The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-25
STATE FINANCES.


To DR.. R. c. MackaH,
MY DEAR DoCToR:-In The Democrat OF
18th inst, referring to the few remarks |
made at Westminster, on the Sth, you say
"our space at this writing does permit reply
to these charges but at early day we will give the
public the true history Of the Defence Loan and of the
present financial condition of our State We do not
intend either garble msrcpresen but to meet the
! issue made by Mr. Jones fairly and squarely"
l had no idea that my crude remarks
would attract so much attention, and |
confess | have waited with some degree of
curiosity to see what answer you would
make in fairly and squarely" meeting
the tissue" as you are pleased to term it.
l knew precisely what candid and fair
examination of the State finances would
lead to, but how this result without being
"garbled or misrepresented" was to meet
any tissue which had made, was beyond
my comprehension, and waited with much
anxiety to be enlightened.
But to-day instead of ga true history of
the Defence Loan, and of the present finan-
cial condition of the State the result of
your oun investigation, made upon your
otcn responsibility, and in fulfilment Of
your voluntary offer not to "garble or mis-
represent" you declare your intention to
"redeem your promise to show the value
of my statements" by publishing the ad-
dress of your Central Committee. AS this
address has been before the public since the
morning of the 9th inst, when it was pub
lished as an advertisement in the Baltimore
Sun, now know, as we'll as will next Sat
urday, how you propose to meet the issue
fairly and squarely;" and regarding your
answer as already made, l desire to touch
as briefly as possible the issue between us.
In my remarks at Westminster made these
points:
1. The people are oppressed with direct
tax of over twenty cents on the hundred
dollars, and the Defence Loan which was
in 1864 adopted merely as war measure is
still kept up and increased. To meet the
expenses of the government Mr.. Woolford
is compelled to resort to his printing press,
and during the years 1878 and 1874 has
issued over three hundred thousand dollars
of the Defence Loan.
What is there in the Central Committee s
report, which you adopt as your own, to
contradict this statement? With the tax
Collectors perambulating the country, and
knocking at every mans door for the State
tax of over twenty cents per hundred dol
lars, will you deny that such tax exists ?
and when your Mr.. Woolford reports that
for the fiscal year ending Sept. Both, 1873,
he issued $65, 900 of the Defence Loan, and
that between that date and the same period
in 1874, "The extra ordinary expenses of
the last session of the General Assembly,
and the large appropriations made at that
session, made it necessary to issue 1851, 900
of the Defence Loan tn order 10 reimburse the
treasury in time to prouide for the payment
Of the interest on the public debt" what has
the Committee said that in the slightest
possible degree lessons " the value " of my
statements.
Ny second point was, that the corrupt
practices of certain Rings had detracted
from the high character which Maryland
formerly enjoyed, that these very rings had
made the nominations, had beaten down
the majority, and by trickery and fraud
forced Mr.. Carroll on an unwilling and in
suited party. How, l ask, does your Com
mittee's report contradict that statement :?
l am not careful reader of your paper,
nor indeed of any newspaper, but l am
much mistaken if even The Democrat has
not charged fraud and corruption and trick
cry to the men who nominated Messrs. Car
roll and Woolford. BE this as it may, the
following resolutions unanimously adopted
by the Calvert county Democratic Conven-
ton are pretty plain on this point of char
acter:
mocracy of Calvert county recognize in this time of off
ca corruption the necessity for reform in the manage
ment OF the financial anars OF the state Ihey per-
ceive at although through various the business
of the country has suffered general prosraon and the
times have been particularly hard the agricultural
and aborins classes of the population yet taxes be-
coming and office holders numerous.
Resolrsd, That this Convention depore the official
travagance, the reckless expenditure of public funds
and that bartering of offices by which political power
| So frequently sought and obtained.
Res0red That this Democratic Conservative party of
Calvert county, without casting reflection upon other
honorable gentlemen mentioned in this connection
| ognize in the Hon. VIM. T. Hamilton of Washington
lie tfnIt Nv
ability, his fearless and ncorruptibe honesty, and by
his personal integrity. to head the political reform
becoming necessary the welfare of the State and
to the future of the Democratic party in Maryland
AS early as August, 1873, S. Teackle
Wallis, Esq, wrote letter for publca-
ton, in which he said:
In common with large number of private citi-
zens, have lamented the injury which has been
to the good and prospects of the Democratic Con-
sentative party in portions of the State corrupt
practices. unworthy nominations personal ntrcues and
low 'ounsels l believe party long retain
sp"ct or power under such demorazing influences AMI
am free to that do not think the Democratic Con
sentative party will deserve retain either unless it
mends its ways in these regards, and that speedily
The Hagerstown Mail, Democratic paper
in Washington county, in regard to corrup-
lions in the State tobacco warehouses, says:
1t is well known that these warehouses are nothing
more than asylum for needy and greedy politicians
The inspectors selected more with view their
skill in manipulating primary meetings than for their
fitness for the dutie, they expected to perform.
This being the character Of the inspectors surprs-
ing that buyers have confidence their
and that all sold in Europe which the bulk of
it, has to De rcinspeced So that the s32 49,
which the tobacco paid last year, entirely
| without beneficial results
Upon the same subject the Journal Dem
ocrat paper of Calvert county, says in SUBJ
stance:
Last Winter one Of the warehouses burned DOWN
and this left but one warehouse upon the wharf for the
reception of tobacco. This leaves tobacco without shell
ter when it is landed and great deal is injured. Tho
State officers refuse to appropriate of the large
received as Insurance. upon the destroyed building to
erectinGn new warehouse, even She'd for the pro-
lection of tobacco the weather. on the ground that
they have authority to do although the thing
has been done before The inspector who has charge
this warehouse of the faithful appointed by Mr.
| Whyte, although he has not ing to do, and is in al
probability attending to his private business, still true
to the interests Of all his friends faithfully draws
annual salary of 81 500 from tho payers Of the State
1t generally believed that the reluctance of the State
officials part with this insurance money for the pur-
it, together with the money received from tho baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, is deposited in banks in which
| tain prominent public men are interested"
The third and last items, to which called
attention, was the cost of the Legislature,
and stated that while formerly our Legisla-
lures had cost from fifty to seventy-five
thousand dollars and during the war had
run up to eighty four Or eighty eight thou
sand dollars, now under Ring manage
ment the session cost over $3.50, 1000. l
have seen nothing in your adopted report
which "meets this issue either squarely Or
fairly" A few figures from the Comptrol-
er's reports may throw some light upon
this subject:
1862, one extra and one regular
session, $sO,659 40
1864, SO, $3.50
1866, 70,10407
1874, 191, 15267
l now desire to say few words about
the address, which you endorse and adopt,
and leave candid people to say whether it
redeems your promise that you would
"neither garble nor misrepresent," merely
adding in justice to you, that am sure if
you had made this address yourself, from
your own personal examination, you would
not have been guilty of what, to an unpre-
JUDGED man, looks so very much like DELHI
crate garbling and Misrepresentation.
The address says that the
expenditures of the State
for the year 1865 was So, 125, sos. SO
And for 1866 3,390,617.5S