost. McFaddin performed more tn
part of a good Christian than of I
Jealous Radical; and as it is very
we'll settled in Radical ethics, tina
political come before moral duties
McFaddin at once fell from grace
! Now were l in McFaddin's place
! l would not care one iota about tn
sequel to this affair, but would b.
greatly exercised in regard to th
cause. l have heard it said by thos
= who knew the man we'll, that he is
gentleman of considerable worth
has been always we'll thought of b,
his acquain!ances, and respected il
his own community; and hereb,
should hang said refections-deser
> ton, ingratitude, and the injure
feelings of his friends. Yet, as tn
= heart has not been sufficiently tam
n pered with, the good left about
y may yet wake this man to the enOr
It nifty of his error, and he may than
It heaven that Davis's malice save
y him from corruption, and his soul,
T. will venture to say, from damnatior
L