Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-09-20

thing never heard Of before, do not
/ hneye we ought to delay this matter
| believe the people ON the South Side are
| willing for fair basis OF representation
| Nobody wants TO disfranchire the South
Side. and | do not believe there are
mimy there who believe aYyrMng Of ING
kifd' When they are told that their
rights are to be taken from them. OF
course they are opposed TO Il. But no
body wants TO DO anything of tue kind.
Now. the mayor In his message. argues
the Importance Of taking this matter ny
now.
An aldernan--We are not bound to fol
low the mayor
Mr.. Nicks-No, sir But when the
mayor promulgates anything that is fair
70 everybody, that ought ~ least 10
give Il consideration, and not postpone II.
] think We ought to take the matter up.
10 not care whether 1t carries or not.
But l believe It ought TO carry; and !
believe that ii IS the duty Of this council
TO see that some fair basis OF repre-
sontation is agreed to for the entire
city Of Fort Worth.
l have seen the arguments IN the
evening paper, the Eighth ward organ,
that the people Of tie Third ward DO
not pay taxes and should not have the
representation that people of the Eighth
ward have. | thought representation
was based on the suffrage OF the people
and not on taxes. This is an old idea
that has been exploded for years; IL mas
never found announcement in this
country. except in Rhode Island and
those rotten boroughs. The idea Of
claiming that people should not have rep
resentaiion because they do not pay
taxes! But facts do not stand in some
peoples way.
Alderman Barr, the fathcr Of the reso-
luton, next arose and said; ! introduced
that resolution merely from an econOmi-
cal standpoint. do not want to dis
franchise anybody or any part of the
city. When ! came into the council l
intended that economy should be my
watchwOrd. With less wards we could
ccOnonze more. -Four years ago the
taxes assessed amounted TO SlG3,OOO.
That was TO pay the running expenses OF
the city and for the sinking fund and
interest. Today the sum Is about S2i0,-
900 for next year. 1t takes about $50
OD more TO run the city now outside
Of the interest and sinking fund, than
II did four years ago.
Alderman Montgomery am willing
to see the whole city relistrirted. but
when | got to looking over the charter.
! did not see what good we could do by
this. agitation. We cannot reach IT, |
remember when this matter was first up
and II was discussed between us. Alder
man Mes said we ought to do something
In this respect and | Concurrel with him.
But when the twO-third rule was passed
that killed It, When you get down to
the ward lines you win change the juris-
diction of your aldermen. Some Of them
must resign. When you get down to
seven wards. what are You going TO do
with these aldermen who do not resign?
When Mr.. Montgomery concluded Mr..
Fry offered the following:
BE II resolved thar il Is the sense of
the council that the ward lines should
no. be disturbed; and that in lien thereof.
the council request the legislature to
amend our charter so as to give the
nine wards one alderman each and per-
init the city at large to elect three alder
men"
The resolution was not acted on.
resolution was passed requesting the
street commissioner to employ only men
"f families on street work,
The last act of the session was on a
resolution which created just little
Of stir. II was offered by Alderman
Drake, and reads as follows "Resolved
that committee of three. to be an
pointed 10y the mayor whose duty il
shall be 10 investigate the reported mis-
conduct OF City Secretary Burns"
Alderman Mes moved that the con
sideration of the resolution be postponed
until the next meeting of the council,
ma his motion prevailed. only two or
three voting.