, 1874-01-26
Reply to the Criticisms Made
by Ex-Mayor Medil1.
Alleged Errors Contained in Mr.
nledi1l's Statements.
The Reduction Of the Tax Levy in
October, 1871, Justified.


70 the Editor ~ The Chicago Tribune:
S1n: In pursuance Of the iutontion Expressed
In my card published In your paper OF tho 18th
inst. bog loayo 10 reply, aB briefly % possible,
to tho reflections upon my administration con-
tainod in the letter Of tho Hon. Joseph Modill in
your paper Of tho 12th inat. The facts and
figures which I shall cito have been cnrofully
complied from tho official reports Of Council pro-
ceeaings. tho City Comrtto]ior's annual state
ments, the records III tic Comptrol1ers Office.
aud from original papora. Thoy arc stated, I
beliovo. with entiro corrcctness. I dosirc to
ontcr into no controversy with Mr.. h1odill Us to
hIs administration, but simple Justice to mine
requires that point out tho errors in Ills state
ments in regard to it.
THE APPROPRIATION or JUNE, 1871.
Mr.. Metli'l states that "Tho Common Council
in June, 1871, mado appropriations to tho amount
Of q, Goa, 600 In round numbers, In addition to
tue amounts to bo expcnded from tho salo Of
bonds and proceeds Of special aBsosaments,-
the 'g w19ls aoo o6a fSotns up s somo
81, 900, md tho amounts to bo expended
from the sale Of bonds md proceeds Of special
asscsementa for tho then current fiacal year,
wero sle8, 900 aud .s1,513,600 respectively
sooo1 t6 y 12 tSSyS esSo error o rom
dree,antl-one-ha!f 10 Jiue:and.one.Aa!f millions
Of donars on The part Of in,.. Aedin. Hia atate-
mont III also erroneous Ill TINT 1t conveys tho i'm
proasion that the proceeds Of bonds aud Of spe-
c,ai nsaeasments we're to be- appropriated by tho
Council at will. In fact. all Of the bonds that
could by law be iAauod had long before been
disposed OF, and the proceeds largely used for
the public works. to construct which tloy wera
sold, and to the credit Of which the uuexpenled
balances remained And
THE srEcIAL ASSESSMENT FUNDS ARE NOT RAISED
UY TAXATION,
40 hr. Mcdill knowg, aud should havo stated,
but by asseBslnont upon tho particular property
arc expended. Ho sta!oa, in this connection,
thai " The famous Nineteen and tho indopond-
ent Boards OF Extravnganco woro then running
things at livo1y paco and having good timo
n,ny navo boom tho msdoeds Of F" tho Nineteen"
they nevor during my whole torn OF office, stole
ono dollar from tito city; md tint ts tinanceB
wore protected against extravaganza and 10Hs at
faithfully and as successfully, ulldcr my Admin
excepting hlr. Medill. and lot mo add that
welded the voto-powcr far moro frequently than
my othor Mayor, ind always with succoBH.
THE TAX LEVY OF 1871.
Mr.. Modill states that ITO covcr tho "a. .GQ9,-
goo Of direct appropriation, TIC Nino!ctr levied n
15-1nill tax, x,"-ovidonsly meaning to imply that
both tho levy and the appropriation wore cx-
ceHeiyo; aud, indeed. ho afterwards refers to
turo." Were to adopt Ills tactics, should
only ronly that, to cover tho 60 600 900 Of direct
appropriations mado under hfr. Medila Admin
istration in 1873. an 18-nill tax was leylod; and
furtlor add TINT tho actual tax.lovy III 1871 waa
but 10 mills, instead Of Is, and that it WAS pass
ed unanimously by tho Council. But have no
desire to quibblo as to the contemplated tax-loyy
prior to the Tiro in 1871 which WINS Is mills; aud
! I'm prepared to show that it was just and eco
900 in Juno, 1871, there woro four Objectionable
items, amounting to $171 900. 10 exclude
those. tho mayor would have been Obliged to
veto tho whole bill, aud
BLING THE ENTIRE CITY BUSINESS TO A STAND
BTILr4.
To avoid this calamity. and also because, At
most, these items could only become a part Of
tho General Fuud, wlonco tlloy could not DO
Withdrawn sayo by separate ordinances. subject
to- veto, refraincd from vetoing the appro-
priation. Timo llas fully Justified tho wisdom
Of this courBc. For at least two years prior ia
1871, tho tax-1eyy had beon Is mills. In that
yonr, tho increase OF valuation over that Of the
year preceding. was but S1a, ,000,0 900, the pro
| cacds Of which would bo nearly absorbed by
tho four items above reforred to. Aud, in at'
dtion to tho necessary increase III expenditure
caused by tho growth OF the city, wo hid to pro,
yido about S900,000 for Inherent on our new
! mover before included in tho tax-levy. That we
did oil this, aud yet routrctcd the proposed tux
! 1oyy to tho old basin of 15 mil1s ii certanly
| crcditablo to my Administration.
| THE REDUCTION OF THE TAx-LEyY1N OCTOBER, 1871
| Mr.. AIelill a:atos tint, IA fow days before
| his election or Inauguration, the Common Coun-
Gill; which previously had nalo such reckless and
prodigal expenditures mot, and. in u tit OF contri'
ton and remolae, repealed one-fhird OF tho tax.
loyy SoTithHtandg toy bad exp;endoa led tue the
ing the money at tho very moment j." aud. III au-
| other place., he represents my Administration af