Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-11-25

COWpIOulst implies an unlIuIQ. ms Well ml-nI
the traveller be said to have compromised with
the bishwsyman who carries of his purse. Mem
ter. It is not here the question whether the city
had or had not reasonable grounds for asking q
reduction of the claims against it. The need of
the city, be il great or small, has nothing to do
with the dishonest means which have been en-
ployed to extort from creditors what 1t was be-
Iieved they would not voluntarily concede. The
burglar may have the excuse that his wife and
children are starving, and be can get no honest
E I.Sss e TO- I IG;ma TOT thsir nssd st bSt the y lay Pr gls
uae.
CAGO INTER OCEAN"
There are two sides to this question. The ease
Of Memphis is unique in municipal history. 1t
deserves consideration net only for the wrong
that has been done to creditors, but for the good
thst was done to the people. In 1879, after Mem
phis had been depOpulated and impoverished by
boring under the burden of a debt estimated at
over one third of the taxable property. The city
was in the hands of a ring for which no party was
responsible. There was only the semblance Of. u
city by hundreds, and merchants and business
men generally, were transferring their property.
party. united in asking the IeEi.lature to revoke
tration be assumed by the State government.
The legislature enacted a law repeating the
commissioners for the settlement Of the debts of
the extinct municipality. There came up a con,
nict; the Safe court appointing a receiver and
preme Court of this State afterward declared the
laws repeating the municipal c. arter and con-
shutting a taxable district valid and constitu-
Memphis was at this time in a lsmentable con-
dition, and the Governor of Tennessee called an
extra session OF the Legislature for the purpose
OF granting the city the power to perfect and
carry out cOmpleter methods of sanitation and to
enforce sanitary regulations. The yellow-fever
appeared sgain in July, snd the city was desert
ed BY all the inhabitants except part of the poor
that at that time It was feared that anarchy
would prevail. and that, Gov. Marks intrusted
panies Of coiored miiitis. It was believed then
that unless extraordinary sanitary measures were
taken yellou-fever would become epidemic in
The situation called for extreme measures.
Ihe complications in regard to the debt we're
embarrassing, but the new Taxing District of
Shelby county organized for determined action
in the matter of municipal and sanitary reform.
Leaving the question of the debt settlement to
ment of the city an act that is unlike that of any
other on the statute books. 1t was the work of
business men and lawyers interested in good gov
srnment in the city. 1t was framed to prevent
fraud and to discourage the formation of rings.
were appointed to look a te- the business and
health interests of the city, and these interests
was an individual. The commits cners, if this
was their title, devoted themselves TO the work of
making Memphis habi Ia and healthy To
this end a system of sewers was completed, sani-
tary regulations were enforced, streets. were
paved, and all the preca utions and provisions a
business man would take in looking after his
OWL, property were taken in the case of this city
left bankrupt.
Viii Q the courts were struggling with the new
question raised by the reyoking of a eity's Char,
ter, the citizens of Memphis we're gCiug forward
in their work to put the city again o. its feet as a
made for the col eetion of taxes and for the push
ing forward of necessary work, ana all this was
perity Memphis would be the better able to take
care of the debt hanging over her. The points to
be considered are that in the extremity of their
distress the citizens of Memphis asked for relief.
As tie matter stood the case seemed hopeless.
The community was in that desperate con lItiOn
T Tnohad marital s5on lax Lax or s0msf Inn si aRs Sys nos s 10 K is Is
escape only from the burden Of debt, but from
the absolute demoralizstiR and desolation tina;
had followed the yellow-fever.
The courts held that the new municipality was
liable for the debts of the old, and the best settle
ment possible flor the old ethyl was made with the
creditors. The mistake is made of c~ondemnine
the me- sures looking to the reyoking of the char
ter as, reputation measures. They were more
government as we'll as the relief from debt. In
the way of finding a method to escape from rir z
rule and from prostration caused by the yellow
fever scou ,ge the scheme was successful. Mem:
| phis is again in prosperous coneiJion, with good
sewers, with better streets than she ever had be-
fore, and with better sanitary re equations.
There may come a time when other cities, pressed
down by ring rule and demoraiized by corrupt
politicians. may .havetO face the quest on that
when other cities in the clutch of disreputable
but powerful gangs will tCrn TO the case of Mem
| of Chicago there is no danger so far as debt in
crease is concerned, because that matter was
looked after in the State constitution. But there
the system of taxation, and in view ofthis it MAJ
be Just as vel to consider a phase of the question
s saals as n II fG he deb as t Of an e .Rtine ps @unieip al 'g n.
The act that revoked the charter Of Memphis was
wrong in that it provided that the new munich
debts Of the old. But when the courts held that
the Taxing District was responsible for tie
debts Of the city there was no cause for a panic
/ I'm n aradttnra - aTn1a Inter HFgnu