The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-06-27
Charlotte Democrat.
Tha chronicls and the City Government.
CHARLOTTE. N. G.

The Chronicle and the City Government
To the Editor of the Charlotte Demo-
at:-We have waited 10 the hope that
soms one with more ability would give
expression to the general dissst'siact'on
felt At the action of the city government
in the matter of publishing the city tax
lista A. no one has done it, We propose
70 concisely state the aspect 10 "hion sns
occurrence presents itself to many o'tl'
.zens.
The proposal on its face was 90 insult
TO the community. and We are surprised
that the proposition was not instantly rs-
isc.ed. 1t plainly implies that ws have
among us men that are not TO be trustee
-neriurers and scoundrels who, Tor the
sake of few psltry dollars, will invoke
tha name of their Maker to witness that
thew lie. This 10 slur upon our CON-
munity which should not have been passed
upon them by those elected to guard their
interests. We do not remember TO have
seen or heard of suoh proposition having
been submitted to the municipal govern
ment of any town or city in North Caro-
lima previous to this, and the few editors
who have been 90 swift in their COM
meudation Of the measure when applied
to Charlotte, can prove their faith By
urgi ug the adoption Of similar course in
their own homes, and see how their peo-
pie will like being charged as perjursrs.
ANY one but q stranger without knowl-
edge Of the laws and customs OF this sec
tion knows that tax returns are public
property, open to the inspection OF oil,
and IL any cause exists for the supposi.
tion that returns for taxation are not hon.
estly made the city government hss not
done its duty 10 allowing the matter to
pass without action. There 10 no occasion
for putting the city to the expense OF
publication.
There are circumstances connected with
this matter which greatly aggravates it..
The published record shows that the
editor Of the Charlotte Chronicle, o COM
parative stranger, appeared by letter be.
fore the CITY government and requested
the publication of the tax lists Of the city,
and that the publication be made four
times. The Board of Aldermen promptly
passed q resolution ordering the tax lists
to be published 90 set forth by the editor
Of the Chronicle. The editor also desired
its publication four times. The Board
obseq uiously adopted "four," and passed
it, adding o rider that the publication
should be given to the Chronicle, thus
excluding ell the other papers Of Char
lotte, though the advertising rates of the
Chronicle are notOriously high and its
circulation much below that of the Daily
News, to say nothing of the Democrat
and the Times.
Now, who were they that did this
The Mayor, o stockholder aud Vice-PreSi'
dent of the Chronicle Company, presided,
and Mr. Smith, also q stoCkholdsr in the
Chronicle, offered the resolutions covering
the ground mapped out by the editor ol
four were stockholders in the Chronicle,
resolutions, whose effect was to take
money out of the public treasury and givs
it to the Chronicle bold awarding OF IL
to the Chronicle without competition, OF
enquiry, or time given to enquire of the
other papers published in Charlotte 40 to
what they would do the work for.
BILE remarks on this transaction are cur
rent, and that some even 60 30 far "a tc
say, it looks like using public funds to
sustain Q private enterprise in which q
large proportion of the city officials have
pecuniary interest.
These resolutions were passed ON the
I'd of June and on the 7th Q laudstory
article appeared in the Charlotte Chroni
IL &. a. g.. hnll Eov
admiration 40 "man with clean record.
This 10 direct challenge to the friends
of Maj. Dowd, Col. VIM. Johnston, B. r
Smith, Cspt. DsWolfe, F. l: Osborne and
w. q. Maxwell, former Mayors of the
city. II any charge of dsrsliction of duty
or mslfeasaDoe in Office was ever brought
againat those gentlemen We never heard
of il. Read in connection with the action
Of the city government in the matter o
the publication of the tax lists there 10 il
the article Of praise Q richness, su uuc
tion, . child.liks and bland trustfulnesl
which is touching; the humor of it be
comes overwhelming when We reflect tbs
this claim of superior virtue 10 made in &
paper which many regard % the "per
not have mentioned this unssvory subject
had it not been forced upon rs by th'
implied contrast with our present Mayor.
predecessors. Itis, however, not without
its compensation, a. it affords an oppor
tunity to his honor to show the connec
ticu between favoriug the expenditure o
money in the manner sisted above, ant
that regard for public trust which con
aeitutes "clean record"
MANY CITIZENS.