Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-29
The Gathering at Cochran Hall ON Sat-
Urday Night-Spe6ches Of Messrl.
Lewis, Randolph and Shaw.
What the Radical Dictator Knows About
Our Municipal Afairs-GraRt's
Wishes TO be 0beyed.
Threats Of Congressional and Executive
Tyranny Unless Hemphis Votes
the Radical Ticket Entire.
City Attorney Randolph Shows his Hand
for the First Time, and Plays Strong
Radical Cards for his Office.
Ed, Shaw, the Great COlOred Orator and
Candidate for Wharfmasier, Pat
rOnizes the eIrlsh-"COme,
Love, Come"

Candidate for Wharfmasier, Pat
rOnlzes the Irish-"COme,
Love, Come"
A meeting was held Saturday evening to
listen 10 speakers in the intsDsst Of tho Re
ance was large, the hail being well filled,
there being between three hundred and fifty
and four hundred persons present. On the
platform were seated Hon. Barbour Lewis,
General r. F. Patterson, Dr.. q ainby, Mr.. p. NJ.
Winters, state Senator Clayton, Of Mississippi,
aud Mr.. John League. Tne audience com
prised all classes in the community, the white
folks greatly predOminating over the colored
persons present
CALLED To ORDER.
Captain 5. s. Garrett called the meeting 10
order, and said the hour at which the meet
ing had been called had arrived, and he had
much pleasure in nominating General W. J..
smith az chairman. The nomination was
introduced General Smith TO the audience,
and he was received with applause.
REMARKS OF GENERAL SMITH.
General Smith said be thanked his fellow
citizens present for the honor they had done
him in calling him that evening 10 preside
over this very respectable meeting. lnaS-
much, however, as most OF the gentlemen
present had heard him speak on several Occa-
sious he would not now detain them. They
hac met 10 hear other speakers, and as he OBJ
served one Of the gentlemen present who was
their time, but announce as the first speaker
Mr.. W. n. Randolph. he had, therefore,
much pleasure in Introducing Mr.. Randolph
10 the audience. lApplause.l
SPEECH OF Mr.. RANDOLPH.
Mr.. Randolph, on coming forward, was cor
dially received. He spoke TO the following
effect:
FELLow-CITIzENs- has Just passed
through most terrible EgDurEe. but there Is
no occasion TO be discouraged or respondent.
II We are only true 10 our interests, all will
Vet be well. II may be years before we have
another epidemic, or we may never have an
other such we have Just passed through.
The future can only determine what is in store
for US. But we must not stand idle, and su-
plnely await the good or evil that is TO come
We must do cur part like men, ana we must
have th6 courage to trust i'm plicitly in the
providence Of God. Instances are not want
ing from which we may derive hope. The
great plague which occurred in London in
l56i, in which twelve Thousand died in one
week four thousand IN one night and
one hundred thousand altogether, has
had no successor. The yeiiOw-fever first made
It's appearance at Philadelphia IN l559r and
com Lnltted great raVages- II ragged there with
unparalleled violence in 1862 In I7gj IL spread
great devastation, carrying OF several thou
sand persons. It appeared at Philadelphia IN
lsO2. II ragged most awfully at New York in
l5yl- But Philadelphia and New York are
now considered exempt from the dread cpl
demic, and London no longer fears the vista
tiOn Of 8 plague. May we not hope that
Memphis will be equally fortunate? Still,
] have ust said, we must do our duty. God
prOSpers those who lay their shoulder to the
wheel. We have health ordinance, fall in
its details, taken from the ordi-
nances in other cities, which have tested
the practical operation Of its provisions.
Our board of health consists of the mayor,
chief OF police and three physicians, to be
nominated 0y the mayor by ana with the
advice Of the general council. The salaries Of
the Officers amount TO four thousand two
hundred dollars, and the system cortemplated
DV the ordinance ought 10 De carried INFO
operation al cost 10 the city Of not exceed
ing fifteen thousand dollars per year. II is
not 70 be expected that the health ordinance
viii keep epidemics away. We may still
have them. But its proper execution must
diminish the sources Of ulseaTe Of every type,
besides adding very greatly TO the beauty and
comfort OF our city. The mayor and general
council just going out, recognizing the fact
that ne incoming admlnlSi ration W1ll be held
responsible for the success or failure OF
the board OF health, have wisely LETT
the appointment OF the physicians 10
board TO the next may or and general
council. Now, feel authorized to.Say for MI.
League that be Will use his best efforts to In
sure faithful execution or the health orul-
nance and such Improvements in ii as expert
ence NAV show TO be for the good of the city.
