The Cecil Whig., 1875-09-11
How Baltimore has been Plundered by
the Democratic Ring.

How Baltimore has been Plundered by
the Democratic Ring.
The Baltimore american publishes an
exhaustive expose of the plunderings of
the Democratic ring which has fattened on
the peoples money in that city since 1867.
The same condition of affairs has been car
ried on, though to less alarming extent,
in the State finances, and ell that is neces-
sary to astound the public would be as thor
ough an overhauling of the accounts of the
State treasury as the city accounts appear
to have been subjected to. We append a
few extracts from the -4mericdn's expose to
show what Democratic g reform " MEANS
In 1867, during the latter part of which
year the Democratic party came into power,
the expenses of government, including the
interest on the debt, were 81, G36, 3S4.09.
The tax levy was $1.40 on basis of S147,-
07S, 105.00. This was an increase over
former years, and howl was raised over
it during the campaign. For 1868, the
Democratic party in order to carry out its
pretense of reform, reduced the rate to
S1.20, but in the meantime State reassess-
ment had taken place and the basis Had
been raised $2O6, 13S, $500, an increase of
almost one-half more than the previous
basis. But the tax eaters, hungry from
their long fast, fell to work voracousy.
The expenditures of the City Commission
ers' Department jumped from $16S, 42S.03
in 1867 to s26S, 511. .35 for 1868; the Health
Department from $3.50, 423. Sc to S254 COL
6S; the Port Warden from 800, to
$l66, 1856; the Courts from $131, ,014.99
to S21S 1890; the Criminal Court alone
bounding ahead in its expenses nearly $9,-
900 above the previous year. The only
reduction made was in the expenditures of
the City Council, the virtuous reformers
keeping their expenses down to $40, 1902,
whereas the previous Council had spent
S31 ,4G1.97. This spasm of economy, speed
lily repented of and fully atoned for by sub
sequent extravagances, is the only trace of
retrenchment noticeable in the conduct of
the Democratic party during all its years
of administration. The result of the first
years labors of the party of ECONOMY
and reform" " was that the expenses of gov
ernment were increased from S4, 636, 3S409
to $5,2S1, 1870, and the tax levy on the
largely increased basis fell short $3.50, 200,
piling up large floating debt.
GOING FOR THE sPo1Ls.
The promise of this auspcous begin
| ming has never since been broken. The
| floating debt has assumed unmanageable
! proportions from the outset of Ring rule,
and has only been kept in bounds by being
| funded and included in the bonded debt,
rolling up the burden resting on the shoul-
ders of the taxpayers. The voice of the
Reformer was thenceforth hushed. In his
subsequent messages Mayor Banks did not
dilate upon their "earnest efforts to be
faithful Stewards" but the glozing strain
of the professional apologist was taken up.
The flood in Jones' Falls was selected as a
convenient capegoat-although examina-
ton will show that its back was not broad
enough for the burden-to bear the great
| increase of expenditures. For 1869 the
rate was increased to SLIGO on basis of
$203, 739, S04, an advance of 40 cents above
the rate of the previous year, an increase
unprecedented in the history of the city.
In 1869 the City Council, sickened by the
previous attempt at economy ran their
expenses up to s34, G11.39, almost double
| those of the previous year, and more than
$4,000 above those of 1867. The Court
House Ring, booming along in its career,
ran the expenses up to S243, G52 81, almost
double what they had been in 1867, the
Criminal Court, as usual, doing nobly in
the way of eating up the taxes. The ex-
penses of the City Commissioners Depart
ment increased from S26S, 511.3 .35 to $751;
1865 So, which is largely attributable to the
cost OF rebuilding bridges, ETC., carried
away by the flood. The other departments
of the government showed some reduction,
although still soaring away ahead of their
cost in 1867. The expenses for the year
ran up to So, $50, 529.91, an increase of over
one million above the expenses in 1867,
although they had been deemed so enor-
nous as to give cause for raising the cry of
reform.
THE REFORM DODGE ABANDONED.
By this time all pretence of reform,
economy and retrenchment was abandoned.
The ring managers hummed the song:
"Oh, no, we never mention it, " and Mayor
Banks messages assumed fine moral tone
which has since become characteristic of
Mayoralty literature. There is something
comic in the way Mayor Banks lodged the
ugly points sticking out in the yearly
report of the Comptroller. In his message
for 1870, he says in a style which seems to
show one the whites of his eyes and uplifted
hands:
"In order to evolve fact for which we
| may be thankful, it is evidently proper
that we should reverently appreciate and
acknowledge the truth which needs not the
process of comparison to unfold, is absolute
in ITSELF and patent everywhere around us.
that Providence has indeed blessed our
community with general health and pros
perity."
He had to go a long way to evolve
fact " to be thankful for in the affairs of
the city. The poor Mayor, standing in
perplexity alongside the results of ring
rule, was as hard put to it as the good
hearted Dutchman, who at the funeral of
a rascal SO bad that no one could name a
good trait, said after deep meditation:
"Vell, den, he was a goot schmoker."