Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-12

THERE IS no denying the lacL Lnal
Memphis stands sorely in need Of gov
ernmeDtal reform. The number of I'M
neces sary officers and local legislatures,
an immense debt and a yearly iDcreas-
ing burden Of liabilities, all cry aloud
for reform. The people who work are
borne to the ground in their efforts to
support the office-holding classes, and
they will willingly hail any reasonable
measures OF relief. They will do any
thing but close the schools or curtail
them of their present efficiency, or sur
render their right to local selfgovern-
ment. Were they willing to
c)ncede these to any ciamor for reduc-
ton of expenses, however well-inten-
toned, they would deserve to be the
slaves Of one commissioner instead Of
three. But they are not willing. Bear
ing as they do the heaviest proportion
Of the tax burden, compelled as they are
from their necessities to pay most of the
exsctions Of government, they are alive
u their rights, and will not surrender
oae jot or little of them. They concede
the necessity for reform, as does the
APPEAL, but they do not think it is to
be had in the way suggested yesterday.
Were the State constitution what it
ought TO be TO satisfy the demands Of
modern effort aud community growth,
We might solve our diff ulties by a sys.
TEN OF government that would embrace
the city and county of Memphis, bat since
this cannot be done, they think, and we
suggest, that a committee, to be COM
posed Of representatives from the me-
chanic, banking, mercantile, insurance
and real estate, classes, should be select
Ell, who, with joint committee Of the
general council, should draw up an
amended charter, which, when ratified
by the people, should be presented to
the Legislature, with all earnest petition
for lis speedy passage. Such a charter
should provide for redistricling OF the
city in'o ten wards, appOrtioning each,
as nearly as possible, the same amount
OF territory; for board OF mayor and
aldermen, a each ward TO be represented
in the board in proportion to popula-
ton; the city register, at a salary Of
three Thousand five huadred dollars,
should be charged with the additional
duties of comptroller; the city treasury
ship should bt abolished, and the eollec-
ton of taxes should be imposed upon
the officer employed for that purpose by
the State and county; the police force
should be cut down, and the wages to
sum the city can aGjrd; so with
the firemen and the street force, and all
these should be placed under the control
and surveillance Of board OF three
commissioners, who should have charge
of all expenditures, ard rigidly and ex-
actingly confiue those expenditures to
the limit of budget Of expenses to be
presented to the board Of aldermen at
the beginning OF each year. These
commissioners should not be paid one
cent. By a system anproximating
this the present expenses of the city
might be cut down One-half-certainly
one -third-and that without once
trenching upon the sacred right
of local selfgOvernment. The
people are reasonable aud can
safely be entrusted with the manage
ment of their own affairs. Jealous of
their rights, they regard with suspicion
all efforts at reform, however well-di-
reeted, the carrying out of which will in
the least impair those rights. We trust,
therefore, they will beconsulted in what
ever is attempted of reform in our city
affairs. II they are ot,nOthing butigno-
minious defeat awaits such al attempt.
We say this in their behalf, knowing
them as well as We do, and we urge it
upon the good citizens who compose the
taxpayers association 70 defer to the
people, to take them into their conf
dence, and while labOring for reform
carefully refrain from any seeming even
of violence to those rights, the assaii-
meDt Of which in Louisiana by Grant,
through Sheridan, has aroused the peO-
Die Of the Union from oEe end Of it to
the ether.