In doing his duty in this respect am sure ne
will receive, a. he Cught to receive, the sup
port and active cooperation OF every good
ciUiZen- All are interested in preserving the
public health. AL suffer by epidemIcs, the
Door most, because they have not the means
OF seeking safety elsewhere. At the same
time that We are 10 carry out all reasonable
measures calculated 10 protect US from dis
ease, We are not to forget oar circumstances
nor OyertaX our ability. A system OF sewer
age is certainly desirable. Its advantages
are 20 numerous that they need not be men
toned. We all agree that we should have
sewers. But how are We 70 Obtain them? We
must, Of course, pay for them, and how are
we to do that? Our charter gives us no power
70 levy special tax for the construction Of
sewers. The power TO levy tax for general
purposes Is limited 10 one per cent and the
general tax so levied has been in the past,
and must, for cOnsiderab bic time to come, be
required 10 defray the expenses necessa lily
incurred in administering the ordinary affairs
OF the city. Il is true that the people, by a
vote, may authorize the Issuance OF bonds to
be used for the building Of sewers. But no
one interested IN the city can desire that 70 be
done. The bonded debt is already more than
four million dollars, while the whole
taxable property Is only about twenty-five
million dollars. II requires an annual tax
sufficient 70 realize two hundred and forty
thousand dollars 10 pay the interest on the
bonds already outstanding. Besides, our
ponds are worth in the market but little over
fOrty-flye cents, IL that much, and the average
price for the past six years has not exceeded
nifty cents on the dollar. 10 build system OF
sewerage Will require probably two million
dollars IN money, and 10 viii be necesS .ry 10
issue not less than i've million dollars OF bonds
10 realize that sum. II we had no other i'm
provement 10 make, We could not afford TO in
cur this debt for services. When we look at
our worn out pavemeuts, that must be re-
placed within the next two years, or we will
be lost In the mud, all thought OF the
issue Of bonds % build sewers must be neg
lected. But as mafJFr of economy even II
we are in q condli .' sue bonds to build
sewers we can no. .iI. ..a %. Experience has
taught us that IL cost two and three times aS
much 20 have work cone, 70 be paid for in
bonds, as IL does when IL is paid for in money.
u is better 70 levy a tax specially TO build
sewers, and to expend II as collected, and not
to incur any debt. In that case we are pretty
sure TO get the value OF what we pay for. II
Is true that we viii have TO apply 10 the legis-
lature for a law authorizing US to levy the tax,
and that IL VIII be some time before we can
get such a law. But we can afford TO walt,
and, in the meantime rely upon our surface
adequate for most purposes), and a
proper execution OF the health ordinance.
Our psvenents, as already remar rked, must be
replaced. Upon what plan. ~ with what ma
terial that is 10 be done, or how they are 10 be
paid for, are questions that viii address them
selves to the next mayor and general council,
aud VIII peri lex them no little TO answer. But
OF one thing you may rest assured, and that
is that the burden is TO fall upon the people,
so heavy, indeed, that no other debt ought TO
be incurred or thought OF, until a plan is fallen
upon and the means set apart for providing
US with pavements. There are many mprOye-
ments that must be made, and many repairs
that cannot be dispensed with. II ought 70 be
56s P9isy oi do e bs, incoming % RscsesT sd
first, and to do IL upon a substantial and
economical plan. II, after these things, that
are absolutely necessary, ale done, the means
are at hand 70 DO something further, then
that which is calculated 10 benefit the city
most should be done next, and other things in
order. But we cannot afford 10 pile up any
more debt. Already all the taxable property
OF the city has a lien upon il, or, in other
words, IS InOrtgagad for more than one-flfth Of
its value. We cannot collect from the taxes
at least We have not been able 10 do so
enough 70 pay the current expenses
OF administering the city government
and the interest on the debt already
outstanding. Taxation is as high the peo-
pie can vel bear: Tor general purposes, one
per cent for interest on existing debt, one
per cent; Tor refunding sums paid for Nicol-
son and stone pavements, seVen-tenths Of one
per cent; for paving the Judgment in favor
OF I. z Brown, seNen-tenlhS OF one per cent?
cent; and for sinking fund, one-hfth OF one
per cent, making altogether three
and nine-tenths per cent, besides
taxation for state and county purposes, and
is surely taxation enough. Higher taxation
must deter the emigration Of capital and
labor, as well as prove disastrous to the inter
esis OF our population. Therefore, we must
incur no new debt unnecessarily, a.
Win IL an increase Of taxation.
But II no further debt is created, the finances
OF Tie city will soon be comparatively easy
The hoating debt is comparatively small, not
dollars. II the taxes already assessed ana due
were paid up, the city could pay OF the fiost-
ing debt tonight, and have a surplus OF sew
eral hundred thousand dollars in the treas
ury. since Mr. johnson came INTO tne once
Of mayor, he has pursued the policy Of paying
of the debt. He has decreased the floating
debt more than a half million dollar,
no scrip has been issued, the tax 3
have have been collected in money, and the
IN money. In this way all that the city
has bought, aud all the work that IL has had
done, have been obtained at q fair price. q nu
their services. and have not been compelled
10 suffer rutnOus discounts in order TO obtain