The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-24
BLAKE DEPENDS HIS RECORD.
he ASKS The Voters 10 Send The Present
Councilman Back.
his OBJECTIONS 10 lHE LEAGUE.
The Last Meeting Of the Democratic
league for Good Government Before
The Primary Election Meetings OF
Democratic Clubs Last Night

the Primary Election -MccuhEs on
Democratic Clubs Last Night.
A large crowd OF every description gath
cred last ulcht in Gamble's-Hh Park.
II had been announced through the news.
papers and by hand-bill5, that political
meeting was TO be held In that locality.
rhcrc was also 10 be music by a brass
band and pyrotcchnlcs. \ large stand
nad been erected at the foot OF Third
street. richt under the electric light a
strlne of Chinese lanterns surrounded the
same, and q large locomotive headlight
apparently loaned from the round-hodso
az the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Company near by. added 20 the iliumina-
ton OF the surroundings and took the
place OF tho announced pyrotcchnics.
The band of the First Regiment, imam
try PLAYED several tunes, and ABOUT
s.5J O'Clock Mayor j. W. Raleigh am
nouuccd that Alderman George NOD.
blake was about % address the meeting
Tho Alderman then stepped 10 the front
and spoke 20 bus audience in substance
- follows.
MIR. RLAKE'S SPEECH.
Gentlemen and fcIlow-Democrats OF
sroNioe ward:
81 avn here tonight. not In the interest
q auy individual man. hut in the interest
Of thc Democratic party and the people
Of Monroe ward. You know that fcw
months ago ara association was organized
known as tho Democratic League for
Good Government. did not want TO join
This league. not from the fact that / did
not Disc rool government, but because
of not Ike certain people connected
with 70. But fSally. some of my friends
prevailed upon me To become one OF IT'S
l0emh rs. Tine pledge which then sign
cd only bound mo to Totc for whom I
considered good honest, ana upright men.
80 are boo free country and arc to
vote fDr whom wo think 20 be good men.
'T attended ono meeting, where / had
nothing 90 s1y. Z only listened. AT the
urNt meetinr D uIdo q speech ana told
them what the present representatives Of
M1rrC. ward in the Council have done.
a committee was subsequently appointed
thar turned down three Of the best men
that ever sat in The Council. / then de-
o'dei NOT to attend another meeting Of
inc i.4-ue. ON the morning before the
mcfiue of the league Dr. Jud. II. Wood
requested me- to attend. saying that he
Thought that from his side of tho ward
an cnort would Doe made 20 overthrow
mo ticket. So ] went 20 the meeting
and d.d NOT vote. ass Dr. Wood sad %
confirm The nominees. ! kept my seat
and decided t9 resign. because wanted 90
ton tho people what these men had done
while I'm Tho Council
"Whc1 wc went into office two years
ago we heard that "a good deal OF money
bad been spent Boo the city government
Tine Committee ON Rctronchmeut and
Reform. with Nlr. James Caske as chair
man and myself as one Of the members.
went through the different depart
menfs We found that 900 1891 tho Coun-
cii spent $41o c45.lf more than tho city s.
income 10 took us some time 20 find
ont whore savings could Doe made. In
1855 We exceeded the income only by
l35O0O. thereby saving $4,000 one year
] dare say that this city is governed as
economically as amy other city in this
country.
THE COUNCIL DEFENDED.
What has this Council done for the
city OF Richmond? We have given "a
franchise 10 new railroad compau~
the Richmond Traction Company. ]
want OBJ say right here that the statement
Of pr Wood is correct that ! have of
fcrol o. resolution pledeing The members
of tne Council for this ward TO favor
the Traction Company DR. Wood had
my resolution in his possession and
should have published it All I asked
was to protect the Traction Company
SOD its rights
"Now let me ten YOU something about
The sum Of $1,000 which was spent Cor
The purchase OF the triangular lot on
Broad street. which was favored by the
most prominent citizens Then again
one of the movers of the Good Govern
mcnt League appeared before the Council
ana asked for an appropriation of Sl509o
for th, construction OF bicycle track
iu the middle of Broad street
The Good Government people have com
pared the cost of running the city Of
Richmond with the cost of the city gov
eminent of Chicago But 1 want 10
compare the expenses of the city OF Rich
mond with that Of Atlanta. Ga. In 1890
Tie population of Atlanta was G5.0uo and
that oi Richmond 5000. The taxes col
lected in 1894 in Atlanta on real and
personal estate was SL2ooOl0. and in
the city of Richmond only $50 900. lt
cost tle city of Atlanta for tho year 1894
e. gCr uno Goo ram it's city government. her
income was little over million and
hall. and her expenses exceeded the
revenues by 5000 In Richmond tho
expenses of che city government in 1904
were Sl.7u1 OUl. while her revenues We're
81 10000 In 1895 the expenses Of the
city OF Richmond were reduced 10 $l,4Ol.-
OlO The great deficiencies In our lie
coipts is due 90 the fact that the people
do not pay their taxes. If they would
give in correct list of their taxable
property we would have money enough
20 pave an the streets like the road-bed
il paved around the jefferson Hotel and
iu twenty years we could pay off all our
inl ohteancss My friends, T. A. Cabin
and Dr.. Jud j. Wood are both wealthy
centlemen. and could both buy me q dozen
time over but ] pay more taxes on per
fonal property than both of them put
togethcr
SEND THE OLD MEN BACK
Il know a gentleman on Franklin
street who lives in a house that is worth
$4,000. and DE pays tax on N,o" for
The furnishing of bis house. The Coun-
ell q this city Is charged with wasting
tho citv's money. They don't make any
excepfion. They told me that the Mon
roe reoplc were AN right and yet they
1urned three of them. TWO OF lhe"
were on the water and poor committee
the only two committees that lived not
only within their income. but saved ne
city 5000 each. They say the city mas
&c sseets. the city Hall does not amour"
20 anything Who is responsible for 'he
CITY Hau2 Not the Democrats, hut the
Reform party. and 10 Us monument 10
the latter. The League people put u
down for $4,000 They built the 'nau1-
ber OF Commerce az ana expense or %I''-
600 and The assessor puts It's value 'l
$4,000 The Board OF Directors klckc"
and flo aeet. mont was reduced 20 Hln1,-