The daily state chronicle., 1891-04-19
PAST, PRESENT AND IUTUnE
TIE RESCUE OF RALEIGH FROM
REPUBLICAN RULE.

Democratic Administration OF Nunici-
pal Affairs From 1875 to 1891, Under
Mayors Manly, Dodd and Thompson,
Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE.
Looking back over the past, calling to
mind the condition of municipal affairs
as they Were in 1874, thinking of what
has been done since then until now.
wondering what the future will develop,
has led me to make this sketch of our
city and its municipal management by
the Democrats.
In 1874 the Republican party, which
had handled the reins of government
from the days of reconstruction, had, by
corruption, extravaganza, mismanage-
ment and fraud, reached that point
when the public demanded it's
| arrangement at the bar of
public opinion. Our body polite had
reached crisis. For long time there
had been developing among us dis
temper which threatened the life of our
corporation. 1t took the form of a reso-
luton on the part Of an unscrupulous
enemy, that had its habitat in the Re
publican party to run the municipal
government for its own benefit. 1t had
bankrupted the treasury, squandered
not only the income but had ruined
our credit. 1t had actually repudiated it's
own scrip and by resolution instructed
its officers to refuse it's acceptance in
payment of public dues. Absolute ruin
was the inevitable result.
Now it was that condition of things
with which our people were confronted
10 1874. They were aroused, the Re-
/ publican party was arraigned and their
verdict was"Guilty' and Judgment must
be pronounced.
The verdict was against the Republi-
can party and its management of mun.
; cipal affairs and the judgment and ex-
ecutive must come from the Democratic
party.
Reform was coming to the front The
case was carried by committee of Dem
ocratic citizens before the General AS.
sembly OF 1e74'75 and certain amend
ments to the charter of the city was Sc
cured. The Board of Commissioners
consisting of six two from each OF the
three wards of the city-was changed te
a Board of Aldermen to be selected from
the wards Of the city as laid off under
> tae amended charter The city was re
districted into the five wards as the,
now exist and the Board of Aldermen
were apportioned among them thre
from each ward except the third, an,
from the third five Aldermen were to b
+" elected This constituted Board o
/ seventeen Aldermen, eleven of whom
!. We're Democrats a, six were Repubi
N cans, d fair representation Of the inter
ests of the political parties. Five Alder
T. men were apportioned to the third war
because it embraced territory upO
: which floating population, then alrnos
III wholly composed of negroes, could nc
on locate, and to assure the control OF MI
nicipal affairs to those who had at heal
10 the prosperity of the city and the peac
=. and happiness of It's people.
AZ a In May, 1875, the first municipal ele
= ton was held under the amended cha
. ter and the Democrats nominated al
- elected as its representatives on tt
w Board Of Aldermen, John Armstrong, D
" W James Mckee, David L. Royster, Robe
n II. Bradley, Peter F. Pescud, Jr., Jof
| ". y.
70, Little. VIM. @. Stronach, Robert
rH rL Jones, Peter @. Fleming and John J
- Williams.
i"i Under the amended charter the May
; and the city officers were to be elect
=; ~ by the Board of Aldermen, and up
III ~ the orr anzation of their newly elect
''' board, Joseph H. Separk, Esq, W
chosen as Mayor, Mr. Geo. II. Wilial
LEO e was elected Clerk and Collector and N
~ ~ ior b. Q. Manly was made Chief of t
na ,m lice.
The new administration began und
81 the most discouraging auspices. Vi
".o scrip could not be used as a circulate
~ medium, at so cents on the dollar, a
~ ~ there had been no record kept from Whl
'os- any definite knowledge could be asc
~ | tanned as to what money receipts
oi'. city had been deriving Or how 1t o
thoo been disbursed.
'ne ti When little more than three mon
oliS had expired death entered the admir-
Anu tration and took the Mayor. The boa
u at once elected DR.. L. D. Hogg,
Mayor, who for reasons Of many pre-
ing personal business engagements
compelled to decline the honor. Ma
the 3. Q. Manly was then elected as
will head of the administration, and Capt
en- W. Lee was elected Chief of Police
Igh- place of B. O. Manly promoted to May
ex- and thus began the
sup Manly Administration.
The balance of the term was sp
an in vigorous efforts to get matters
an snad shape for active work in placing Rale
''oN on the road to prosperity, redeemlng
VOC credit, and devising means for llqul(
49,, ing the unknown debt left as a leg
aast .n, by the Republicans while in power.
o otbe In May 1876 the Republics
oro aro thoroughly satisfied that their reig
''io misrule, mis- management and extr'
gance was forever at an end, and
desiring to appear as mourners at t
> own funeral obsequies, declined to n
,,o nominations for Aldermen and the u
ocrats from every ward in the cit.
turned to the Board of Aldermen
representatives as follows: Len
The Adams, Johu Pescud, Alfred Upch
~ Saund GpcrOa IT Cook