Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-06
raE MOVING oAusE oF TEE aEpEAI-

ministratiOn of the city government. to-
gether with the afiiction incident To ter
rible epiden,ics which have visited them
in the past few years, they fnG them
selves overwhelmed with debt of more
than five millions For years past their
taxes have heen high, amounting 10 al
most confscation, and now, to avoid
this debt, they have resorted to the des-
perate remedy of calling upon the legis-
lature TO abolish their city government,
and their request has been granted. Mem
phls is no longer a city, has no city gov
ernment, and the territory upon which it
IS located is remanded back to the State
70 provide means for its government.
How are the people to escape the payment
OF their debts by means SO desperate and
so humiliating2 Can the legislature thus
wipe out the rights Of creditors2 Would
1t not have been wiser and better and
more honorable to appeal to the creditors
Of the city for a compromise, which
would certainly have been granted, and
BY that means discharge the debit
Knoxville Chronicle.
The Chronicle shows more liberal
and cOnsiderate feeling for Memphis
in her multiplied misfortunes than
some who are nearer home and should
have an interest in the welfare of the
place. We will state for the informa-
ton of the Chronicle and other fair
minded papers and people, that every
possible appeal to the creditors of
Memphis has been exhausted and al
most made in vain. Mayor Flippin
secured the passage of funding act
at the last legislature and has spent
nearly all the time since trying to
effect a compromise of our bonded
debt. A portion of the debt was
funded, but this gave no relief. One
mandamus followed another so closely
that there was no breathing spell, and
the people were driven to the verge of
ruin and despair. We are assured by
number Of the leading merchants Of
the city that if the remedy sought by
surrendering the charter prove fail
are and the old government is fastened
upon us by the creditors through the
courts, they will leave the place with
whatever means they can collect to-
gethOr, and locate elsewhere. Ono
prominent merchant stated this morn
ing chat his firm paid in taxes $500
last year, while in noighboring city,
which henamed, anda largerplace than
this, the same business would only be
required TO pay privilege tax of S2j.
And such is the condition Of our
streets that yesterday the drays Of
this firm could not get to their cotton
shed. Is il any wonder that tho cap.
ital, the skilled labor aud the young
energies of Memphis are about to be
transferred to more inviting fields? 1t
Is to avert this calamity aud to redeem
Memphis that this bold experiment
has been entered upon. It's warmcst
friends may not be enthusiastic for it
is very serious matter. No great en-.
terprise or undertaking was ever ac-
complished without taking risks and
Overcomingiformidable dificulties.' Q
hope to be able to convince the public
abroad if not the iconoclants and oh
structionists at home, that the spirit
ofrepudiation is unknown in this move
m9nt. We have been driven to this last
dire and humiliating resort by a set
Ofrelentless creditors, but still propose
to meet all just debts to the oxtent Of
our ability. Memphis has paid mil
lions in the past without complaining,
and has nothing to show for it except
few miles Of rotten, pestilence-
breeding Nicolson pavement, which
was literally conceived in sin and
brought forth in iniquity. The prompt
taxpayers have, in many instances,
been forced to pay from three to five
times on the same special debt. There
has been no rest from mandamuses for
years, except during the yellow fever
period When that plague passed
away the other one returned. Then il
was that men who had given
this matter serious thought for
years came to the conclusion that
it was better TO surrender the charter
than to abandon the city to the comor-
ant, 1.-THE bittern and the owl " The
past due city taxes amount to nearly
s2,0O)000, and there are some other
assets. The delinquent taxpayers are
generally such from necessity and not
from choice, and in any adjustment
that may be made by the legislature
or agency appointed by the State, We
hope this class will not be driven and
nailed to the wall. All penalties should
be romitted and the people permitted
TO settle in part at least with any and
all kinds of valid evidences oil
CITY Indebtedness. Thus the pco
pie would DO enabled to extricatc
themselves from an unfortunate posi-
tion, aud at the same time tue creditors
would receive a portion Of what they
claim, perhaps as much as their claims
originally cost thom with interest
added. This is as much as tho people /
are able or ought to pay, aud is more
than could have Been collected undor
tho old charter in the next ten years