Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-16
RALLY OF LEAGUE.
1o0D-G0vERNMENT FORCES pnE.
PARE FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
The RECORD THAT HAS BEEN MADE,
How the City's Debt Has Been Re-
duced and Her Finances Improved.
Charge That Club Member. Do xot
Pay PolI-Tax-The Schools.

iauDes Hall, and opened the campaign
so far as their side OF the primary figh
Is concerned The meeting was NOR,
largely attended than any held by tn,
organization in the past year, and 9
number Of speeches setting forth tt'
work done and to be done by the league
were made and listened to with rapt at.
tention.
Mr. Il. A. Catlin. president OF ths
league. called the meeting to order, and
made strong speech setting forth tho
objects of the organization. Referring &c
the commencement Of the campaign, Mr.
Catlin said IT was proper that some re-
port of the work of the past twelve
months should be made. He spoke OF
tho good that could be wrought by de-
termned men. even though they be a
small body. He then submitted figures
10 show how the city's debt had been de-
creased through the instrumentality Of
| the GOOd-Government League.
OUR FINANCIAL EXHIBIT.
Mr. Catlin showed that on February
/. 1896. the cash balance in the sinking
fund was Sl7,l0i65. which I'm 1897 was in
creased to $72 994.4S. and in 1898 TO S9i, 1881
on February l. 1896 he said. the sinking
fund. together with the total cash in
vested by the city. wasiSS7 S4f65. which in
1897, was Si55, ,2Sf>4S. and In 1898 $221, ,9i0.3l
The floating debt in 1896 was $35l.3f0si
which by the instrumentality Of the
league was reduced in 1897 TO 500. .53S.6t
and in 1895 TO $4,000 the debt having
been reduced during the life Of the league
Sl9l S4O.G4.
Mr.. Catln showed that for fourteen
years from 1882 'he city's debt increased
S2 7S1. .931.77 or on an average of Sl9S 709.n
per annum. After 1896 when the Good
Government League came into existence.
the floating debt was reduced Sl9l .34O.6i,
and no bonds were issued after July l,
1896. when the leagues representatives
went into office.
LIABILITIES BEING REDUCED.
The city's total liabilities on February
l. 1896 he said were $7.6l1927.51. which in
1897 was reduced TO N.5OS,22lA, and in
1898 to 1886. .O61.9l. In other words De-
tween February /. 1896. and February ].
1891. the total liabilities decreased $lO3.
7O627 and in a like period the succeeding
year decreased s14S 1888. making total
decrease In the two years Of the leagues
existence of s246, $500
The taxable value Of the city's realty,
the speaker said. was .750. and the
charter permitted an issuance Of bonds
to the extent Of IS per cent. of this
amount This would give the city
bonded limit Of S9S6.915. and the bonds
now outstanding are S.2276S3. leaving
only S7592 2S2 yet to be issued before the
limit is reached.
Mr.. Catlin further showed that If the
floating debt were converted into a bonded
debt the limit would be overrun by the
sum of 1920 7G6. The assessed value cf
property. he said. was 25 per cent. more
than IL ought TO be- and if the property
were assessed at it's proper or salable
value. the limit of bond issuance would
be So 99C 1854 which would make the
city's bonded debt 81. .237, 476 in excess Of
the charter limit
TRIBUTE TO MIR. MEREDITH.
After the submission Of his figures. Mr. |
Catlin said he disliked personalities. but |
the vital question OF the campaign was
whether We were going 10 vote for men
who were pledged to turn out such men |
as Mr.. c. V. Meredith. the best Attorney |
the city ever had. He showed that one |
league officer-the Collector of Delinquent |
Taxes-had collected 10000 more I'm one |
year of service than any other officer in |
that position had done.
Referring 10 the School Boards fight |
for an additional appropriation, Mr.. Cat |
lin said the members Of that body had |
been told that they could only get 100000 |
and yet they had gone along spending |
money depending on a sickly sentiment |
taity to force the Council to appropriate |
more for them. He asked the people. he |
said, If 1t wasn't evidence that the league |
was not opposed 10 free schools. when |
its representatives had just appropriated |
fs- l.,tw
coming year
MIR. NEWTON TALKS.
Mr.. Virginius Newton was called upon
TO speak when Mr.. Catlin took his seat,
and he severely arraigneo' the men who
approve of the league. and yet do not |
take sufficient interest I'm it's work TO at
tend it's meetings. He said in some busi-
ness circles of the city it was considered
almost an objectionable offence for a
man to participate in a political meet
ing. He referred TO the necessity for the
city, as well as businessmen generally.
10 live within its income. and spoke
briefly along financial lines of the good
work done by the Good Government
League.
Mr.. Charles Strause followed Mr.. New
ton, and asserted that one of the trou-
bles the city labored under was the fail
uit Oi ilS capitalists 10 invest their
money here. Mr.. John b. Minor called
attention to the fight being made against
the league by the Democratic clubs OF
the city. This brought Mr.. Graham 10
his feet to dsclaim for the Monroe Ward
Democratic Club any such feeling. Colo
mel w. NJ. Coulling. a member of that
reiterated and endorsed |
what Mr. Graham had said, and asserted
that instead Of working for the dis
ruption of the Democratic party In the
city, as contended by certain club men,
bers, the league was working only for
the better government of the city. The
proneness of ward -heelers to pull the
leg" of candidates was referred to by
Colonel Couling. ana he said one reason
these men were against the league was
that its candidates could not be bled |
Mr.. Coulling said the city papers had not
stood by the league as he thought they
should have done. but despite this, he
thought the league could succeed I'm its
.fforts for good government.
Mr.. John NJ King made a short speech
out he said the prospects We're not so
bright for the leagues success as a
yreat many present seemed 10 think, but
le expressed the hope that success would
lttend the efforts of the organization.
MR.. ROUNTREE NOT HOPEFUL.
Councilman II. w. Rountree was called ,
lpon TO address the meeting. and he. as
lad Mr. King spoke somewhat gloomily
# the outlook. He spoke of the great
of the Council i'm the past
md asked the question: what have
ye save a great City Hall. TO show for
hese extravagant expenditures? Our
Hal