The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-10
A Word Concerning
"Your Friends.

|
ing me circulars. but they did just the
same, and in that circular ''your friends
say that the DOLLAR -and-a Quarter or
dinance, as it is popularity known, has be-
come an issue in the bond election. am
compelled to slightly differ with ''your
friends on this. The "Dollar-and-a-
Quarter" ordinance is no issue at all: it
has been an issue and that issue has
been settled for good and all time so far
as your friends" are concerned, and the
way it was settled is not very encouraging
to the employees of the city who enjoy it's
benefits.
The time when the "Dollar-and-a-
Quarter" ordinance was an issue was in
the last city primary, there's where it
was settled, wait until this bond cleo
ton is over and see if am not right,
whether the bonds carry or not your "Dol-
lar-and- Quarter" ordinance is a goner,
she's dead cock in the pit; any man
with grain of sense can see that, and
l don't know as it matters much to the
people who secured it's passage since it
does not benefit them in the least and
since THE MEM won't say all of them
BUT MAJORITY OF THE MEN
WHOM THIS ORDINANCE DOES BENZ
FIT, MARCHED UP TO THE POLLS IN
THE LAST CITY PRIMARY AND VOTED
AGAINST THE VERY MEN WHO
WORKED HARDEST AND DID MOST
TOWARD SECURING FOR THEM
ENOUGH FOR THEIR LABOR TO PROP
ERLY FEED THEIR WIVES AND chill
DREN; and for no other reason on earth
than fear. fear of your friends" who
had influenced no, not influenced"
because your friends don't influence
city employees in politics.; but because
your friends" had limited, yes, limited is
good, that they desired these men de-
feated.
So much for the ordinance as IAN
issue"
Examining this circular a little closer
it seems to me ''your friends are trying
to brighten somebody, and that somebody
is the working man. l would like to say
to "your friends" that that won't work,
nobodys going to get scared at all. Ii
the ordinance is repealed it won't hurt
anybody except those city employees who
voted against THEIR FRIENDS in the
city primary, and they are already scared;
therefore the mission of the circular as
scare crow is a wild goose chase, ink and
paper flung away, yes, sir, literally hung
away, better have given the money to
feed the bear it would have done some
good there.
The Finance committee of the board OF
aldermen in their annual report recon-
mended the repeal of the Dollar and-a7
Quarter" ordinance in order that the city
might make both ends meet, or words
to that effect. They said that the city's
finances were in very bad shape, that the
city was heels overhead in debt, and the
nearest, best and easiest way out OF II
was to stop paying the city laborers such
outrageously high wages.
Now. if the bonds are carried the ex-
penses of the city will be increased just
exactly the amount of the interest on
those bonds. If the city is already In DEBT
how in the name of common sense VIII IL
ever get out of debt if it keeps going in?
Will repeal of the Dollar and-a-
Quarter" ordinance save money enough 10
pay this increase in expenses and 1eed
the bear too? Not much.
Examining your friends circular
little further we find they say; II they
(meaning the working mem do not desire
it's (the Dollar land Quarter ordnance
repeal and the cutting down of wages, II
would at least seem wise for them 10 SO
express themselves by voting for the
DOnuS, cue.
Now, isn't that nice. Just think of it.
If the bonds are carried and the city S
expenses and debts thereby increased,
thew will be able to pay dollar and "a
quarter per day for labor; but if the bonds
do NOT carry and the city's expenses are
NOT increased but remain as they are,
thew can't afford to pay but Is and 80
cents Did you ever hear such TOM
Jc'
any such stuff themselves They certainly
have very poor opinion of the intelif-
gence of the working men of >Raleigh to
imagine they can stuff any such rot az
that down their throats, and every SELF
respecting laboring man in this city ought
to and / believe will, resent the insult at
the polls on August 10Th.
ssYour friends" indeed! No more pit
ter set of enemies to labor ever lived, and
God forbid that such will ever live IN TINS ,
city n~niu soon.
little further down in this circular
from your friends" ! find one OF your
friends" interviewing another of your
friends" He says: Il UNDERSTAND
there are now several members on the
board Of aldermen who are c2possi 10
the ordinance-three or four Nho Vot'"
against 1t last yCar-anQ So II "ouiN w
necessary for them to convert only three
or four others tc their side in oruer TO
repeal the law" Now, let's see about
that. the vote on the ordinance was lo
for, and against, and one tMr. Melon
add not voting. The three voting against
it were the members of the Finance Com
mittee, Messrs. Jones. Andrews ana
Wilder, and believe they were con-
scientious in it and did what they believed
to be for the best interest OF the city.
Three of the members who voted for tae
ordinance are not now on the Board,
that leaves on the present hoard seven
who voted for and three who voted
against the ordinance, and l believe at
least one of the three who voted against
it before will oppose any attempt to repeal
it. Granting this is so, that makes eight
members of the present board who would
object to it's repeal, granting that the
seven who voted for it originally have
not changed, and surely these gentle
men would not, by voting to repeal, &C
knowledge that they voted for the ordln-
ance simply to deceive the working peo-
pie and secure their support in the city
election, which was only short time
he.