The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-18
ALARMING INCREASE OF CITY IN.
DEFICIENCIES. ~

. "a rH r. Y. -Ef
r While our contemporaries are fearfully
deprecating the possibility of Republican
CITY Council and municipal government
generally, there are many taxpayers in the
city, irrespective of party, who are ear
nestly inspecting the financial exhibit made
by the present administration, if NOT rapid
" coming to the conclusion that change
for the worse cannot well be made. The
Mayor, in his late message to the City
Council, had prepared the public mind for
a close and rigid inspection of the public
accounts, when they should be presented,
and we publish to-day an accurate state
ment of the same, showing that since the
Enablng-Act Council came into power in
March 1870, they have increased the city
liabilities 81, 454, 1888, and that S624,-
1858 of this enormous sum has arisen
from an increase in general expenses
over and above the tax-levy to meet the
current city expenditures. The account as
made up shows an increase of the city debt,
in the time named, of 1914 1858 !; but
there is to be added to this the following
appropriations which have been made by
the Council, but not yet bonded, to wit
for general purposes 100000 six per
cents; for the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
road company 100000 six per cents !;
for the James River improvement 500, 900
eight per cents, and for the Free Bridge
$4,000 more, making the whole sum as
we have stated. baea F. ~ aisi Q. ls.a ~
No wonder that Mayor Kelley felt it his
duty to throw an anchor to the windward,
and denouuce, as he did in his message,
this reckless expenditure of the public
money. He says himself that the re-
cords of the Council will show that during
the past year measures nvolring the increase
of the public burdens by hundredsof thou
sands of dollars, hare passed that body
,sahoad more time in the consideration than
is expended upon matters of mere roatfine.o
And vet the people of Richmond are called
upon to keep substantially the same Coun-
Gil and the same city government in power,l
for fear that the STATE JOURNAL may
have occasion to "dub" some obscure but
honest individual !" Hon." or a colored
policeman may be seen by the Dispatch on
the street! Had this reckless expenditure
of the public money been made to fall
within the sum raised by the present high
rate of tax, there would be less occasion to
complain but when it comes to piling up a
bonded debt of between seven and eight
hundred thousand dollars year, or nearly
doubling the entire city Indebtedness in two
wears. it is high time the people looked
into the matter for their own personal
honor and safety. 81 r. -
The Dispatch pirates about the high char
acter and standing of the men composing
the Conservative" city ticket; but what
changes have been made upon that ticket
with view to any greater economy in the
management of our city affairs I? We an
swer. NONE. The same Council will yirtu-
ally have full swing; and we see no very
prodigious improvement in the complexion
of the city government likely to accrue
from dropping out the German clement
VIGOROUSLY, in our judgment, the honester
and most economical element of the two.
What the Republican party should now
do is manifestly clear ITO, every sensible
mind. 1t should nominate a clean city
ticket throughout, composed Of the best
and most competent men in the party and
it should adopt this rule in making the tick
et:-To reject .the name Of epey man ,oso
pushes himself for aposition, or alloaes his
friends to push him; and nominate only
those aolons The office seeks--aot those aoho
seek Aee6iee. If a man .clamors for posi-
ton on any such ground as that of color or
want of color, let him go to the wall ut once.
Honesty, integrity, competency, are the
qualifications to be considered other.
Make up ticket in this way, and with
these governing considerations in view, and