Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-04-27
To the Citizens of Alexandria.

o the C1C1ZeQS OF AleXdOQT1a.
Having some time since announced my
candidacy for the ofics of Mayer and fnc-
ing cow thst 1t will be impossible for me- to
personally interview and Gi.cues my claims
with the voters, EN- forced to adopt this
mesns OF soliciting your suff age and to give
brief review of mg efforts exerled during
the psst thirty years In the interest OF ne
city as corporation. eDd the promotion ci
mY fellow ct:z ,Ds ee IL divduals. l bcVH
submitted NY cIslms to oemc cra;ir vi
msry hsc, US ssl democrat. FtE fifteen
yeeis eerv*G tie people nd ny party in
be Legislative department. Of .hs City poV.
eminent. ard q lille Go rot wieh 10 offend
any ona's Ideas of rropristy hr references TO
myself, e: &c | vii! not speak in aDgusg g.
OF praise hut simply review briefly few OF
nov public acts, think | will be pardoned
for few personal sliuslops. II is well
kuown by the aAic6auts apd tax payers
that for many yeara after the war the fnan-
clal condition OF the city was decidedly
feeble, the public deb! wss over million
| dollars, and the people were ;exed to deaib
| to pay the ger cent. Interest demanded by
the bondholders, and which they were OBJ
Igeted to pay. Something had to be done
| financial ruin was staring us 10 the face. 10
| relieve the situation / conceived the idea OF
fair and honorable compromise with our
creditors. and On The night Of the 12.h OF
June, 1877, efered The following resolu-
tion:
The City Council of Alexan3ria having in the
psst incur ed debt OF over one million collars in
aiding and constructing works of internal i'm
proveInent, designed to promote tho tlade of al
exandIia, and having been forced by the WEI to
increase by funding it, and the arrears of inter-
al. Jo1.N
was increased, having greatly injured the trade
OF this city their stock proved worthless and the
said debt being loss of SO much money with no
prospect of any return theIefrom, the property
in said city teng OF the assessed vslue OF 5 -
and its actual market value being moro than one.
third less than its assessed value. is utterly una
BILE to bear the tax so long imposed upon it, expo.
rence having demonstrated hat the tax hereto
fore levied real and personal property OF S2.2O
on the 500 is insufficient to meet the current
expenses OF the city, AS is evidenced by the fact
that there is low due arrears OF interest TO the
amount OF $oO,OOU, with Sooooo more lining
due on July 1.
And this too with the hoavs levy upon license3,
real snd personal p operty, and the income from
the Gas Works.
And the City Council beir of the opinion that
meeting with the bcndholders OF ihs city, bav.
ing for its object full statement OF the fnar cial
condition of the city and its people, aud the dis
compromise or arrang Ill ant b.tween creditor and
debtor; therefore be IL
Resolved by the City Council Of Alexandria,
That tie President of each Board shall land he is
hereby authorized so to do appoint Two hers
from each Beard, who in connection with is citi
zsns Of the city Of Alexandria, and 1ho Mayor,
Auditor, and Corpora ion Attorney shall censti-
tute committee for the purposes herein indi-
Gated The lid committee shall at once Issue
circular and direct to each creditor OF the City
of Alex andlia, requesting meeting OF all said
creditors at time and place to be indicated By
said CT III nitee, fer the purpose oil adjusting on a
satisfactory hn is the financial atrs of the city.
Said committee shall report to Tho City Council
Of Alexandria tUeir actions aud any plan upon
which they may agr'e; said agreomsnt, II maie.
to be scbjcct TO ratification Or rejection by Council
This RESOLUTION was carrisG cut in spi-It and
letter ard iB less than three years the city
had aojuit d its entire debt, every creditor
ccm'ng in and agreeing to take per cent.
interest, aud new bonds we're issued. This
was not accomplished without labor and
liberal expenditure OF time. That | was the
moving spirit In tSe compromise Was recog-
Z z d by my fellow ci;'Znns, and when the
civ .ees celebrating Its 100 d anniversary in
1880 Nj Wm F, Gsrue, who was The era
tor 90 that occasion. smcng other things
esjd | 40, requested TO stste that the last
creditor of tile city hiss to-day funded his
bands and we have asst cause to rejoice.
The credit CT this PLEASANT state OF sHAirs is
Gue TO cur IL low toHDsmaI Henry Strauss"
This eoirs msnt of the debt OF the city has
resulted IN great heneff 70 every voter and
tar payer il cuv City, snG has put the city
in healthy fahroiai condition, where 1t
has good credit 10 the money markets aud
Ia now meeting It's obligations regularly.
Mt only ii 1t doing this but is marching In
the grsat battle OF ccmmcrcisl warfsrs with
the confidence snd rsspsct Of the world, sDd
icterna Improvements of every kind and
charscier are taking plaza. ! also, my fell
low cit e ms. desire TO call your attention to
the tacs that l have served on every impor-
tar con- mstee connected with the city gov
erament, snd have always cbeeriully given
NV time TO their elaboration. The last
public dulles that performed we're az presi-
dent of the Board OF Aldermen, to which
position l was unanimously elected. and
where was given an opportunity to fsmil-
ier!zs myself With the duties OF the otfice to
which I now aspire. 1t was while acting In
this position that the sad and lamentable
death of our bcnored end beloved fellow
toypsmao, I'm B. Smoo:, occurred and the
Office OF Mayor, which be held st the
time, gas vacated That was entitled, by
reason OF ny position, to succeed to the un-
expired term, but few people doubted, and
he'd I cast my vote for myself would
have done so, for it 10 we'll known that the
body which filed the vacancy WIS evenly
divided and my vote would have eettled the
contest. The result wac, however, different,
and g m before tbs people seeking the honor
at their hands and Itucmit for your con-
sideratioo whether CT not, In view of my
long public service and uniting energies lin
behalf OF the public good, $40 not entitled
TO he honor which ssk. l. ia DOT fcr the
smoiu 10 -nts .het seek the office. l sn In
hearty sympathy with every movement that
hes for ita Oh ct toe promotion Of the public
good and liz canc'usiou | pledge my honor
10 full fair a1f: fearless execution OF tie
lags cf the ci;y 3. l shall fud then.
RENRY STRAUSS
tt NTN NNnDSI