American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-22
Gurley to the People.

Proposing myself as q candidate for the ONCE
OF Mayor at the ensuing city election. proceed.
as heretofore minated, t. set forth the pYiu.
ciples by which l should be guided in the ad-
mnistraton of public affairs; but. as / propose
to run as a total reform candidate. the very per.
tinent question arises whether there are, or
have been, any maladministratiOn to reform and,
as prelimin ary to announcing my opinions of
what should characterize the officer who has the
public good in view, shall proceed to exam
inc this question.
Although it be a fact, that the results of the
war put practical end to Southern theories I'D.
on the political structure Of the Union vet We
ished that public offices were instituted for the
good Of the people. and that the incutn be nts
thereof should administer the laws of every kind
for the benefit Of the people. receiving only
just compensation therefor. But, not withstand
ing this plain and only sensible view of the sub.
ject, what has been the practice in most Of the
States. counties, cities and towns in the South
for the last seven eight years7 Why, this
principle has been entirely reversed-turned end
for end-and instead of public peace aud pros
perity being the desideratum, the practice has
been to see how much they could be 1eeced and
made to stand still; instead of seeing with how
little burden to the people the varions govern
ments could he administered. the practice has
been to see how much taxation could be possibly
extracted from them instead of rendering
just AND equitable compensation to the officer
tor his services. the practice has been to vote
him OutraReOusy exOrbItant salaries, and in
most cases Tor little or service performed in
stead Of q careful economy in public manage
ment. the most reckless and incon.iderate extra
vaGance has generally NAL ed their course
instead of holding Office for purposes of public
good, the practice has been self-aggrandzemen
and private emoument of those favoring the
rings; Instead of integrity in the dispensation of
public monies. the real question always under de-
bate was, how much can we plunder the public
and, keeping dark from them, save ourselves
from public odium and the pententiary. That
such has been the practice and management of
public affairs in the South generally for the last
seven years, the universal complaint and current
knowledge Of the day fully attest.
Well, Gurley, your general observations about
corruption in public officers, may be, to a
considerable extent, true. for we are reading
from day to day of such in the public prints; but
Ganton1 Well. sirs, it il my opinion that it has,
and short review will show. From March 1866,
to April 1873 is seven years-during this time
we have had sevtn regular annual assessments
and collections, besides n considerable revenue
arising from licenses, immercements and other
misceanes. the whole amounting to fully
hundred thousand dollars il not more.
/ now present the question to every thinking
mind. Has the annually recurring necessities Of
Canton required SO great an outlay as that sum
during the time stated And, il SO. has it been
fruits What is there to show for it Had there
been As many as four policemen during this whole
time IN the city's emplOy-twO perpetuAy on
duty, at an annual salary of seven hundred and
fifty dollars-had the streets cost egitimately
three thousand per annum. this would also be
twenty-one thousand dollars, and there would
lars. But the city has not been 30 policed nor
the streets SO worked. What, then. has become
of the money? will recite few items OF prof
ligate expenditure. by way Of answering this
question. When ourself lett the Mayors Office,
in November. 1865, We were receiving three hun
dred dollars per annum. We acted street
and that was what were paid
for. Our successor was relieved from all duties,
except of course judicial. and I'd which perqus-
ties were affixed and were paid instanter seven
hundred and hity dollars per annum, because
that amount. it was urged, was necessary to his
support. The next Mayor was paid the same
amount to attend to his farming interest about
eleven miles from Canton; the next was paid
the same amount for riding around the public
square once a week in his buggy, and once d
month through some other street in Canton; the
next was paid one Thousand and twenty dollars
per annum for rObbing the city OF all he could;
the next paid seventeen hundred dollars for
the first fourteen months of his Occupany of the
Office. three hundred doll of said being for
digest of the ordinances Of Canton which, with
no little self-cumplacency, he informed the Board
of Aldermen w, rlh five bundI ed dollars, but
that he would graciously consent to take the
modest sum of three hundred for; but said d. |
gest has proven to he perfect indigest, for there
was nothing digestable about 1t but the money
obtained for it. But l must hurry In 1867, q |
contract was made to keep the streets in repair |
three years. the contractor to receive $4,000 first
year. 50 900 the second year. and $1,000 the third
He spent in repairs the first year $500; and re-
ceived his $4,000; the second year he spent $500 |
" 5000 and received his $4,000; the board OF May
$500 to give up bis contract, and then employed |
and paid another person In the month of Novem-
Der $500 to do about one third of the work on
The streets needed at the time thus losing to the
,ity at least twenty-five hundred dollars, and
,aving the contractor that amount. Again, in
A ugust, 1870, the city had Il street commissioner
Who from the 23d of said month to March, 1871,
rev warrants for work done on streets amount
ng to 81 ,lS9, and could not show that he had
lone any or but very little work, by our infor.
nation, not more than could have been done for
wo three hundred dollars, very likely less.
And when this process of issuing warrants in
inch vast amounts. and for no purpose. leaked
'ut and the people began to murmur. the b GARD
dismissed him Wednesday night and tho
Mayor appeared in q card before the public, ex.
pressing most profound astonishmen5 that the
people should be comp aiming abo..t the street
receiving such vast amounts of
money, when there was such officer known to
he corporation! Ye heather gods and little
ishes
We must bring our present number to a close.
or ST. Paul said in recountng the great heroes
ecount all the Instances of public punder and
that has characterized the
government of this city since March, 1863, among
which will here mention the nice little sum OF
400 paid. without the shadow of authority, to
FIR. Searles. in part payment for surveying a
abroad from Vicksburg to this place the county,
With like authority, paying him 5000.
HOttentOts might not have done much better,
'ut could have done worse. Next week we
will resume.
A. NJ. GURLEY.
Canton, Feb. 20. 1873.