The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-05
1.-THE CITY Is BANKRUPT
AND THE CoUNCILMEN KNOW H,
saYs ". N. MULLEN.
Tho Husfpess of the City is Not Run on
business Principles-shan Taxes DC
Reduced or Expenses CurtaiiedT

Another meeting of the American Pa
trlotic Political League was held at Oid
Market Hail last evening, when was
.,ond,.d nv about the same num-
her of gentlemen as On
,rev,ous occasion. Mr.. j. NJ. "ou'
sev was in the chair, in the aDse"Oo
80 President ]. o. Reams. The quesuo"
- changing the meeting-night III oiu'i
90 secure better attendance was hrs'
discussed and after general eNpresS.o"
If views on the subject it was deciNeu
70 meet hereafter ON Wednesday anu II
was agreed to hold the next meetihs o'
nv. wednesday night at Clark's HAM,
l4n east Main street. II, ,,,o,
Mr. W. IL. Mullen was then caiied upon
ia address the meeting. lie saiu .l ,is
he had been asked to be present at 'iis
meeting and discuss the tenth PLANK VI
r. ,'lafform of the league, which was as
follows: ,...os y,
10 realizing that the poorer classes OF
our fellow-citizens are being unJust,y op-
pressed, and believing that some iiiile
date legislation IS necessary 10 save 'n0,i
from worse oppressi5n1 also promise 10 20
MR.. MULLEN'S VIEWS.
Mr. Mullen thought he had been Sc
lected TO discuss this plank on account OK
his affiliations with labor Organizations
In his opinion, the laborlng classes III
Richmond were IN better condition IMAM
onvwhere else. and better treatel than
elsewhere. He told Of his experiences
among the laborers o. the cotton districts
of Georgia. among the miners Of Pennsyl-
vania and West Virginia. where labor
ers hardly earned enough to keep them
selves alive IL anything was responsible
for anv such condition Of affairs. II must
be legislation, which seemed TO have gone
from had TO worse. lie thought the cause
OF this was that the members OF leSlsia-
tive bodies ala not have enough experience
and did not know the condition OF aialis
surround them. II a fourth-class lawyer
or sixth-class doctor was elected TO the
Legislature, they did not know any
thing Of the affairs OF the working peo-
pie. When he read Of tho attack made
recently upon Senator Flanagan I'm the
Senate chamber, and noticed that about
fifteen lawyers and dOctorY as members
OF either the House OF Delegates or the
Senate were ready 10 give evidence In the
matter. he came 10 the conclusion that
they must be very poor members OF their
profession. that they had 10 30 into the
Legislature.
in looking over the list OF the members
Of the Common Council. he had ascertain
ed that a working population Of about
Soo0 was only represented in that body
by three members. Messrs. Epps. Lawder
and Trower. This was wrong for the
working people ought 10 have represen-
tatiyes in every political body. However
the difficulty was that the leaders Of the
sO-called better class, of the Democratic
ar,stocracy, could not be made 10 under
stand this The remedy for the evil was
IN the hands OF the oppressed, and had
always been there. But the oppressed
deserved little sympathy. for they had
known these facts, but had blindly fol-
lowed TO their own destruction He did
| not desire 10 see a Council composed OF
working men only. he wanted 10 see all
classes represented, but when it came
TO a question like digging sewers. then
the workingmen or their representatives
| ought TO decide between a negro and a
| white man.
THE CITY BANKRUPT.
\ grave question presented itself to the
| citizens Of Richmond, and if any business
| house was IN the same condition as the
| city of Richmond, 1t would have 10 make
an assignment on Monday. The city was
| bankrupt and its heads of departments
! knew il. The trouble was that the bust
| ness OF Richmond was not run on bust
ness principles. There were men in the
| City Council, III they owed you a bill, you
| would have 10 run after them for six
months TO collect it, and yet with one
| stroke of the pen would vote away 5000
for negro armory. There were men in
! the City Hall who spent more time In
the surrounding bar-rooms than in the
| City Hall. \ man employed in the City
| Hall had no more right TO leave his
Office during business hours than a pri-
| vate citizen 10 leave his place Of busl-
| ness.
| The question that confronted the peo-
| pie of Richmond at this time was whether
taxes should be increased or the eX-
| penses reduced. He certainly was in ia
vor Of the latter. If taxes were increas-
ed an establishment like the Richmond
| Locomotive Works that was not making
fortune now, would be compelled to
| make up the difference by reducing
| wages lie thought the working people
| OF Richmond were as contented and the
| employers as liberal minded as they could
| be found anywhere. There was great
suffering all over the country, caused by
! the competition of trade. and 1t could
| not be regulated by legislation. But
there were other matters-for instance,
! the contract system-where legislation
could do some very good work. All per-
/ sonal ambition should be laid aside, and
| he people of this city should do what
was best for this community.
MIR. BARRAUD.
Mr.. p. st. George Barraud, being pres
ent and called on, responded in the in
terest OF the Democratic League for
Good Government, and said that as far
as Mr. Alullens statement about the
condition of Richmond's finances and the
necessity Of her expenditures being with
in her income, he could say with all hrs
heart, Amen" but the people were a
great deal TO blame in the past for their
| inaction, but experience had taught them
the truth Of the lines:
The whole world loves the modest man.
BE he great or small,
| But it gives up its ''plunks" in great big
chunks
To the man with a surplus Of gall.
The whole world loves the quiet man,
Who sits all day like an OWL
| But it goes without mention that 1t gives
its attention
To the man who gets up and bowls.
And they have found they have been