Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-10

EDS. RECORD UNION: l notice that the
Fourth of July committee has appointed
number of citizens to canvass the city for
celebration fund. At this / am somewhat
surprised. Every year, as far back as the
writer can remember, it has been said in
Sacramento that 'aert year there will be no
more begging for the Fourth of July the
City Trustees shall levy such additional tax
or take from the general fund such sum
as may be needed to properly celebrate the
national holiday" That this was to have
| been done the present year was firmly be-
| heved by all members of last years COM
mittee, of which was one.
\ unanimous recommendation was made
| by that committee that the Trustees here
after levy Il tax for celebration purposes
| the Mayor Who was present, strongly ap-
! proved the recommendation and promised
to give it his supprt. But again the glori-
| Gus Fourth is near al hand, and again are
| large number of citizens called upon TO
leave Cheir business, and beg from door to
! door, from saloon to saloon, taxing one
man ten tines more than his Just proper
| lion, accepting from another perhaps one
| tenth Of what he should pay, having
| quarter or a dime flung out by many, as if
the collectors Wers tramps, being rebuffed
by some and snubbed by others, and with
al, permitting many hundreds, who are
perfectly able TO pay, to escape without sub
| scribing a cent. And thus Z e soliciting
committee lose their time and submit to all
sorts of humiliating experiences, and for
what? Simply to help the City Trustees
make an apparent showing of economy.
For one, am decidedly opposed to that
peculiar kind of economy; and Judging
from the opinions expressed on all sides, q
vast number Of citizens feel as | do in this
matter.
There is but one way to effectually stop
| this vicious and beggarlv way of raising
celebration fund. Let citizens refuse not
only to subscribe, but also TO serve on
Fourth of July soliciting committees. Let
us in this way make it Enthusiastically clear
TO the City Trustees that we will hereafter
submit to but one method of raising cele-
bration fund, and that method to be the
one of general taxation. 1t is said the
| Trustees deemed it unwise to levy a tax for
the Fourth Of July owing to the unusual
high rate of city taxes fixed for this wear.
and so, in place of distributing the weight
equally upon the whole, it is proposed that
the greater part of the cost be borne by the
few And this is what some people, and
especially our City Trustees, call economy.
As sort of a compromise, the Mavor
has announced that the city will give 81 900
towards this years celebration. Let us
take this 81 900 and make our celebration
such as that amount of money will pay
for Let us positively decline to solicit or
subscribe single penny beyond that
amount, and even though this years cele
bration may fall below the standard of
those in the past, it will at least have the
effect of creating public opinion so strong
that the Trustees will not hereafter dare
ignore the wishes of the people, but will
fad il n matter of policy to permanently
provide the necessary funds and thus, in
stead of q beggarly, undignified and pre-
carious method of raising funds, we will
have the success of future Fourth of July
celebrations assured. A B. C.