Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-11
PUBLIC EVILS.
Nodes Of Rsfo'm-huItltuds Of PIaOshOld.
sFs-Ths Remedy for The Public
Calamity,

". B. Greenlaw, ESQ.,:
Dear Sri desire TO lay before you,
| and through you to the Citizens Union,
/ a plan for q reform OF ths city and county
affairs, whereby I think q great saving
will accrue TO the taxpayers and citizens
Of Memphis and county Of Shelby, To be-
gin with, i state It as an undoubted and
indispensable fact that more trade is dry
en- away from Memphis in consequence of
the public exactiOns necessary at present,
probably, which makes it necessary for
merchants and traders 10 add greater
profits upon their goods and wares, b
Is cOaXed away by other competing cities.
| These exactiOns extend through all the
rami6oatiOns of nance and business.
The prOperty-holder, in order to be able
to settle with the tax collector, is COM
PEELED to have high rents; the tenant, to
be able to pay his landlord, must have a
high price for his goods. Hence, l insist
that It is the 9blic eXactions, the enoT-
nous taxation that is
WEIGHING Qua CITY DOWN,
which dwarfs her growth and will con-
| tiuuet to ~cOnfine her to her present limits
and boundaries, If IL does not force her
backward. / may be wrong in my prem
ises, but at any rate q release from our
present burdens, or a part OF them, Is de-
\ H1THOLe LGL US see II u Gau ub uOnct Anb
drst great reform that I would propose is
the cutting OF the county from the city
throwing Shelby county back to herself
and making a new corporation, TO be
called the
CITY COUNTY OF MEMPHIS.
In other words, after the division of terri
tory shall have been agreed upon, to con-
solidate the city and county governments
now in Memphis into one, to be reuoodeled
and started upon a new and economical
I basis. Permit the city government as
now organized, to have the same jurisdie-
ton as at present, and that also OF the
county court; have but u assessor,
| treasurer and collector; in fact, but one
set of officers throughout. Repeal Out of
| Office all existing court officials, except
| the Judges, and thereafter elect a county
clerk, who shall be eT-Of1OiO clerk of sll
/ courts of record, and having a seat in the
CITY and county; allowing him to have a
sufficient amount of deputies to transact
Rbe business. Pay this county clerk a sal
srY of 5000 per annum, and bis deputies
| $1,000 each. Make all our fees payable
in advance into the city and county treas
ury. Maket the Offices Of sheriff, attorney
general, collector, register Of deeds and
! treasurer, salsried. All fees payable into
the treasury in advance. / think il is not
speaking unreasonably to say that at least
SIS. 900 PER AENUM WILL BE SAVED
in this particular-euOugh to paw the in.
terest on one million dollars bonds. In
addition to getting rid of the extra num-
Der OF high priced officials, the law shOuld
also take in the Justices Of the Peace.
Give respectable salaries to two or three,
and require all their fees to 90 in the
Treasury also. Several thousands more
dollars VIII be saved, and an immense
amount of troublesome litigation pre-
vented Eetween small suitOrs, who are
persuaded to Iitigste by what are termed
" shysters," about the small courts Of the
city.
Let the new Charter grant to the city
and county government three powers:
lst, To sell at public auction or cutlery,
ten or twenty rights to keep tippling
houses, and to suppress all others not so
licensed. Let the party buying the first
license have first choice of locality, no
other similar place to be located nearer
than -four or six hundred yards of him.
The second license to have second choice,
and so on. ID, Sell in the same way the
right to keep three, four or more gam
bling saloons, the same to be watched
over, regulated and guarded by the pO-
lice. Sd, License, in like manner, ten
brothels, to be regulated as are similar
places in Germany, and in other countries
on the continent of Europe. Concerning
the latter powers it is proper that an argU-
hAI4N aLtAAA 10 AAlAADa AAUN nAD !
ALL INEQUALITIES
improper and should not be tolerated or
allowed In a perfect society. But as I can
see no chsnce whatever Of practically
suppressing them-as they Wil continue
TO exist whether we like it or uOt-thsn
the next best remedy is 90 tax them heav-
lily, make those people who will indulge
their vicious tastes, pay roundly
for the privilege. A whole book,
and q big one at that, could be written
both for and against the reforms
evoked, examples cited and prscedents
brought forward from various cities Of the
old world, both in Europe and Asia, but I
do not think il necessary or requisite to
elaborate the subject further; iuasmuch
as 1 know that I am talking 20 business
men upon a plain, practical business sub
Ject. All that l ask is that you clear the
matter Of ali other influences, and view il
coolly and deliberately from a business
stand point. Let each man in considering
the question, place himself in the position
Of sole owner OF the city, and then proceed
TO reason as to what he would then do.
If be can save by suppressing the
PRESENT EXTRAyAGANT COUNTY POOR
HOUsE
lin which less than a dozen individuals
are supported to the tune Of nearly SlCO.-
eNe ~ M Do ~ ~ "a "a W % 4 u
NIT no personal sentiments to have a
place. Stay the useless officials without
fear or remorse. We pick up q poor dis
essed beggsr from the gutter, o support
him for q little more than $50 per month,
whilst to another beggar, of 8 different
character, but of nc more importance to
the commonwealth, We give $4,000 a year.
There is no reason, no common sense no
economy and no charity in such a prOce-
dure. One worthless, nOn-prOducing
consumer Is Of no more consequences than
another. The one has been reduced to his
position of mendicanCv by misfortune
and disease; the other by his own act
both, to speak
TRUTHFULLY n PLAINLY,
beggsrs, and should be treated ex-
actly alike.
Another thought occurs The thirst for
office, and the hunting it up, ruins too
many promising men. Would it not,
therefore, be a good plan TO fill as many
offices as possible for life, or during the
good behavior of the incumbent land
thus put an end 70 the horde of hungry
after place. End the business for
Dncs and forever, and give notice that the
business Of holding public Office had been
wound up. W. G..
SALE of the Brinkley Lots, on monthly
payments of $40, on Wednesday.
HOSIERY st g sscrsfce at the Southern
Palace. Ladies should not fail to examine
price hosiery now exposed for sale on
he cheap table. &