The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-09
CHARLESTON MUNICIPAL NOTES.
The Annual Distribution Of the Loaves
and Fishes

The Annual Distribution Of the Loave5
and Fishes.
CHARLESTON, Jan. s. -Things are be-
coming decidedly warm in municipal cir
cles here. The annual grand distribution
Of loaves and fishes which is to take place
tomorrow is just now engaging the atten-
ton of the public. Somehow the opinion
prevails that there is to be a clean sweep,
and the public don't seem to relish new
deal. The holders of most of the fat offices
have so managed things that they are en-
abled to hold over and not come in under
the usual January division of spoils. Still
there are several important elections to be
held tomorrow, and the community has its
eyes turned to these with considerable in
terest The new administration has vet to
make itself solid with the tax payers who
voted the ticket purely from loyalty TO the
Democratic party, and anything like clean
sweep in the municipal offices will not be
received with favor
THE LICENSE QUESTION
has assumed very large proportions. The
petitions referred to in the MORNING NEWS
have been extensively circulated and have
received a number of signatures. This
means embarrassment to the new admins
tration. The license ordinance has already
been passed, and the money to be raised
under it enters very largely into the appro-
priaUions for the current year. In fact, it
would seriously embarrass the admlnistra-
ton to reconsider the matter at this time.
Nevertheless the people who are engaged in
the fight mean to push it to the bitter END.
Every business firm that signs the paper
pledges itself to contribute 10 per cent. of its
license tax to fight the question. A King
street merchant said to your correspondent
to-day that they had already opened a cor
respondence with a well known law firm,
who had agreed to undertake the case. 1t
was not Charleston firm, he said. They
had given the case to a Charleston lawyer
once already aud were not Satisfied with his
management of it. A foreign lawyer
would be engaged this time. The
anti-license people claim that the city
can get along pretty well ii it will put an
extra 800 on the barroomS the license is
now $500, Of which 500 goes to the city and
500 to the county, and an extra quarter
per cent. on the tax on real estate. The city
tax on real estate last year was T. per cent.
and that on very largely reduced assess
ment. The license tax last year yielded in
round numbers SIPS, 800 The levy ia per
cent yielded S433, 900. The anti-hcense peo-
pie claim that with tax of per cent. and
the increase of the barrOOm license the city
can raise over $500 600, which will be enough
to run the government, and they propose to
fight it out on this line.
THE STATE OFFICIALS
are also in a quandary, owing to the ex-
IRENE economy of the Legislature The
General Assembly of the State since 1876
have been trying to do III twenty-five days
the work that requires two months. AS a
consequence, the legislation is, to put it
mildly, rough and incomplete. Among the
acts passed at the last session was bill to
reorganize the Agricultural Bureau. This
was rushed through in one day. 1t was
sent to the Governor on Dec. %, signed by
him, and an election was held on the same
day for members of the board. In the
hurry the friends of the bill forgot to
put in a section providing that the act
should take effect Immediately after
its passage. As consequence the election
was null and void, and the Agricultural
Bureau is without legal existence 1t has
also transpired that none of the claims
passed by the General Assembly can be PAID,
owing to some informally in their passage.
OF the $50 acts passed by the last General
Assembly over POO were private acts in
which the public generally have no interest
whatever. and public opinion is generally
coming to the conclusion that the Legisla-
ture of the State costs good deal moro
than its work is worth.