Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-04-21
KNOWN BY THEIR WORKS
&. ,. Da'CAPE'S INFER EsTI NO
REVIEW OF THE BOAR

some kH1atOriCa1 Facts with Com
nlens More. or LeSs Pertinent E1y
"a MAN VINO KnOvvs Ezss Mind
and Speaks Ht.
EDITOR THE CITEEN:-In the cam
yass of May, 1891, to- rat
ify the "Street Improvement Act" passed
by the State Legislature, and to elect
mayor and four aldermen, with two
holding over to govern and manage the
city'S affairs for the succeeding two
years, none played more active part
bv his vote and influence than the writer,
in carrying the measure. When submitted
to the people for ratification. number
of our most influential citizens were
opposed to it. not bccf 'isr they objected
to the improvement of Asheville, but
because they had well grounded fears
that such large amount of money
placed wit hin the cont rol of mex xperienccd
and incompetent men, unversed in cor
porated government improvements,
" ould be frought with great danger to
best interests of the people within the
corporate limits.
We will now cite few of the ordi
nances and general legislation of the
Board of Aldermen for the last two
years;
At the first meeting OF the Board of
duty was to elect heads of departments
for the ensuing year. Who did they
choose, save in two exceptions, but
brothers. sons, brothers-in-la ~, kinsfolk
and friends. nearly all OF whom were
only conspicuous for their total ignor-
ance of and unfitness for the different de
partments and positions to which they
were elected? We refer you to the severe
censure expressed by all manner and
conditions of men, and the econdemna ion
of the public press of the city at the
time. This little family arrangement
cost the modest sum of some sixteen
thousand ZIG, ,OOO) dollars.
We have the Young overpay of So
600.
In all large add we'll regulated cities
there is an auditor, controller and treas
urer. Warrants drawn against the city
countersigned by the president of city
council and the first named officers, w no
are under heavy bonds for the further
discharge of their duties.
The Mayor of Asheville seemed to be
president of council, auditor and cor
troller, having unlimited power to draw
on the city funds at will, not one parti-
Gle of safeguard being thrown around
same in shape of nonds or security, until
the advent of Mr.. d. c. Waddel1 as
alderman. He is a good business man,
and at once saw the necessity of doing
away with the practice of leaving it in
one mans power to disburse the peoples
money. He offered ordinance req Iuir-
ing the audit Of the finance COM
mittee of each bill against the city
If this had been in vogue prior to the
Young matter, the city would now have
two thousand dollars more money on
hand. 1s this not an evidence of the
inability of the present City Fathers"
to conduct your affairs?
The Aldermen of your city are the ser
wants of the people. We would kindly
i'll their employ unlimited power to draw
at will On their personal bank account !?
No prudent business man would allow
such a reckless mode of conducting his
own affairs, why then sanction it in
conducting the affairs of the citv?
The city's charter allowed the council
to erect market houses and, to provide
means to do SO. Twenty thousand dollars
was raised by bonds. which was ample
to build and equip building build
ings to accommodate the people of Ashe-
vile. A city hall was built on the money
and credit of the market house, and as
the former Yields no revenue. the latter
must bear the whole burden to make it
profitable.
Ordinances were passed which no free
people should submit to, limiting the
sale of several of the necessarics of life,
save in this taxed-ridden structure. The
butchers expenses were increased double
tor the same space in which to do bust
ness, as they paid prior to this illegal
and arbitrary legislation. which was de
manded by it's occupants in the shape OF
protection to the business.
The restaurant keeper was allo wed to
| sell his raw, stewed and tried plate OF
oysters. But when the market house
| was closed you could not buy from him
| an oyster or a bunch of fresh fish toI
your sick wife your favored Thomas
cat. The same is applicable to the SALE
| of meats and vegetables. The poor
! mans wife who cannot afford to hire &
| servant to care for her children in hel
| absence. has to take her baby on hel
right arm and take her little toddlins
child by the hand and trudgc in all con
| ditions of the weather one and a quarter
| miles at FIVE O'Clock in the morning tc
| buy ten cents worth of beefsteak, few
| turnips or a head of cabbage for her hus
| bands breakfast and dinner On,
| would think this was onlv equal to libel
| ing ones mothers memory in the grave
| DisObcdience or evasion of the fore
| named ordinance is punishable with
| severe fine. We refer the public to tn,
| prosecution brought by the city authori
| ties against Strauss restaurant on NJ ali
| street. You can buy at Delmonico's il
New York, or any restaurant in the city
| fish and oysters. Not one city in th
known world but Asheville prohibits it
| In the city of Philadelphia, with SOM
| thirty market houses within its limits
| de- evised and built with all the moderI
improvements, you can hnd fresh mea
| and veget tables stores not more than twI
| blocks from their locations 1t il nat
ural that vendors should require an ad
| vance to correspond with the increa sc,
| cost of doing business, hence the cor
| sumner pays twenty-five per cent NOR
for the necessities of life. This is proteC
| ton. Ii it Democracy
Now comes the Mission hospital
Three or four good women, with Mis-