The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-21
NEW "PlETRl0T" PLATFORM
DROP A NICKLE IN THE SLOT AND
GET WHATEVER you DESIRE.
You Can just Touch the Button ana
the New PIetriot VIII DO
the Rest.

The following is the new "hatform
mon which few boiling Democrats
.,ope to slide into the management OF our
municipal affairs with the aid OF the
colored voters of the city:
"Wheareas, we believe that munic'pai
government should be administered III
the interest of all citizens, thereby IN
suring an economical expenditure OF the
nublic funds, fair opportunity Tor every
citizen regardless of party to hold or
fee of honor or profit, and IN so Tar as
practicable, to Obliterate partisan strife
from city elections, we adopt the follow
ing resolutions, and request every citizen
ef Raleigh to unite with us in exciting
a citizens ticket controlled by no poll
t;cal faction or municipal ring. There
fore, be it resolved.
81 That present rates of taxation are
a. high as our people can possibly bear.
and that any increase thereof will do
great and irreparable injury to the work
ing classes and small property owners;
therefore, it is our aim to place before
the people ticket composed OF citizens
whose purpose it shall be to- continue per-
manent improvements without an in
crease Of the already excessively high
rate, or the issuing Of bonds. by judi
cious and economical expenditure OF the
public money and consolidating duties OF
offices and dispensing with unnecessary
salaries and fees now paid to city Of
ficials, and at the earliest possible mo-
ment to reduce the present tax rate.
so. That officers should not be elected
under municipal governments Tor more
than two year terms, and in no event
should a man hold Office for more than
two successive terms, thus abolishlng the
growing tendency to life estates in and
fee simple title to office.
SO. The city being corporation, we
hold that every qualified voter is stock
holder and is entitled to cast one vote to
suit his individual desire in the selecting
of those who are to manage the AFFAIRS
Of the corporations; hence we, believe that
municipal parties should be separate and
distinct from county, State and national
politics. and that the relations between
the same should be by appeal only.
81 Recent attempted legislation gives
us reason to believe that further efforts
will be made to put upon the people an
usurious law under color Of a means for
the collection Of unpaid taxes. The I'M
fortunate ones who may not have the
means to pay their ta . s before the first
day Of December. are now compelled to
pay the usurious and eXtortionate rate
of - per cent as a penalty for their
poverty. We do not believe in the taking
Of usury on the part Of the city govern
ment or otherwise, and in all our doings
will use every lawful effort within our
power to suppress the same.
SIS. We believe that in so far as prac-
ticable the duties of offices should be
consolidated to require the whole. time Of
those who draw salaries from the city
treasury, to the end that bona fide citi-
zens may be employed on our internal ef-
ficient notice service afforded our people.
Sc. We believe in an equitable geo.
graphical disbursement of public funds
IN permanent improvements. and fair
distribution of the offices of the city, and
we pledge ourselves to enforce the same
as near as can be.
90. We hereby pledge our support to
the foregoing resolutions and declare that
we will endeavor to nominate represen
tative ticket, composed Of citizens ca
pable to carry our principles into execu-
tons, and that we will cast our votes at
the city election accordingly"
So the new city "Pietriots" have at last
promulgated platform and, in popular
parlance. it is a peach. n e
It proposes to prohibit the people from
participating in the protection OF their.
own interests, and turn them over to a
Cor, .,o+ar+;ol r.otonfa ia q Who will Gh1ick
plums at their pleasure.
The first spasm In tlernews 'natform,"
as the late John Utley would cali 1t. pro-
poses to consolidate the duties OF officers,
thus dispensing with salaries so that the
money expended for salaries may 90 into
permanent improvements.
That's a scheme from Schemersville,
and Schemersville is evidently located
about midway between the offices OF Jim
Young and Loge Harris, which is, to be
more explicit, in the back room OF Frank
Stronach's buggy shop.
But let's see; maybe there is something
IN this scheme.
We can tell by waiting.
The pietriots propose to put out
ticket for mayor, clerk and tax collector.
Now. the thing for them to do, if they
desire to convince the voters that they
mean what they say when they declare
In favor Of consolidating the offices-we
say the thing for them to do, and the only
thing they can do and be consistent, is
To consolidate these three offices and NOM
mate one man to fill them all. thereby
hopping off the salaries of the two other
officials. Now let's wait until Friday
night and see if they do this. OF course
tho citv charter is against it, but in the
language Of famous statesman. what
is the Constitution betwixt friends"
and besides, these same fellows
have been saying that the Demo
cratic aldermen were going to advance
the price of liquor license, when the char
ter says they can't do it. They evidently
think that the charter ''has nothing to
do with the case" If they desire to be-
gin the campaign in accord with their
platform they should consolidate the
three Offices mentioned, and nominate one
nan to fill them all.
The second spasm Of the new flat
e., Iaa1or tl,o@ nH, chn,r16 hn