The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-01-23
The Ce.ainx Cisy Elecsis..

Editor F7or;diaa Az the time for our city
election Is near at hand. Il behooves every good
citizen who has,prosperlty interest to be affected
or who has the welfare and prosperity OF the city
at heart to interest and exert himself In order to
secure for the coming year an administration Of
live, energetic, progressive men. possessed Of
vim and public spirit who viii zee that each
official does his duty, that the ordinances are
strictly and impar,ially enforced, and that our
beautiful city takes step forward In material
progress, instead OF retrograding lyear BY year
until the appearance of her streets aud lanes is =
reproach to the Capitol city of Florida.
1t is not the purpose of this communication to
find fault with the acts, or impugn the motives
Of any particular Official but merely to call at
tention to few needed reforms which must
be patent to every observing citizen.
First, note the dilapidated condition Of most
of our sidewalks, some of them absolutely un-
safe after dark. II the writer IL not mistaken,
we have an ordinance requiring each property
owner to make and keep Ia repair the sidewalks
bordering on his or her property; and upon fail
ure neglect to do this after due notice by the
Marshal, Il is made the duty of that official to
have the necessary repairs done at the expense
of the said owner. Why is not this ordinance
| enforced? Only to-day your correspondent saw
tripped upon broken and projecting plank In
| sidewalk in the business portion of Monroe
street. In order to become aware of the condi-
ton of our streets il is only necessary to take q
| stroll around the city and observe the gulles
| and washes. the rotten bridges in various quar-
| ters and the unsightly quagmire in front of the
| ST. James Hotel.
Now, as before stated, it is not the intention Of
the writer to censure either the street committee
| or the street contractor, for the simple reason
| that he does not know who is to blame, but the
| conclusion is unavoidable that some one is ne
glecting plain duty. In former years the street
| contractor fold Tom Neary) set out each year a
number OF shade trees, besides trimming and car
| ing for those already growing. Is anything of
this kind ever done now?
What other Capital City in the Union would
| tolerate for moment the dsgraceful and dis
! gushing tin shanties which stand out in all
| their hideOus defOrmiiy along our public thor
oughfares, and whose naked ugliness, am told,
| is soon to embellish page Of" Harpers," a jest
and by-wOrd to strangers, and a lasting shame
to those who permit their existence. 1t is said,
and truly, that these blemishes to the landscape
stand upon private lots" Suppose they do,
are they not public eye-soreS and nuisances
Would they not be adjudged such by any reason
| able court, and is there any law which allows q
property-Owner to permit such to exist upon his
premises?
Another much needed improvement is pub
Tic market house. Ihe necessity Tor this Is SO
| obvious that / will not encroach upon your
| space TO discuss it, except to say that such a
building is source of revenue TO the city, and
that the market laws and regulations cannot be
| fully enforced without one. 1t is a matter of
much doubt in the mind Of your correspondent
whether the City Marshal, as er-o6cto market
clerk, has p right to collect fees from butchers
and others for recording the marks and brands
of CATTLE &c, long as the city does not furnish
a market house as prescribed in the market Or
| dinances.
| One great cause for the decline in our city
affairs of late years has been that our most prom
inent citizens, those paying the heaviest city
taxes, and those whom one would presume
would be most deeply interested in securing
| good government, seem absolutely to take the
least interest in our elections, neither attending
town meetings nor exerting themselves and
cheering others by giving their personal presence
| and example on election days.
| Pardon me, MIR. Editor, for having trespassed
| so tar upon your space, and allow me, in concu-
sion, TO appeal to all classes of your citizens re-
gardlese of color or politics, to sink all personal
and minor considerations aud combine in the
coming election for the purPuse ef see.-;as tho
services of such men as have referred to.
|