The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-10-29
READ! READ!
THE COUNTY FUNDS
Wasted by Thousands upon
Thousands.

was stated to have been made by the
County Commissioners, through some
counsel or agent, with the phill., Will,
and Bait. X. K. Company, by which a
large sum of money due fer back taxes,
came into the possession of the county,
and by which, as the story ran, large
amount was to the county lost. The
substance ofthese reports, as we have on
.ni"er occasions minated, led us to the
conclusion HAT there had hhaen gross
nlSmangement Of the public affairs and
a reckless squandering OF the public
money, all the transactions in which
were kept by the actors IN a deep, pro-
.to"nd and mysterious secresy. And af-
ter the publication OF what protessed to
be an official statement-and what ought
to have been true St0temcnt-of the re-
ccipts and disbursements by the County
Commissioners, for the year ending on
the lst of August, in which no mention
was made Of the large sum said to have
been received by them, we recounted
some of the reports floating abroad; ask
ed if they were true or not, and called
70, statement of the facts; expressing,
at the same time the wish that the state,
ment might be given early, so that the
people might see the truth, and that we
might have opportunity to do Justice TO
the parties whose official conduct was
impeached, if we had wronged them by
lnSinuaton, or, even by the bare men
ton of the reports.
Our remarks have at length drawn
out a St0tement;-and something in ad-
dl'ion, IN the shape of series of articles
and editorial i'll the last cecil Democrat.
That series Of articles, and the origi-
nal subject, it is our purpose in this ex-
ira sheet to discuss. 1t has not escaped
the notice Of the intelligent observer Of
events, that that statement and those ar
ticles have been kept back until the last
issue of the paper which would ensure
their certain and general circulation in
the distant portions Of the county, and
until, it was thought we could make no
reply which would expose and counter
vail them. 1t is to balk such a design,
conceived in such despicaoe trickery,
that we put forth tins extra in advance
OF our regular issue.
Admitting in the start that the present
board Of commissioners are honest
enough and we'll disposed enough in the
main; We nevertheless believe, and the
circumstances prove, that they have
shown lamentable degree Of happiness
and imbcciIity, and that they have been
Influenced. over-ruIed and over-reached,
by clan of willy knavcs and hungry
cormorants, who have had uncommon
luck in appeaSing their greedn"ss for
public plumber; who have led tGalr VIC
Tins INTO fatal mazes Of disaster, TO. them
and to the people; and who would strive
for and most likely obtain, an undue and
dangerous influence over any Democrat
&c Board llkel y soon to be elected-an
influence which would lead to farther
robbery of the taxpayers oflhe county.
Passing hastily to the articles in Tie
Democrat, we shall take them in the
order in which they come to hand. And
we call your especial attention, Citizens
and Taxpayers, TO the nature of these
attacks en- the Editor OF this paper. As
for oursell, We care nothing for such bun
. dies Of epithetS; we can brush them aside
like cob webs or like dew from the grass.
We acknowledge no equal opponent
no "loeman worthy OF our steel"-pen,
in such silly, weak and, as the SIT uaI
will show, ignorant scrib!ers. They
are, Citizens! men whose very hands are
gilt all over with your gold, whose
pockets are distended wit hmon"y wrong
fully taken from you, and who trembIc
lest the eXpostons we are forcing from
their secret grasp, will cause you to put
it out OF their power to do you further
wrong.
This matter is Of more interest to Won
Taxpayers of Cecll-than to us. There
is principle in it; see You to it. Hear
ing by common report that they had
compounded a debt due to YOU, releas-
ing large portion of it without your
knowledge and contrary to the laws OF
r the state; that thousands OF the part re-
celved had been given away for no
.equlvalent service rendered, all Of which
might have been saved for your uses:
and seeing, too, that no account is given
Of these transactions in the statement
they publish to you as atuH end oNcial
statement of the county receipts, VIC
S ventured to question them concerning
their sicwardship-to ask them, as the
h organ of part Of the people, about these
i thousands of your money; and 10 they
o come down upon us with three sole
columns Of malicious misrepresentation
and cowardly abuse, mixed up with par