The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-02-07
Our Municipal Election = Shall the
Present Courcil be Reelected PAN
Interview with the Mayor OF
Newberry.

Interview with the Mayor OF
Newberry.
Our reporter IN view of the ap-
preaching municipal election and in
Difference to the well known wishes
of some of our citizens in regard to
the proposition to retain the pres
ent Mayor and Aldermen in Office
for at least another year, waited on
the Mayor, Mr.. Y. j. Pope, and the
following is substantially the result
of an interview with him.
REPoRTER-Well Mr.. Pope did
you notice a local in one of the
papers last week in which it was
stated that it would be well to
retain you and your associates in
| office, and if so what nave you to
| say in regard to the propc sition !?
MIR. PoPE-Certainly, l observed
the article referred to, and was
very much pleased to know that
the efforts Of the present members
of the Town Council, were sokind-
" appreciated.
Several gentlemen of this COM
munity have expressed themselves
in about the same manner to me
and also to my associates, as / am
informed. Now, l think it is a
very serious matter for a citizen to
say he viii refuse to serve the peo-
pie if they call on him to- do so,
but I have always found the people
very reasonable and just to their
public servants. So much so that
if one, in q kind manner, asks to be
excused from further service in any
particular Office, whether Of honor
or profit, or both, they do not hes
iSs!te to do so, unless some public
eSigency should demand otherwise.
In my case, I have served the cit
izsns ofthe town of Newberry-in q
little more than eleven years-fve
years and two months as Inten.
dant and Mayor of our town. |
find the duties of the Office increas-
irg every year, and at the same
time / find my private business in
creasing every year, so that really
in my best judgment, cannot as
Mayor do justice to the interests
of the town, and, at the same time
do Justice to the demands of my
profession and other private duties.
Under such circumstances feel it
my duty to say so, and thereby seek
to be relieved from the office of
Mayor.
Then, too, there is no public ex-
igency that demands my services as
Mayor. The law is enforced every
day. THERE'S no more law abiding
community than ours. Orr taxes,
licenses, rents &C., are sufficient
to meet the demands against our
town if our finances are properly
handled. Every year we can pay
off considerable sum of our back
Indebtedness and pay in cash the
current expenses of our town.
Thus it will be easily seen that
while l ought not to refuse to serve
the people ifthey should call upon
me to do so, there is abundant
ground for the candid belief that
they orght not and will not ask me
/ to do so after my frank statement.
REPORTER Before leaving you
I would be glad to know whether the
present members of the Council are
in entire harmony.
Mr.. PoPE-I am glad you asked
that question for am thus enabled
to record in a somewhat permanent
form my views as to my associates.
l have never been associated with
a body of gentlemen from whom |
shall part with more regret. Of
course, now and then, we have
differed on questions of policy
but never unpleasantly. Each Al
derman has performed his duties
mostadmirably,in my judgment,and
very many of the improvements in
| the town have originated with them
| and have been carried out under
their special superintendence.
REPoRTER-Have you any OBJ
lection to my publishing the result
of our interview
Mr.. PoPE-Certainly | can have
10 objection, for after hearing
| what l have, / should have pub
lished q card to the same effect if
| this interview had not taken place.