The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-20
ton which. up to the present time. has
been heavy load on their finances. I


been heavy load on their finances. I
take occasion, also, to remind Fair
Play" chat it was ESQ., 900 Greenville
stock, mot 800, 900, as he states, which
was sold. ::
The s'old Council" built the agricul-
tural buildings at the Fair Grounds to
prevent the Agricultural Fair being held
ut Charleston, at which place the citi.
zeus proffered to erect buildings and fur
nish grounds free of charge. In this
they were upheld by tho property hold
ers and taxpayers of Columbia, IF ,ohom
they aoere the true representatives Fair
Play" only crccpted-and his share of the
transaction would not, if ii could be cal
culated, amount to .fue cents. The "old
Council never made question of poll
tics in the matter, and only endorsed the
previous action of the Council who were
prior to the erection of the buildings re-
ferred to. At any rate, tie honesty The
trustees is unqueshoned, and they are men
al,pays ready 10 pay Meir .;ust tAebls. The
''oid Council" never spent, or used as
collateral, single dollar, or share of
stock, which they were not legally apd
honorably, as we'll as equitably, entitled
to use. They used stock rs collateral to
borrow money for the use of the city,
believing the securities would appreciate
and the city would be the gamer by the
operation; end no doubt but if thoy
thought for moment that "Fair Play
would have had his hands in lie bag, they
would disposed of all other available
means.
There is abundant means to meet all
the necessary expenses Of the city, pro-
vided retrenchment and economy is used
enough to pny the interest on the city
debt and all other reasonable claims; but
if the expenses, owing to improper man
agement, exceed the receipts, of course
the two ends cannot be made to meet.
Half of the taxable property of the city
ruined. Those who had debts due them
did not, on an average, collect ten cents
on the dollar, and yet the ond-holders
of the city claim, Shyloch-lke, The pound
Of J'esh. Men who, ut the end Of the
war, had not enough money to pay
months board, have become rich sud
denly, and. in virtuous indignation, now
say, "PTy me aohat thou Quest" Men
who were never known to pay debt,
and whose old debts are still unsettled,
advocate the immediate payment of the
city debt. They have nothing to lose,
and don't look at the misery entailed on
others. Now, I say to such cormorants,
if you arc not willing to wait, and receive
in the meantime seven per cent. interest
for your old ante-war debt, why, 60
ahead and get nothing. The public pro
perty is inviolable. and private property
cannot be touched for public debts. Is
this not at least as honest mode of set
tiement as Fair Play" uses in his own
private affairs? In the matter of H.
n, ;,,x ;ol L.
terest, L would ask in candor, how much
profession, to tho "old Council" When
he talks about saloons, livery stables and
cock pits, would ask if he has been n
visitor thereof he always paid cash up,
and if any old scores are still due Mt these
places? The fact is, Fair Play" has
misrepresented and perverted the wishes
of 'Citizens." The City Council has
always had the control of regulating the
weights and measures of dealers, by
correct standard. This has never been
denied, and this must be well known to
such old citizens as Fair Play" Neither
does "Citizens" object to public scales
as means Of settling disputes between
buyers and sellers. All this is correct
and conceded; in fact, it was never dis
puted. If disputes arise between buyer
and seller, the public scales and public
welgher decide; but when no dispute or
difference arises, then private individuals
attend to their own business. II the
merchant weighs dishonesty, the laws
OF the country are ready to punish him.
AS to the law infiicting penalty by the
old Council for weighing cotton by others
than tho public weighers, it was passed
because complaint was made to Mayor
Mckenzie that a citizen (now n member
of tho present CounciD had defrauded
some colored mon. It was opposed by
several members of Council, as exceed
ing their powers, but the majority car
ried it. because they thought if it did no
good, it would do no harm, and might
deter transgressors
Will "Fair Play" enlighten us as to
when the Legislature gave authority to
tho Mayor and Aldermen to levy poor
tax? Certainly they never exercised any
such power in the past thirty years.
The District tax collector collected a
poor tax from the citizens Of Columbia,