Smyrna times., 1870-10-05

that the actual debt of this State is about ST.
llo'o0O. This debt was incurred to raise
FUNDS to relieve the people of this State from
the Federal cOnscription--to assist citizens
drafted into the army to relieve themselves by
paying communication, or by procuring substi-
tutes. Is that statament true? Does not
every honest man, aye, every honest Democrat,
know that the act creating this large, and now
burdensome debt, Was engineered by the selfish
family " for the purpose of elevating them
to place and power, and to neutralize the ef
forts of the United States Government to
crush out secession and rebellion, and perpetu-
ate the Union Of the States? We repeat, does
not every man know this? 1t is useless to deny
It, Had this same fund been raised for the
purpose of paying bounties and equipping
volunteers to defend the Government from the
assaults of Rebels and traitors, the State of
Delaware would have been reimbursed out of
the Treasury of the United States, and no such
indebtedness would then have existed, no such
unequal and odiOus tax law as we now have {;
no rumors of embezzlement by our public
officers; and above all no such selfish, corrupt
and tyrannical family" government as now
controls this beautiful State, and, for the time
being, paralizeS the efforts OF out honest me-
chanlcs, and retards the development of our
agricultural resources.
10 meet the interest on the State debt and
to gradually sink the principal, the Legislature,
IN August, 1864, controlled and influenced bv
these same managers says the DeLawarean,
LAID tax upon the railroad and steamboat
companies in the State, at the rate of ten cents
for each passenger carried. This tax, the rail.
road companies paid for some time, under pro-
test. Why? Because the law was defective.
and unconstitutional. While it applied equal
ly to steamboat companies with railroad COM
panles, no tax, or comparatively hone, was
ever collected Of the former, while the latter
paid 1t under protest, and finally, under de,
cl'lon OF the U. 5. Courts, of similar case in
Nevada, refused to pay it altogether. And
the proceedings referred to in our courts. we
regard as of but little moment at this time.
with accruing interest on our State debt, emptv
Treasury, and runors of fraud and peculation
among our officials.
The tax bill referred to, which was engi-
neered by these same selfish cormorants-one
OF whom, it is said, received $500 from the
Treasury tor his services, has also proved to be
defective in its operation, and the tax-gather-
ers and assessors pocket large share of the
money collected as compensation for their
services.
The vanity of these men eliminates in the
following paragraph, which we think the
reader will pass Judgment on at the proper
time:
From what we have said the reader can
judge whether there has been any mismanage-
ment OF the State finances. We think That
is, Salisbury brothers that they have been
managed with great skill and Judgment, and
very successfully ly when all the facts are taken
into consideration"
10 which we add gentlemen, show your
hand-give us all the facts The people will
expect to hear full developments at the meet
ing to be held tomorrow.