Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-05
THE FIRST GUN.
Mr.. Norris Takes the Stump and
Tells What He Knows About Mayor

Morris addressed the people of Nashville at
the Markes House last night. There was
an immense crowd ia attendance, thereby
plsin'y indicating the fact that our citizens
are deeply Interested as to who shall spend
The e tvs money during the neSs year, and
how that money shall be spent.
Shortly after O'Clock, Mr.. Morris took
the stand, and began by saying be had sent
word to his competitor, Mayor Kercheval,
of his intention to speak at this time, and
had notified him to be present, and he
hoped be was present.
A Voiee-He is not here.
Mr.. Mortis-In that C se, l will make
my remarks more brief than would if be
were here. ] am again before you, fellow
citizens, as a cand date for the office of
Mayor of his city, in obedience to the re-
quest Of few of my friends, aud in accord
ance with my own wishes. l am ware, gen.
tlemen, that many of you would prefer some
one else. saw an article in the paper few
days ago, sayine ave don't want Morris
we want young America" lou want a
man who will mount tie engine, th-oT
open the thIottle.vslve, take off the brak
and say ''Let her rip" Gentlemen, if you
want such man, you do not want Morris.
L succeeded such a man when was elected
Mayor in 1869. He had done these things
and had we'll nigh bankrupted your c ity. l
have waited patiently for that man who
would better suit the wishes of the people
to come out, but be has OF come ont, and
now the time for waiting is past.
BACKWARD GLANCE.
Take the position Of the city government
on the 1st of October, 1869. We had a
"Youug America" for Mayor. lie had
turned on the throttle valve and had taken
off the brakes, and we found at the time |
have mentioned debt Of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars heaped upon US. We found
thai checks amounting to not much less
than 81, 400, 900 had been iSsued--for what
purpose no one knows. We found iudg-
ments hanging over the city and your prop
erty advertised for sala. Your fire depart
ment, your waterworks, your school houses,
your everything called "property" was ad,
vertised for sale, and was in the hands of
the officers, and they were sold and knocked
down to the highest bidder.
Such was the condition of sffA'rs when
came into office in 1869, and saw at once
that retrenchmeDt and reform must be the
order of the day, I Immediately sought the
gin that work by
REDUCING THE SALARIES
of all city officers that could be reduced,
and l requested them 20 begin with me, by
cutting OFF the perqaisites of the Mayors
office, (and the perquisites amount TO as
much as the salary, If not mcre.) The
salaries were reduced, and we saved the
city $4,000 that year in that way. We
saved money in other ways, and during the
three years we had paid $625,000 Of the
city debt, and had not contracted a new
debt Of single dollar. Applause,
Mr.. Kercheyal is no doubt very clever
man, but he has not run the city govern
ment as economically as he should During
his administration he has paid, OF the old
debt, S13S, l50.2I. His expenditures up ID
the present time are S37l,9 41, and be has
collected 1895, 064 So, but notwithstanding
the condition of the city finances, 1 believe
we can go ahead and make improvements.
1 do not belong to tie sold fogies" at all. 1
claim to be "Young America" tut can
not be progressive when have fifty pound
ball hung to one foot, and ham-struDg in
the her; [Lsughter1 but such was my
condition when was Mayor Of the city.
HIS POLICY.
My policy, if elected, would be to make
improvements in the city as rapidly as pos
sible, and with proper and economical man
agement Of the peoples money. Many i'm
provements could be made, and my best eff
forts shall be given towards making those
improvements.
Ihsves
BILL OF INDICTMENT
a0cipet Tny POr1nntitOr Ha said in hfc
first message to the City Connci that be
found the streets, alleys and sidewalks of
the city in fearful condition. At the ex-
that the expenditures in the
street department have been considerably
increased, and yet the condition of our
streets is as bad as when he was elected
Mayor.
He called an extra session Of the City
Coun ii for the PURPOSE Of considering q
proposition which consider as destructive
to the best interes of he city, mean the
proposition made by the gas company to
give $4,000 of their bonds for relinquisl-
ment by the the city of its reserved righs
TO purchase their gas works, the city to
grant them exclusive rights to the streets
for 80 years. l know that the new gas
company had already secured TOD nsmes OF
persons who had agreed to take gas from
them, which gas was to be furnished at
about 80 per cent. less than we
are now paying. And this comps-
ny would have expended hundreds of
thousands of dollars 10 your midst, giving
employment to large number Of men.
Ghe speaker then charged tho Mayor
with having violated ths law when be
countermsnded the orders given oy the city
marshal to the hackmen of the city TO keep
away from IN front Of tn Maxwell with
their hacks, with violating the law by re-
leasing prisoners from the woIk-house with
out examining into the charges upon VII ch
they were confined, aud also with violating
the law By not remaining at the police sta
ton the night the policemen were shot.
He then reviewed his official acs in the
when be claimed so represent
the county OF Lincoln, notwithstanding
the fact that the people Of Lincoln county
never elected him IS their representative.
At the close Of Mr.. Morris address,
Mayor Kercheval was loudly called for,
but did not respond.