The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-25
Mayor Walkers Repori
An Attempted Fraud upon the People
THE FRAUD EXPOSE Di

In the Journal Of yesterday we
exposed tie falseness of the state
ment in Mayor WALKERS Report
that at the time no took charge OF
the office, on the 18th of April 1865,
there was a cash indebtedness against
the city-which he had to provide for
within the first four months OF his
term-of Thirty four thousand and
tSirfy Dollars anil 4i0enty-taoo Gents.
We also exposed the falsehood that, at
the time he took charge of the city's
affairs. there was an Indebtedness which
he had to provide for out of the du-
plicate Of 1868 Of 1922, 020 A. This
latter was a falsehood, gigantic in
proportions, and shows the desperate
ness of the Mayors situation, that
seeks relief through such an instru
mentality. We shall proceed, to day,
to show that Mr. WALKER, by the
very policy he adopted and pursued
during the year, conyicts himself Of
falsehood in his financial statements.
We propose to demonstrate this by
no system Of garbling We shall give
reports and items as We find them off
cially made out. We leave the garb.
ling to Mr.. WALKER and the Courier
AS we said In the outset, if candid
investigation does not convict Mr..
WALKER of duplicity and misrepre-
sentation in order to deceive the PEG
pie and cover up his Encouragement,
we shall cheerfully give him credit
for the financial acumen and admin
istrative ability claimed for him by
his friends.
Suppose, for the present, we admit
that at the time Mayor WALKER was
inau gurated he found an Indebtedness
of 1922, 020 Al to be provided for out
Of the Duplicate and revenues of the
city fer the year 1868. That amounl
was very nearly equal to two thirds of
the entire revenue of the city during the
year 1867. Under such an alarming
condition of affairs, what would have
been the policy of a prudent, eeono-
mical and skillful fnancier? He
would most assuredly have adopted
a most rigid aud faithful collection Of
the revenues of the city, and guarded
the treasury so closely that the ex
penditures would be cut down to the
lowest possible limit. Indeed, Mayor
WALKER had pledged himself to do
this or resign. His organ asserted
that Mayor BAKER had pursued a
laundering and corrupt" inan
cial policy, that he had been reck-
lessly extravagant, and that he
had not only diminished the trade
of the city, but enormously in
creased the taxes. Mayor WALK
Frs election was to change al
this. The trade of the city, and con.
Sc luently its revenues, were to be in
creased, and taxation was to be ma
terially lessened. Now, in view Of that
t,01 hundred and t,oeaty-hco thousand
dollar indebtedness, how did Mayor
WALKER proceed to meet it? Let u,
examine. First, as to how he in
creased the receipts; second, how be
decreased the expenditures. In order
that we may arrive at a correct con
clusion, we place the receipts and ex-
penditures of 1867, the last year o
Mayor BAKERS term-item by item
and side by side-with those of 1868,
the first year of Mayor WALKERS ad
ministration. We challenge the Cour
ier to do the same for its readers. We
take the accounts as the gentlemen
report them. viii our readers exam
inc them carefully. First, the