Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The California erase.

have, your criticisms would have been
much stronger than they have been.
We only see and hear but one side of the
question from the advocates Of that
State. You hear nothing cheering from
the laboring classes. 1t is only from
such men as Mr.. Gift and other interest
ed parties that such glowing accounts
are written up. Why, l tell you, sir,
and l speak from experience, there Is
not county in West Tennessee that is
not superior in advantages for labortng
man than almost any portion OF Calltor-
mia. ] left California in 1861. Even as
early as that date the surface-mining OF
the entire State was almost entirely
worked out, and the only mines that
were paying were worked by heavy cap
italists. Most Of the mining is now done
by costly machinery, owned by joint
stock companies. 1t is simply absurd
for a man to expect to make money at
this day in California by working the
mines without q heavy capital, and Mr..
Gift knows it. Sir, every Californian
will tell you that there are numbers OF
once-tbriving villages, Of from one to
-four thousand inhabitants, that are now
entirely deserted, some of them not even
containing Chinaman. And such is
mines. AS to the climate and health OF
the State, it has no superior, it is glo-
rious country to live in. But to the poor
man, who has to work for his living,
would say, stay away. There is not
State in the Union where there is so
many poor people according to popula-
ton. Why, sir, you will see more
strapped" men in California in one day
fl,o, in 10
length of the State of Tennessee.
The State is overrun with Cinnamon,
the cheapness CT whose labor white
men cannot compete with. There is
not five acres of good agricultural land
in one body vacant in the Stat
All through the Sierra Nevad' AM
coast range mountains every little val
ley is taken up or owned by somebody.
There is plenty of vacant government
land in the State, but it is useless for
all purposes with the single exception OF
grazing. Mr.. Gift knows this to be the
case. Ask him if there il an acre of
vacant land in Napa valley, or further
on to Clear lake, or still further on to
Russian river. What good land there
is has long since been taken up and set
tied upon; still the country is thinly in
habited. l have seen men in Napa val
ley, fifteen years ago, anxious to work at
twenty to twenty-five dollars per month.
After harvest is over there is no work to
be had ID the agricultural counties for
six months, save chance jobs OCCASION
ally. Mr.. Gifts figures read well on pa
per, but if he will admit the truth he
will say there is more lOafers in San
Francisco than all West Tennessee to-
gether, and more beggars than in the
whole of our State. These are facts,
Messrs. Editors. | was a resident of
that State for nine years. l have not
written this for publication, but for the
purpose of UNFOLDING you in the right. l
do not want my countrymen misled by
false reports. Tell the people of Tennes-
see to remain where they are, or at least
to avoid the Il will say California
fraud" And you may tell those wish
ing information in regard to that State
to confer with me, and i can tell them
rs much as Mr.. Gift, and probably more
10 their interest. Excuse me for occu-
pying so much of your time.
V. t. M'CATHEN.
JACKSON, TENN, July 5, 1875
- New and Old Debts.
EDITORS APPEAL-You will excuse |
my intruding upon your time and space |
10 express my views about the proposed
new way to pay old debts-a subject |
the whole community, and |
should start the path to arguments into |
which every citizen in and arouGd the |
,ity of Memphis should participate. |
Great magnitude rests upon but one |
question for the people to solve, and that /
8, whether or not the old or new debts
he city legally made and honestly owes
hall be paid. On this the popular view
hould be expressed, and wsrd.meetings
leld for the discussion and ventilation
# that subject, so that the people, by
rec ballot, may make definite settle
Iement of said question, and the sooner
ettled the better it will be for the city.
n her present condition she has to pay
Iouble, and often treble, its value for
whatever she purchases, and to which
he is morally and religiously bound,
or she must furnish supplies to nourish
nd assuage the sick, feed the prisoners
nd horses, maintain sanitary regu-
atoms, and keep the streets and bridges
q good repair. The city must expect to
ay high prices and meet with impedi-
nents in successfully managing her az
airs so long as speculators' rings and
surers shall keep their sway over the
estinies of the city. She must be
elieved of these endorsements, and
be speedier the better, for no material
elief can for years be expected from the
economy practiced by the present ad-
Statistics from last year
how that by a higher taxation and more
lcome than can be expected this year,
he city expended one hundred and thir-
y-seven thousand seven hundred and
leven dollars and thirty-nine cents,
lore than her income; and it will re-
uire the most stringent husbandry to
etrench to that amount, which is a
work, and if successfully car
led out by the administration, they will
lerit more praise than any ever did be-
IRE; and assumed that the administra-
on, by their determination, are success
Il, will as yet not save one penny to
ay off old debts with, and lessen the b.
aymenL of interest. The provision
lade by the wise legislature for the city
4 the charter is either reputation or to
Triangle the creditors into eternity, or
qually as good, for it requires forty
Inc years and half to pay the bonded
and the allowance for the
interest due on all sources must not fall
hort of at least two hundred and forty
r fifty thousand dollars annually. Add
} the shortcoming compound interest,
nd when will westop? Thelegislature
ould rot possibly have intended to in
Jude bonds, coupons, Judgments, and
Their floating debts due prior to the pro-
OF the present charter. Their
Iaims having priority could
ertainly not be abridged by |
.ter legislation, nor could
w be just that prefers one creditor to
mother, except on living necessities.
ut should the legislature have done so
they and their advisers
ave Inflicted the greatest injury on the
ty, and also opened door for great {
for he that will grease best
ill be paid first, which will force every 1
ne having claim on the city to pro-
ire judgments, executions, naGndamlS-
;. etc, at the expense of the city, be-