The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-10-29

the number OF saloons, exported a
lot of professional gamblers and i'm
proved public morals, but they had
greatly reduced the Indebtedness Of
the city, while at the same time ex-
pending more money than usual on
street Improvements, etc. .r.
The other side were saying that
this board had saved a great deal by
having the electric lights cut off for
several months. YES" said Mr..
Figuers, emphatically, land we will
do so again if the Electric Light
Company try to bulldoze us as they
did then" Instead of paying what
the company wanted them to, they
demanded cheaper rate and got
what they wanted. They red uced
the number of lights, and, ins tead
of paying 500 per light on five year
contract, as the company demanded,
they Were now paying $50 per light
on a one year contract. And, be-
sides, if light is out two hours at a
time, they charge the company up
with two nights service for the light,
and make them pay it, too.
But of all the campaign lies he
had heard, two of the littlest had
Just come to his ears. One was that
H. P. Figuers was against the
public schools. lie wanted it under
stood that he was as much in favor
of public schools as anybody. He
had served six years on the Board of
Education, and the first medal that
was ever offered to any scholar in
the public schools of Columbia, was
presented by him.
1t was even being circulated that
this Board had passed the Dortch
law. This was good law, and he
was glad that Columbia had been
brought under its Jurisdiction. 1t
gave cleaner and purer ballot, and
punished both the person who sold
his vote and the rascal who bought
it. Some people were bowling
around that the Dortch law was an
enemy to the negro, but, instead,
it is protector to his manhood.
Mr.. Figuers at this point was asked
to explain about the proposed
amendment to the charter of Co
lumbia. In reply he stated that there
were two amendments to the city
charter proposed, one by the Reform
Party and one by the. opposition
The one by the Reform Party had
for its cardinal object the issuance
of bonds to buy aud own our cleo
trict light plant, and to correct some
serious evils in the collection OF
taxes. That some parties had not
paid their taxes for years, and this
was imposing a heavy burden on
those who did pay their taxes
promptly, and the purpose was to
devise some plan to force these de-
linquents, some of whom were large
property holders, to pay their taxes
The cardinal features of the amend
ment offered by the opposition, was
to make a man eligible to the office
of Mayor or Alderman without any
property qualification or previous
citizenship in the city; aud to make
the aldermen elected by wards, SO
that the voters in three wards would
have no voice in the election OF
aldermen in the other ward-al-
though that alderman so elected
could vote taxes upon the people OF
the other three wards. Mr.. Flguers
said he had strenously opposed
both amendments and suggested a
conference between the friends OF
each proposition; which conference
was brought about, and resulted in
an agreement to drop all amend
ments. The other side afterwards
tried to get their amendment
through, but failed.
Mr.. Rea's speech.
Mr.. T. j. Rea, of the Third Ward
was the next speaker. He said thai
he was for good government, good
morals and impartiality. He would
not be ground by any corporation
and succumb to their demands
When the contracts for lights was
made with the Water and Light
company, he with the others worked
until their proposition was cut dowr
$500. He said that. the candidate;
on the opposition ticket may bS
good men, but this is not fight foI
men, but for principles. He
never asked for office aud dldn'i
want it, but be was willing to wOrh
and do anything for the welfare oil
his fellow citizens.
Mr.. Ruttle's Speech.
Mr.. w. A. Ruttle, of the Second
Ward, was the next man called for