The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-01-26


MEssRs. EDIToRs IL was somewhat sur.
prlsed to see, IN your columns of January
10Th, signed s'Tax Payer such an INDIGNANT
TRADE upon mild and unoiFending article.
which appeared in your issue of the 18th inst.
signed '.Vox Populi, and which was written
for the Democratic 4drocate before any re.
appointment of Steward had been declared
and IN which no personalities whatever were
used nor no one censuTed. s'Tax PAYER. -
however, took occasion to charge the author
with using .'inhammatory'i language, absurd
arguments, and as being sore head; all of
which charges are too himsy to notice, and |
shall only refer your readers to the article in
question to disprove those charges. But why
such a veugeful and labored article should be
called forth is hard 70 understand, unless a
late order OF the Commissioners has had the
effect to interfere with the mental eauinimity
OF some one and to make his head sore,
supposition which the latter portion of Tax
Payers" article seems to prove correct.
Have Mr.. Tracy and his friend become so
very sensitive that an humble citizen cannot
express his opinion about public matter I'M
less he has committed a grievous and unpar-
donable offence, for which he is to be cen.
sured and misrepresented Or has the pos
session ofpublic property for so long, with
such unchecked privileges entailed upon them
such inalieuable rights to such possession as
to preclude the humble expression of an opin-
ion concerning the Aims House without caus.
ing howl or ''sqHeai7 % Be that as it
may, | shall now in justice to other tax-pay-
ers, and in vindication of s'Vox PopuIi.i
take occasion to present only a few facts,
which | think should be known. And if the
truth should fall heavily upon the heads of
those whom Tax Payer seeks to defend.
it is no fault of mine. That Mr.. Tracy knows
the duties of Steward, and that he keeps
the Aims House and farm in good condition.
no one pretends to deny. But that the conn
ty S money has been lavishly sauandered, and
that imposition has been practiced. Is also
demonstrable. By reference to the monthly
expenses as returned by the Steward to the
Commissioners, may be found bills amount
ing to 500 and S95, paid for $3.50 whiskey.
often averaging $50 per month, and other ex.
trayagant charges, such as 81 "a for the loan
of a sausage grinder, or 50. IS for few case
ments for sausage, &c, sufficient to prove
conclusively that the people money has been
shamefully squandered.
Again, go If you please, Mr.. Tax PAYER.
and ask either of the gentlemanly produce
dealers in your town to show you the accounts
kept between themselves and Mr.. Tracy, and
you will find that he has frequently sold them
produce from the Aims House farm of which
he has never made any return or given any
account. For instance upon one page in n
certain book may be found the following. sold
by John Tracy to Grimes & Weaver-Janu.
uary I'D, 1877, bbls. lard, SCI; Feb. 10,
10 bu. and Is lbs. wheat, $27.lS; Feb. Is, Is
Blu. and 80 lbs. wheat, SD. %; March 10, 10
bu. and 40 lbs. wheat, S2S.5l; same date, 2
hogs, $500; Aug. 3, 80 bu. and 3s lbs. wheat,
S44.4l, amounting to S2l2.30 which sales
have never been reported to any Board of
County Commissioners. And vet, in the face
of all this accumulated evidence of imposi-
ton and bad faith toward them, two of the
honorable gentlemen of the new board still
persisted in their determination to reappoint
MIR. Tracy at all hazards; though under force
OF circumstances they were obliged to accom-
pany the appointment with an order, which
they publish, fcrewarning all persons from
buying from, or selling to the said Steward
on account OF county, as they will not be re-
sponsib:e, thereby tacitly admitting that thew
had chosen Steward whom they could not
trust, and in whom they had no confidence.
A precedent without parallel in any county.
Is It any wonder that the Aims House expen-
ses have swollen from FIVE or six hundred dol
lars year, besides the produce raised, to the
enormous sum OF over seven thousand dol
lars? Refer to the account of the Aims House
expenses for the years 1862, 63 or Ga. and Won
Will Ind that the average expenses, over and
above the produce raised was from FIVE 10 six
hundred dollars per year. Yoa will there
also md wheat, rye, eggs, butter, chickens,
ana even down to ninety cents worth of cab
bage returned regularly. Yet Tax Payer de-
clares those expenses have not increased.
Refer to the last two or three County State
ments, and you viii find that the average
yearly expenses of the Aims House and farm
are now over seven thousand dollars.
But, Tax Payer says, the tramps and other
oenefIcidrtes have increased three hundred
per cent Who are the other benefciaries
that are causing the expenses to increase so
rapidly, and are thereby sapping the frugal
industry OF the hard working and honest
taxpayers? Where are those bene6ciaries ?
Do they live al the Aims House or in West.
minister? What are the benefits that thew
receive? Do they consist of lard and bacon
and pork and -four and beef and COW pasture?
Let those answer who can But tell me. in
what proportion the regular inmates of the
institution, those kept there as the county's
poor, have increased in the last dozen years +?
UT suppose there was none. Could you,
Messrs. Commissioners, expect your expen-
ses to be any less If you suffer your Steward
to sell the produce and stock from the farm.
and put the money into his own pocket, and
yet continue to cash every account which he
may see proper to bring to you, however unne-
cessary or at whatever cost?
In conclusion, fellow taxpayers, | woul d
say, inquire, examine, look and see for YOUR
selves. II IS your privilege to investigate the
conduct OF your public servants, and by their
fidelity or inhdelity let them stand or fall.
Jan. y, 1878. VOx PoPUII.