The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-30
The Future Of Charleston.

Charleston is just now at the crisis OF her
destiny. 1t is of the utmost Importance to
her future welfare that her condition and
her wants should be carefully studied, and
that skilful counsel be called in to put her on
her feet once more. We are led to this train
of thought upon reading communication
in yesterdays Courier, wherein the writer
puts forth some excellent views, brimful OF
good, hard business sense, which merit more
thar q passing notice. After instituting a
comparison between our city and Savannah,
Macon and Atlanta, to the disadvantage OF
Charleston, as not having made the progress
since the war which is observable in those
Georgia cities, he says:
Every one Ia Atlanta seems confident of
! continued prosperity, while we here are de-
pressed. And yet we have the pleasautest city,
with natural advantages, superior In many re-
spects to either of those mentioned, and in the
wsy of business men we have as much to boast
of as any city In the South. The character OF
our business men has stood uniformly high for
integrity and enterprise, and yet our business
increases but slowly, if at all; real estate re-
mains low and declining; but few buildings are
being erected, and the confidence which Sc
cures success seems altogether wanting.
1.-THE causes operating to our disadvantage
are 10 be sought for and remedied, If possible.
And what are they? First and greatest are our
heavy city debt aud taxes, and the great inefl-
cient management of our city government. If
there was ever time when Charleston needed
strong board of Aldermen and Muyor, 1t Is
the present-men of undoubted integrity,
known both at home and abroad to possess
financial skill and ability. Party issues should
be laid aside and the question should be, what
shall we do to bring about more prosperous
condiuon OF affairs. Our present board Of
Aldermen and Mayor, with all their besteforts,
have failed to accomplish anything towards
exlricatlng us from our present embarEass-
ments and no doubt they have used their best
efforts TO that end. new board with like in
experience in financial affairs will meet with
no better success"
here is the rub. Even supposing we ad-
nit that the present Council are honest and
well-uleaning, their palpabe aad universally
admitted incapacity would in itself clearly
point to their unatness for the responsible
position they hold. Why should not The
same rule hold good in the management OF
the business and the finances of city, as OF
private individual, OF a mercantile firm, or
railroad company! In looking about for o
business manager, or for the directors OF
railroad, we certainly do not select men no.
ted only for their ignorance or inexperience.
Under "communistic" rule it may be deemed
sufficient qualification for the office of
Minister OF Finance that the candidate never
possessed twenty francs at any one time in
his life; but under systems of government,
less advanced" the mere fact of candi-
date being stupid, mouthy and rapacious,
hardly constitute an indisputable claim to
consideration. We fully agree with ga Citi-
'.zen,. that practical business men alone
should be entrusted with the management OF
our city's finances.
In regard to the proposed compromise be
tween the Two parties, in the approaching
election, ga Citizen" says:
''A compromise of taking half from each
party has been suggested, as promising good
results; and while being among the first to
favor this plan. on further reflection doubt
it's expediency, solely for the reason 1t will moi
bring out our ablest men. We now want to
place the management Of our affairs in the best
hands We can find, aud then it will be no easy
task for them to accomplish the desired re-
suits. The task is so great that the men we
need viii not risk their financial reputation in
weak board, and very naturally will decline
nomination II it comes to an neqHal party divis-
ion; bull nominate full strong board, and
none, we trust, will decline. Large money
negotiations have to be- made, and some way
devised to reduce our present debt and merge
it in new stocks or. bonds worth par value.