Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-19
MR.. JOHN R, GOODWIN

i NOhAbc, dAAecb oAo hAcoc SchticAACA AcAuo'
to sign the report. An APPEAL reporte
started out yesterday to get an answer to thi
question
Mr.. JOHN r. GOODWIN
was the first gentleman called on, who made
the following statement:
While discussing the report of the Com
mittee of Sixteen on the old city debt, ]
agreed with them that 1 would not make g
minority report 10 the citizens meeting il
they would have their report published and
allow the taxpayers and citizens generally
to read the report, discuss it, and go TO the
meeting prepared to act advisedly on the
business In hand. Since, however, the re.
port has been published and have had
time to consider it more carefully, it seems
emineHtly proper for me to give the public
at least some of the reasons why could not
indorse the majority report Of the commit
tee. / am compelled to do 50, mainly, be-
cause was acting chairman of the commit
tee of citizens who had charge OF repeating
the old city charter, framing and having
enacted all the laws creating the new gov
ernment; was one of the commissioners
appointed to report to the last Legislature
what should be done with this old city debt,
and have for tvs years past acted as chair
man of the Liguidating Board. By reason
of having filed these responsible positions
that have given me ample opportunity to go
10 the bottom of this subject in all
its aspects, 1 could not do less than
say why l disagreed with a msjority of my
Aforementioned on a subject OF the
very highest Importance to this community.
In stating my objections to the report, will
do 30 in all sincerity and fairness, not having
The slightest desire to defeat the objects Of
The 70 hae to Cd hoir
plan OF settlement, but merely to give oppor-
tunIty TO those who have not investigat ed
this subject 10 act intelligently. 1 have great
faith in public opinion when it is not manipu-
lated, expressed either in a public meeting
or at the ballot-box. To throw light on a
subject from hundred different standpoints
will light il up much better than can be
done from any one Of those points of view. l
object first to the Taxing-District commits
sioners issuing the bonds, for the reason that
it is the sheet-anchor of this government that
it shall neither create nor settle debts. Pay
al you 90 is the motto, and should be to the
end. Give us this simple, cheap government
that has accomplished SO much OF good by
attending strictly to the peoples business,
and we can accomplish almost anything.
But weight it down and complicate it with
the settlement of this enormous debt, with
coupons receivable for taxes, and the inevi-
table result is that you create small army
OF speculators TO hang around it for the
purpose of scalriDg policemen, hremen,
ditch-diggers, cart drivers, and every en-
pIoye Of the District, and We will Practi-
cally have the same condition Of affairs that
existed under the old city government. Let
Us AVOID this if possible by having some
other settling agency created by the Legisla-
ture. / would not avoid responsibility. We
have the very highest legal authority that
these new bonds can be secured quite as well
as if issued by the government, and 1t looks
like sheer obsinacy on the part OF some Of
the creditors not TO accept them. The coupon
feature | object 10 because government
must exist as much as a human being, and
If it makes contract by which its revenue
on which it depends for its existence may be
absorbed or used for other purposes 1t is
no more right 10 do than an individual; be-
sides it's constitutionslity would be attacked
by some one, and would defeat the very OBJ
jet the creditor is working for. t
If the creditors would waive these objec-
lions would strain my judgment 10 agree
10 4 ffty-and-six settlement. l say strain
my judgment because the rate OF taxation
would be simply appalling under such set
Element. The tax asked for by the District
government for general purposes during the
next two years 81 80. President Hadden fig
ures that ST. 35 would be required to meet a
ffiy-and-six settlement, interest and sinking
fund. Add 10 this 81 for State and county
purposes and it gives us rate Of "a 10 on
the 500; or, if we take the budget as re-
duced by the bill before the Legislature 10
81 As, il would still give US rate of So so.
Even this looks enormously high when we
consider the fact that only Two cities in the
United States has as high a rate as this, and
that the average of thirty-seven cities, the
largest in this country, is only 81 81 for all
purposes. We submit now, to the creditors,
if it would not be best to leave the gosern-
ment untrsmmeled, let it work cheaply and
as effectually as possible for people pressed
down with this great burden of taxation.
In conclusion, would say, my chief desire
in this N natter is to do what is best for all
parties concerned, and if my fellow-ta1pay.
ers think best to adopt the committees re-
port, will do my full share personally TO
meet the requirements of the settlement.
THE HON. 1. M. HILL
was the next gentleman called upon by the re-
porter. This gentleman said he was opposed
10 the report for great many reasons. He
said: "For some reason or other the majority
OF the committee were DESTROYS of having my
name appended to the report. L was un-
willing to sign it as long as it said we recon-
mend that our fellow-citizens adopt the plan
proposed in it, They allowed me- to take the
report home, yiDg that they had eliminated
this Objectionable feature. When read il
through, l found that the word advise had
been substituted for recommend which
proved 10 be distinction without differ
ence. l therefore refused to sign the report,
because l do not care 10 recommend for &C.
cepiance that of which do not approve. ]
am opposed 10 the report for three reasons.
The first is that four-ffths of the peo-
pie are opposed to it. The second is
that the Legislature, as at present composed,
will never pass it because OF its similarity to
the one.hundred. and-three bill. The men in
that body are shrewd and intelligent men,
who are acquainted with the sentiment OF
the State, and they know that the people are
opposed TO high taxes. II they never knew
it before, they have known it since the last
election. But even should the Legislature
pass such bill, it would be hard to enforce
its provisions. Countless injunclions would
pour in, and il would be several years before
the courts could decide the matter and bring
third objection to it. / spoke against it in
the committee meetings, but l did not care
to make minority report"
NIB. J. N. GooDBAR
was found at his place Of business. He said
that he had not signed the report for the
reason that he had been go busy he mad not
had time TO read it. He said he was op-
posed 10 coupons being receivable for taxes,
and the coupon feature would certainly de-
feat the bill, just as it had the one-hundred-
and-three. He had not altogether made up
his mind on the city debt question, and pre-
ferred not to express any opinion.