The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-10-21
Charleston, as Described BY the Mayor

A correspondent of the New York
Herald has Interviewed Mayor Cum
ningham, when lie. describes as "a pros
porous citizen, respected by all ranks" !"
and the Mayor gives some interesting
facts, as to the financial and political
condition of the city: 4. :.
"Charleston, said the Mayor, ''is not
an expensive city. 1t has a population
of over fifty thousand, q city debt of
about S5,OOO, ,000-none of which has
been incurred since 1.-The war, except
some funded interest of perhaps 500, 900
and it costs less than 500, ,0O0to carry
on the city government, Or, excluding
interest on the debt, about S4O0, 900. My
clerk will give you the items. We have
ninety policemen receiving ninety dol
lars month, the majority blacks. The
blacks make first-ciass police. There
has been no rioting since the war. Or
der is preserved habitually. Both races
are well behaved, The whites have
been prudent; the blacks have advanced
Incredibly in intelligence, selfarespect
and virtue. I have been presiding at
my eoGrt now for one year, and cannot
charge either race with worse conduct
than the other. They were equal in
morals while nearly equal in population
The trade and Improvements of the city
bear alofig well 8 & -
A Freetltaan's Bureau man, Mr.. Pills
bury, was our first Mayor. He was be-
lieved to be honest. The Conservatives,
Wagener, a German. The Germans,
tIo xyoo1kh opI froda horn thoU
Influenced some negro votes. On elec
ton day, the commercial class closed
their stores and went to work for self
preservation. Wagener was elected by
TT majority. He give positions to ne.
groes and whites, dhd we kept out
thieves of all parties until toward the
close Of his term, when there was some
disturbance. Then the Republicans
nominated, the candidates being Gen.
Gurney and E. w. NJ. Mackey. The
Ring desired to elect Gurney, .bnt find
ing he would not pull through, elected
me instead, against my will. was al.
ready county commissioner" ii..n5
The Mayor then gave as his opinion,
that Mackey, while a politician, pure
and simple, had not been either dishon.
est or tyrannical in office. Bowen, on
the contrary, was q desperate, or, as the
Mayor said, IA desperate coward. To
your face he is not belligerent,; behind
your back he scruples not to say or order
anything, and the machinery Of the law
he will use as if it were his private arse.
nal. The issue of Bowcn's coalition will,
the Mackeys was his return to Congress
There he gave plentiful offices to the
negroes, and greatly controlled theii
vote. Disgraced in Congress, he ran
seat Were refused to either, though both
were Compensated. He then stripped
for the sheriff's race, got the office. and
First, he demanded that the coroner
should surrender his customary right to
appoint the tonstabulary. This in.
censed the Logan negro faction. He
next worked his creature, ButtS, into
the solicitorship of the Charleston Dis,
trict. Butts," said the Mayor, was q
man of unknown origin and life, and
used to sleep among the detectives In
my office. With the assistance of the
Customhouse, G Bowen, controlled the
entire Charleston delegation in the
Legislature, and got reciprocal State
aid for their votes. The judge here feels
the fear Of him. Moses, the Governor,
desirous Of getting his old place Of speak
er of che Legislature, will not antag.
onize him. After Patterson's purchased
election to the United States Senate, the
new collector, Worthington cooperate
with. Bowen's scohort. Consequently,
sir, all parts of the system of organiza.
ton unite in Bowen's person; the. State
Ring, the, United States and the Charles
ton county government.