The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-03-28
THE RICH PEOPLE, PLAINTIFFS,
VERSUS
The Ro0e Reanle- neGenaanfs
All lie silent. save the faint
And interrupted murmur Of the bee.

And interrupted murmur Of the bee.
Yes, Mr.. Editor. all is silent save tn,
low murmurs OF the big six (who ar,
part and parcel of the Mail stree
clique who have run the city so long)
silently running their scheme sgains,
the best interests OF the poor man
simply to be able to carry out tbeil
eNtravagant ideas Of improvements
which under their third class charter
means ruin to a large class of our
citizens, and placing another large
class i'll the tolls of debt. and keeping
them in that condition for years to
come. 1t is therefore a case of the
rich against the poor. and we must
soon see if money with IFS cxtravagant
ideas will be able to succeed, and the
poor and needy defeated. with a
scheme which will gradually sink them
in the depths of ruin. When we speak
of the poor and needy, We mean all
citizens who cannot live in finely con-
structed and extremely well furnished
homes of their own-live on the best
the world affOrds-such in fact as the
big six now enjow. 1t is a well known
fact that nine-tenths of our citizens
are of the poorer class, a large number
being industrious workers and frugal
livers-have purchased and own little
homes of their own, fitted for their
special convenience Is people i'll mod
crate circumstances, and nearly all
living on streets yet TO be graded,
macadamiZed. guttered, severed. &c,
which will be done and paid for by
their property as sure as the third
class idea prevails. II is well then that
all this class of citizens should ponder
long. and study well, this new de-
parture from the old land marks. be-
fore they consent to cast a vote for a
m~isnomcr-a city of the third class.
To enter this city of the third class we
must give up u present charter
which is Independent of any other
city, Independent of a general statute
called charter-which is to be
changed every two years, no matter if
il suits us or not. In fact it has been
attacked the present session of the
Legislature by several cities now under
its provisions-deSiring relief from its
oppression. Thus it will be until this
statute is eventually erased from the
statute books and the cities pass under
special charters. We have to-day a
charter which gives to a Council all
the powers they should have. The
evidence before us is. that if our CITY
was under a third class statute a large
number of our citizens would soon be
thrown into bankruptcy. aud our city
would sOon be in the hands of the
money power-the poorer class would
be compelled TO seek other places 10
live and money mongcrs would soon
be compelled to prey upon each other.
There will be no need then Ofbuild-
ing more houses TO rent TO those not
able to buy. No need of purchasing
extra stocks of goods, additional stocks
of drugs. no need ofbuilding finer and
more speedy ferry-boats. no need of
putting additional machinery in paint
mills and lime kilns. The poorer class
will not be able to remain to buy the
take the medicine. use the
ferry boat or run additional machinery.
The fact is, and vii! be plainly de-
vcloped. that the mass of the people
want no excessive taxation and will
not have it. They will show TO these
grade progressioniSts that they
have now all the taxes they can bear.
They will tell YOU they now W i
railroad debt-thcy will tell. you
have taken away the most prominent
md available means for paying that
lcbt. In fact have entailed that debt
upon them and their p~Ostcrity for
many wears to come by giving
iway our most valued possessions by
which we hope in a few years more
Obliteratc that debt and at the same
lime accomplish rs much as the
present "big six" will ever accomplish.
Have you thought of the fact, fellow
citizens. that our Council is composed
Of three merchants, n physician and
druggist. one ex-ferryman, one manu-
'acturer, and one who properly rep
the mechanics and laborers
who compose at least three-fifths of
he voters of this city. When the
Council proposed to vote away our
most valued possessions. this man, the
representative of the bone and sinew
If the people, voted no. When called
Ipon to degrade the office of Mayor
by reducing the salary to $50 per
innum. he voted no. When called on
o vote for a city of the third class. he
;oted yes, well knowing this act was
lot complete until made so by a ma
ority vote of the people. Will this
majority be given? Will this whole
'alc power be granted by the people,
in the hands of the City Coun-
Ill TO simply vote away all we have by
laws of taxation? | believe
iOt-in fact | am well satisfied a large
majority of the people are directly
opposed to placing themselves liz a
TO do for the city individually
what the city should do for itself.
With the heading Of this article
he rich people plaintiff against
he poor-we have opened the
irst gun of the battery and we pro-
a. nzptnro fr;n, until AWAY