Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-30
II EMPHTS APPEAL
MOXDaY MORNING, DEC. 80, 1879.
uo y no. DISPOSE az MAYOR JOHN
SRE

When our worthy Mayor was first in
Quoted into Office, he gathered about
him several of the best citizens of Mem
phi and asserted his purpose to restore
the city's credit. They Endorsed his pa
Pc and gave him money enough to be-
gin he cash system. He Telentlessly
rel ldiated the contracts and scrip of his
pr decessors, thus dishonOring and de-
gr ling the fame of the corporation.
b, money he was after, and be secured
il. He paid interest, and his first term
wss satisfactory, SO far as it was and is
a. .crstood. His second term was won
o. tatements madeof the financial con-
dixon Of Memphis, published, and never
di- approved by him, which have been
fol nd wholly false in results. He pays
NJ hing and repudiates everything, as he
eli 5oses. A member of the Council did
caltse to be passed a demand for de-
tai ed exhibit Of the condition Of the
city's finances, but it has never been
given. In fact the people began todOubt
the accuracy of accounts when it be-
came necessary in the Mayors eyes to
remove Mr.. Comptroller Shepherd, whose
honesty and capacity were never ques-
toned, and substitute a mere youth
honest as anybody, no doubt, but hard
" fit to resist instructions from theeity's
chief magistrate. The extraordinary
transactions with the exploded
City Bank would not have occurred,
perhaps, if an independent comptroller
held the keys to the treasury, and this
last affair, involving city coupons at
Nashville and recent trades with
another bank, involving ten thousand
dollars, should all be investigated. 1t
is certainly most astonishing that af.
ter repudiating all obligations of his
predecessors, and failing to pay inter-
est, it is surely most astonishing that
the city is reduced to such terrible
straits for money. Would it not be
hest for the people to have the whole
concern put in bankruptcy and
wound up? 1t grows worse
and worse from day 20 day, and if this
man johnson continue in power
through the year not only viii the pub
JIG schools be destroyed, but the city's
credit will be so utterly wrecked that
any future plans for promoting ends Of
public prosperity viii be utterly impOs-
siJle of execution. Worse and worse,
from day to day grows our condition.
Narrower and narrower becomes the
area Of our trade and the stupid blum
derer who reigns never in any speech or
official paper has ever even alluded
most remotely to the greatest neeessi-
ties of a commercial community. No
city ever boosted of such Mayor, He
i unparalleled. Without a precursor,
be does not intend to have a
successor. He has so disgraced
BIS Office by compOunding with whore
dom and gambling bells, and by un-
blushing Reputation Of contracts that,
in addition to wrecking the city's for
tunes, he has destroyed its decent fame.
There was never such a calamity befel
this people as the thorough misappre-
tension Of the character, capacity and
worth of this man johnson, Of which we
We're the victims, with the masses Of our
People. There is but one remedy for the
wrong done, and this consists primarily
il confessing it, and then in securing,
through the action Of the coming Legis-
lature, the creation of a new govern
ment for Memphis.