The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-27
THE WARD SYSTEM

4 correspondent signing himself "Old Citizen"
asks nlE APPEAL II, by ITS advocacy Of the re.
sumption Of the name Memphis by tho Taxing
District aud also Of the privilege by the Taxing
District Commissioner To lcyy taxes. It is ia favor
Of return oi The old wand System of government
We answer Boy no means The ward system a.
responsible ior Che inIqutlcs that uflot every
municipality ln the United States that O. con.
trDllci and systematically robbed by tho bum.
MGR element The debt with which hc Taxing.
District o. weighed today and bat Tor which Il
misht launch upon series Of much needed im.
pu,uucuH ith standing protest ny well us warn
. iug auln.t he ward system Fuluer hnn aoc
/ That rgsiurad vo would advise the people of hls
I District b. fofcgo The resumption Of hc uumc
Memphis as iu icnl designation. and also cheer.
fully 10 mrcgo the privilege Of lo,ylng
taxes Tor municipal purposes. Dut A. We
see H. thcto IA nothing 10 hinder the ~
sumption oi the taxing power aud the name
Memphis without rctun TO the wand ys
tenn. The theory that the present is not a rpm,
sentative government aud therefore. could not
| oouslItutiunHlly levy taxes all wrong The Com.
mlsiuncr nr, an Of them dIpctly elected by the
people aud. Therefore. arr true representatives OF
their wl,hc, aud VIII, aud as truly rcprrrcscnta.
tive asa noanl Of Aldermen or Councilman. or
bath together aswc once had it Tho wants no
longer have au existence. They were blo,icd
from the laws aud nrc only mentioned in
Onlcr to- designate the difference between the clrht
olduud fhc two newest wurls for the purposes of
taxation. They could only bc rs,iycd hy thc mu.
uiDal government aud that Will never bc con
sutoi Goo by thc people ao long as There afo any
Twins who rmrmurr the lnipuitc. oi TIE system
when tho hummcn took the city In dcan aud car
r,l ont hc.r own ,'s. nc peoples wishes
Tho Wonrd Of me Taxing District Govern
mout ty comparison with that Of the old will
convince every man who has the best Interests uf
che opmmuuly at hcart that 10 rc,iorc tbc vnrl
ysUm would lg 90 Invite ruin and debt aud put
an end o. tho prugrca everywhere visible and that
tso encouraging as to the iuiuw ict us hh,p thc
name Memphis aud the PRIVILEGE 10 l,yy our
take. hut five cauuoi have mcm without "a Ed.
turn 90 the wand system Dec us r.maIu as vc arc.
We reproduce the above editorial from
Tug ArrE,l OF hst Saturday Tor the bcnc.
dt Of - Suburban Subscriber" who b.
anxious 90 know u Our attitude as to the
va,d system OF government Is still what il
was when We made the eight ior lladdcn
In 1857 that resulted in his triumphant
y.ui.cation. ~ Suburban Subscriber"
will see from this editorial that W.
arc eth there. that We siill stand whore
I vc slood on the iih Of January, 1855.
when ih' people Of Memphis Endorsed
Tm Aur,r by giving r,uut a majority
over Chase OF $40 votes, believing hat
Che latter represented thc ward gov.
cmmcnt element The old mun'ci.
palily went ont OF existence without
cent m ihc treasury, with a debt
OF nearly s7OmOoo. aud the taxable
wealth OF thc city reduced % 81, lOl.OOl.
There w1s, hgsd, this about eight ur nine
miles of rolliug Nicholson pavement that
bal not been paid ioE bot there were no
paved streets, such a. We have nov bad
as they arcl, no sewers, the police and
ircm,n aud thc laborcu employed by ihc
city were unpaid, the merchants wcro hl.
ravcd ior taxes beyond their povcrto ply.
and The property owucn wcrc IN despair.
Now, by the Taxing District system
OF pay.u.h-as you.go g5ycmmcutthcd debit
has been reduced To ca, .5i,p35 the bonds
that represent which being quoicl a, lu5.
We have nearly iorly-siy miles Of savers
and over ihirty-.ly milcsoi sub-aou diuin-.
more than hali.m,c OF street crossing,
aud forty miles 'l ru,cd streets paved
With stone. macalum and gravel
ard all the work paid ior as u
va. done and not one ccn, duc the Doc.
mon, policemen or the laborcu employed
| by the Taxing District With such a con.
ius as this before them, the people OF
Memphis will mover consent to the 90.
establishment Of tho wand system Of gov.
eminent Il IL, 90 nr as They are con-
ccmcd, ath.ng Of the dead past, too dead
ever 10 be rtsusgi,aicd.
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