Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-07
OUR CITY OFFICIALS.
Tbst Duties Ars Important and They
Should 30 Well Paid.
LIFE OF TIE COUNCILMAN,
fhs Position 10 One Of Honpr and Great f'e-
spcndbiiity and should ne FILLED with
Reference oaiy 10 the Public Good



trast / think, should make US grateful
Tor the past ana hopeful for the future
I shall make the subject OF this paper,
sour city o1Rcials--Saiaried and Hon
prary."
In the matter OF our saiarsed officials
khlnk the following principle should b
pbserved: The salary should be such as
10 secure Us men Of ability and integrity
graded according 70 the ability required
ana the responsibility entailed in th'
faithful discharge OF the duties Of the
scsiticn. They should compare literally
kith those Of other communities for SINH
lar services, never losing sight OF the
fact that the higher the position ths
greater the responsibility; and that In
competency and want OF principle IN high
positions may easily lead TO errors, as
nsterx. and losses, compared with which,
the payment OF liberal salary for faith
gul service sinks into utter insignificanee.
SHOULD Pc SCALED ALIKE.
Having fixed a scale Of prices. should
fettenchment become necessary twhich !
DO NOT admit or believe 10 be the case
with us as I shall endeavor TO prove IN
brother article on. our financial condition
fnd prospects), n is unfair 20 make any
difference or discrimination, but that all
rhould bear the burden&alike. The same
rule should obtain that prevails in other
rcrpopations--viz that all salaries and
Ragss dependent upon the income OF the
corporation should be scaled alike.
whether or 10 per cent. with the under
Standing that so soon as the necessity
~ e. ~fc araifn0 ahaIi
CEASE and SALARIES and wages return TO
their former status.
BY 0sir honorary officials I allude 10
Dur Council; for. In my judgment, there
pre- few honors comparable with that Of
being called by the free voices of our
fellow-c5tizens TO take charge OF the
pffatys of a city like ours, to guard Its
Interests and promote It's welfare. That
this class is often unjustly criticised
Is certain. These critics say to them
selyes-nay, often say 10 others-'T would
not do this amount Of work for nothing;
therefore. neither do believe they do;
they must have some way OF pay
ing themselves OF they would not
do TIA species of charge against
which there Is no defence. save
pm honest and faithful discharge
bf duty. which cannot avail against this
class OF critics. who have no faith IN
hlsinterested charity or patriotism.
would recommend such TO read the
s'seixe OF Calais" which may be found
In any English history, a thrilling ac-
count OF which may be found in Brooke's
STOOL OF Quality" who In the story Of
'Dannon and Pythias' gives us beauti-
full picture OF dlsinterested friendship,
md in the "Seige OF Calais" a soul-in-
spring example OF noble and unselfish
patriotism.
THERE ARE UNSELF1SH MEN.
Now. should they claim that these are
isolated and exceptional cases? l can
pnly say that the worlds history is filled
with such Instances, even In our own day.
The man who stood at the helm till his
body was burned 10 a crisp In order
90 rescue the passengers; the man who
riasped a red-hot stove to save the lives
Of his fellow passengers, afford examples
Of heroic self-sacriiice equal to any others
on record.
Now Il IL true there are professional
Christians, professional Masons. profess
Bional phllanthropists, as well as profes-
tional politicians; that Is, there are men
In all these bodies from purely selfsh
motives, only In them for what they can
make out of them: but II this were true
,ninority-if they were the rule, and not
abe exception--none of these institutions
could stand For the homer of humanity
4 can say that my limited experience has
brought me In contact with many men
OF frst-ciass ability, who give freely OF
their time and talents TO promote the
welfare OF institutions dear to them,
hoping for and desiring no other reward
than the consciousness OF noble duty
faithfully performed. Doubtless, a word
pf appreciation, a word Of encourage
snent, a word OF cheer from their fell
lows, while laborlng for whatever good
rause they may have selected for their
particular field Of action. would be dear
20 them. Yet, these men are actuated
by even higher motives than the applause
of their fellow-citizens; motives which
will Withstand the wear and tear OF adj
verse criticism, Of misconstrnction. and
INSTRUMENTATION, undaunted by anything
save the fear Of falling TO do their whole
duty That we have been blessed In our
officials could be easily demonstrated.
NO SUSPICION OF JOBS
! viii mention what has been said of
them by visitors from other communi-
ties You are happy people," say they.
''If you do not believe II. show US an
other city in all this broad land where
such an enterprise as your City Hall has
been completed without the suspicion of
n job; where every dollar OF It's immense
cost has gone TO that for which IL was
appropriated, and not elsewhere"
And. so. throughout all our depart
ments, honest and integrity have been
the rule. and, as the value and perpetuity
of our institutions depend largely on the
character Of our public men, let US fos-
ter these traits, let us honor those who
unite with ability and efficiency an in
tegrity which cannot be corrupted,
whether Il be found In our saiaried off,
sials or those who have the patriotism
kns public spirit to give their services
lreely TO advance the public welfare: and
let US not wait (as has been too much
BUR custom) until our praise shall fall
IN the dull, cold ear OF death; but let us
lender those positions honorable by
IGNORING those IN their lifetime who nil
them with fidelity, and thus incite 70
higher and nobler efforts those In Office,
and induce our best citizens TO seek those
donors. which we freely render to efficient
and faithful public-servants, which are
lear 10 all men. We are passing through
4 crucial period. and are all learning new
lessons as we are filing new positions
IN life
NAAFAkN0A<D
One Of the results Of the war was 10
fevoiutionize our social system. am old
Enough 10 remember the time when IL
was thought that Virginia gentleman
gould not put his hand to any kind OF
manual labor without lowering his
ttandard: but Our impoverished condition
Ind the loss OF slave-iabor has wrought
fneh . change In our surroundings that
these IDEAS have been done away with.
hnd to-day the man most honorcd among
Us Is he who is most earnestly iaboring
with heart and hand, intellect and capt.
tal. 10 develop our resources and promote
var material prosperity. whether work.
ing With his own hands at the pillow. IN
the workshops. In the marts of trade.
Or using bis capital and brains In found
Ing and fostering enterprises which give
employment 70 thousands OF their fellow
sltizens. That we viii succeed in the
new conditions 10 certain. Already. out
pf the stern battle Of life through which
We are passing, testing severely the
quality OF our manhood we see the
lawn OF prosperity rising above the dis
asters In which we were plunged by the
tate war, and some OF US now living will
see brighten into MONDAY splendor
fhere IL no danger OF failure: but there
canger. and II IA this, That. although
setuased BY the noblest spotiyes-that OF
safing for cur loved ones. and rebuilding