Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-14
WILMINGTON. DBL.
Thursday AfteTnoons August IL.
THE GAzETTEs ANSWERS TO OUR CUES
TIONB.

- First. How much Of the recent increase OF
the debt Of the city, Of which il complains, Was
caused by the funding Of floating debt ?"
To the above, the Gazette answers
"First-The debt OF the city was increased to
the amount Of the floating debt funded"
Upon this, we presume We need not comment.
That it is reply, at ALL the reader will see for
himself. 1t does indicate, we fear, that the Gdzete
is not sound Of mind.
Next We asked
" Second. By whose management in Council
democratic or Republican-was that floating
debt heaped up p
And to this the Gazette replies
"Second-That floating debt was heaped up by
the management Of the Republican party, ante
riOr to and subsequent to " the seven months OF
Democratic control, in 1871"
This, it ls freely admitted is plain and posi-
tive answer. But while it is poeitive, it has the
fault Of being ossentially-almost entirely-un-
true 1t ID preposterously and absurdly inac-
curate. The facts are. that in January, 1871
when the Democratic members Of Council pur'
chased themselves into majority, by the cor-
ruption OF a Republican member, he Repubt-
cans had tcipea out he floating debt There cds
no iIdeJtedneSs OF that Kind IN ,ristence. The
allie ,ation Of the Gazette that part OF the $780,
900 Of debt recently funded WAS = heAped up F."
b. the l.spuLlicans, anterior to the seven
months rule Of the Little Tammany, of 1871, is
without a shadow Of truth
On the contrary, the slOO, 900 is nearly all the
legacy OF those seven mOnths' mismAnagement
During that period, affairs were badly conducted,
as the Gazette itself has partially admitted. Some
OF the Council Committees exhausted their APP
propriations, which had been made for the whole
year, as early as the month Of July, and money
was scattered without stint. But beyond this,a q
futile attempt was made TO humbug the people
by pretended great reduction OF taxes" The
estimated expenditure OF the year was S225 900,
and in order to raise this tax levy of l2 per
cent. (upon rental value) was required. But in
an effort to deceive the public, tho rate was cut
down to 0 per cent. which was only shree-fourths
OF what was really needed.
The consequence OF this manoeuvre WAS read
lily anticipated, from the first. II any one will
turn to the files Of the COMMERCIAL, early in Au-
gust, 1871 lie will zee that we then demonstrated
the certainty that the management then prevail
ing would inevitably accumulate floating debt
OF at least fifty thousand dollars, by the end of
the year, and that, when the Republicans we're
again placed in control, in September, by the
votes of the people, nothiuG could preve at or
check this accumulation.
This is the plain truth ill regard to the $780,
900, Of the floating debt recently funded that
the greater part of it was the direct result OF
seven months of Democratic rule, in 1871.
Now the Gazette has, in some fashion, replied
60 three of our questions. 1t has omitted how
ever, the second clause OF Number aree, to
wit
How was the Democratic majority in Council
existing for seven months of 1871 pro'mred?
And it has entirely neglected our fou;th query
which is highly important one, as follows:
Fourth. In the increase OF the ,bt. othe
than by the funding Of lloating obligations, wha
expenditure should have been omitted, anC
why ?"
The Gazet,s pretended that the city was beinl
ruined by an enormous debt. The story il sim
ply not true. We have now explained the origir
of nearly the whole Of the slOO, 900 Of floating
debt, and We again press the above question, al
TO what other expenditure should have beer
omitted aud trhyy