, 1860-02-06

loI crushing Vut l1ttuoAA u PuAtlE%1l opullou
and action, he carefully omitted repeating
them, On the other baud, Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, Of Mississippi, has boldly denounced !
them, AID srurned the gift rendered by the
representative Of ffee State to tho slaye
power. It was sorry dag when Mr. Doug
las promulgated his slave code for the white |
man.
a WORD TO TAxrAYE1ts.-PRo-
fESSIUNS VI. PIkACl1CE.
The Dyer administration made itself odious |
by its extravaganza and corruption. When
the municipal election Of 1857 came OF, JOHN
Wentworth assured the people Of Chicago that
he, Of all Others, was the man to put stop to
THIS corruption aud extravaganza. pay of the
floating debt Of the city. reduce the taxes, put
q wholesome check On special assessments,
aud place the city government upon IN econ
omcal basis. He was taken at his word, and
put into The Office Of Mayor. His Inaugural
Message WAS full Of reform. All the promises
which he had made during the canvass, be
pledged himself anew to carry out. The Com
mon Council approved Of these professions Of
economy, and By decided majority passed
his pet measures. The subordinate officers If
the city government accepted his counsel. 1Ic
bad 10 refractory officials 10 deal with. 70
a1l intents and purposes he WAS. during the
year Of his administration, City Dictator. If
he did not fulfil his pledges, it was because lie
did not wish to. The power was in his hands.
We arc low within 4 month Of our annual
city election. John Wentworth again desires
to he elected Mayor. He is nightly attend
ant upou Ward and Club meetings. and wher-
ever he goes he talks about corruption and ex-
travaEaucc, and holds himself up as great
yeiormer and model economist lie wants to
create the impression that the city government
is III a very bad way aud that he is the only
man That can Eave it. We are afraid John
Wentworth has too high III opinion Of himself
an opinion that tic records OF the city govern
,ucnt will not only not sustain, but which they
lIai'y contradict We are afraid t.:,t if lie is
a=ait, made Mayor he will do as he did IN 1857
levy tho heaviest Tux that the people Of CHI
cayo have ever paid. rccklessly increase the
| special assessments and leave the floating
| debt Of tt,c t:itx larger t1lan he found it.
When John Wentworth came into Office il
March, 1857, lie told tho people that he wanted
4 big tax-1evy to enable lin to meet current
expenses and pay OF lie floating debt that
had coma down to him from the Dyer admins
truier. Tic request was granted and when
lie went out Of cilicc at the end Of lis term 10
told tl,c.u tue floating debt was oil paid ctl.
At Ward meeting a few evenings ago, he
repeated that 1e transmitted no floating debt
70 his successor. Tho records Of the city gov
crnment prove not only that he did not pay off
the floating debt. but that lie lei! ii larger than
Ae .t'nnd IL.
| In accordance with Wentworth's request
The Council levied tar for 1857 Of fifteen
mills for general purposes and two mills for
sas-li:hts-scyenteen mills III all. Tile tax
warrant for that year amounted to $572,-
| 225.37. If Ae had fulfilled his promise. out
| of this sum he would have paid of tue floating
debt which came down to his Administration
Of $l16, ,oo35.37. and met the current expenses
Of the city. Instead Of paying off that debt,
however, or any portion Of it. ho increased it
10 $2o8, ,946 80. That was the extent Of his
rettenchnent and economy. The books Of tue
Comptroller, and tic Comptroller himself. will
verify this statement But with characteristic
ctlrpntery, in lis paper and i'll public speeches
just at the time Wentworth was going ou
Of Office, be asserted again and again thai
tue city was entirely free from contracts, olt
claims and floating debt. lie gave tho SAINT
| assurance to lis successor in Office: but NJ
, sooner had the latter entered upon his dutie
tl,an llo found there was paper past due ap'
awaiting payment is follows: to Geo. +. Lee
. for bonds due since the previous Nov v''nbef
| $2l, GO; to Geo. Smith Co., bonds du
since March lst, $6e,a3A.si, to the sewcras
3 Commissioners, for balances Of 1856 and 81
S&l;03;;. -; also large liability to the coun
l sy for the enlargement Of the Court HOUSE
Q | besides .naur unpaid bills and nncomp}ctc
i ] c3utr:cts thrown over upon the incoming At
,ninis,ration. The financial report Of Febr,:
RI 1853, shows den handed over by Wen
- worth 10 Mayor Huines Of $lG7, ,03o.6s; bl
tl.crc must be added $ll.916.17 f,r interest I
Scwerage Commissioners Reform Schoo
amount refunded on assessment for opeuin
: 1.asallc street, &c, making as stated n1oye, Il
entire floating debt handed down by Wen
- x,-nrth IN J{uines &oOS 9iGS0
:, Wentworth says the takes arc too hig
:. Let us sec how our taxes under Mayor Haine
~ administration compare with tue taxes und
~ Wentworth. During Wcntworths s administr
ton tue taxes were fifteen mills for gcne1
y. purposes, and two mills for gas-lights. Hasne
~ tirst year, they were eleven mills for gerel
~ purposes aud two for Gas-lights; and for
~ second year, thirteen mills for general =,
~ poses and two mills for gas-lisht. Hahn
- average taxes for general purposes, in the II
:. rea1s. i,re{ce mills Wentworths ta1cs
~ general purposes, FIFTEEN MILLS In ott
words, the taxes under Wentworth for gene
=, ~ purposes .oere Twenty-Five per crnt. higher III
o. ticy lave been under Haines.
Tho tax.warraut uldsr Wentworth amou
j, -" ed to $57e, e,2o5.37. Under Haincs, in Is
~ ~ s4ao, ,oesos; ditto in 1853. s5l3,eso.So.
%" other words, tho taxation last year was
y, :" than Wentworth's year By $lAl,e27
:" aud this ycar it is less by $58 $40 81. 7
~ Haines assessed the game tax that "entwo
=, did, the people Of Chicago would hare
SO 81, during the last two years 5000, AMI m
H. ta1es than they have paid. md Mayor Hal
would havo realized from this source, ak
~ w. almost enough TO pay Of the entire floating
- ,oAich Wentworth turned orer to him. Thi
III. refreshing in view Of John Wentworth's
|,;,o Of ECONOMY and Low taxea-' =
49,, But John Wentworth seeks to make cal
for himself by declaring that tue present
fos m;nistration is grinding the people to dealt
1faz. enormous special assessm' nts.: Let US
Gro: ',. how the case stands compared With Y
,sats worth's administration During hls lW