Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-25
THE CIVIC CAMPAIGN.

Unusual importance attaches to the
conf 70 city election for the reason that
the Mayor and one.half of the City
Council viii hold for two years. This
year there viii be a long term Council
man and a short term Councilman to
elect from each ward. In the first, third,
fifth, seventh and ninth wards, the
Aldermen will be elected for two years,
while in the second, fourth, sixth,
eighth, and tenth, they viii be elected
for one year. After the new system
is thus set on foot, all members Of the
City Council viii henceforth be elected
for twO-year terms, only half going out
of Office each year. One object of this
law is to secure the benefits that result
from experience and familiarity with
the duties of the trust, as the city legis-
lature viii, by this device, always en-
brace a large membership Of one or
more years experience.
1t looks like work of supererOga-
tion;to urge upon the good people Of
Nashville the need and necessity for
attending next Fridays primaries, and
securing good men for delegates and
candidates. By years Of close economy,
We have madeJsome progress rather
slow, but still encouraging-in the
work of reducing the mountain of mu-
nicipal debt piled up on the city imme-
diately after the war by Radical dis
reimbursement, misrule and corruption.
One term of such rule now would de-
feat all the labcred efforts of economy
during these past tedious years, and
swamp us again in the slough of Rad
cal profigacy and bankruptcy.
The good management Of city affairs,
and the decrease of our burdens, is a
matter that personally interests every
taxpayer, every rent-payer. every
working man, and all dependent on his
Ia Dor. Heavy taxes increase rent.
Heavy taxes hinder the natural growth
of the city. Heavy taxes bear bard on
merchants. Heavy taxes make men Of
money slow to build factories and cot
tages, furnishing at once both work
and homes for the laboring classes. In
1866, Nashville was on the tidal wave
of lustful growth and expansion. Al
den's check mill and soup houses, and
general tax-eating devices soon stop
ped the good work. We have, as a
city, taken a fresh start, as is eVidenc-
ed by the activity of the building trades
this season in spite Of the hard times.
Shall we invite another setback, by
neglecting our city affairs.
Of one thing rest certain: Our enc
mics are active. Those who look with
gloating eyes on the city government
as a big bonanza to be worked for pri'
vate greed and personal profits, are
keen on the scent of power, Thesewiu
Zoe at the ward meetings, laying their
pipes, If good citizens are not. The
only sure way to circumvent them IS
for the honest people to be on hand to
watch their antics and defeat their
plans by concerted action. We have
the power Of numbers, overwhelming.
Honesty, thank God, Is still in the vast
majority. All we lack is a little en-
ergy, a manly assertion of our rights
over our own affairs. There need be
no occasion for selecting either
as delegates or candidates, any men OF
doubtful antecedents or dubious IN
tentions. We have an abundance OF
material from which to select-earnest,
able. sincere men-whose candidacy
will be satisfactory to all except, per-
haps, the schemers they defeat.
Let the work be done, and well
done.