Daily Republican., 1878-12-03
The REPUBLICAN has the laFs est
circulation Of amy PapeT in Hela'
ware. Advertisers take ""te Of
this.
state and City Debt.

state and City Debt.
The fact that Wilmington's debt
greatly exceeds that of the STATE, and is
constantly increasing while that OF the
State is dim :nishing is not merely dis
graceful but dangsrous.-E. +. Der 2.
The above is about the way that the
Euery Euening puts things, when it
wants to make what it considers point
and show its superior wisdom. Every
body knows that the debt of the state
is decreasing, and it is possible that
the debt of the city is increasing, and
We pr sumo that Wilmington is not
alone in this respect. Phi adelphia
has a larger debt than the Stat" of Penn
svlvania has New York city has more
debt than the State Of New York has =;
Jersey City has agreater debt than the
State of New Jersey; Cincinnati has a
greater debt than the State of Ohio;
Baltimore has greater debt thar
Maryland has, and we might mention a
larger number of smaller cities in the
States named, that have greater debts
than the States in which they are loca-
ted. Though there may be many a
dollar Lselessly spent, it does not fol-
low that dishonesty and extravaganza
are the main causes of piling up muni-
cpal debts, and the comparison b"twren
our State debt and our city debt is not
a comparison worthy Of a guide. Be-
fore the war Wilmington had a heavy
debt-we think about SITS 600, and
the State had no debt at all. What
will the Every Ereaing make out Of
that? We might with the same pro-
priety argue that the State was at least
protligate if not dishonest, in allowing
debt to accumulate in a few years un'
till it doubled the debt of the city. We
might Just note here as We pass along,
that the great bulk Of the debt of tht
State was created during the war, by
raising money to keep men. from enlist
ing in the army, while the city spen'
thousands in equipping and preparing
men to 60 in the army. We are SAFE
at least, in saying that Delaware nev-l
voted one dollar to equip regiments tt
take the field 20 pay a bounty to sol
dier, or dollar to a soldiers family
But that is nothing here nor there.
The State got into debt and so die
the city, and what is there to show 70
1t The State aided the Delawar
Railroad Company, but that cannot b
called debt, for it is amply secured
She aided the function q Break kwate
Railroad, and tried to secure herse,
the same as in the case of the Delawar
Railroad, but it has not proved pay
ing investment. Outside of these raj
roads where are the States trophies {
improvements ! For years past sh
has not speut a dollar for internal in
provsments. The wvrkingmen Of tn
State have not been benefited OH
iota by the States Improvements, to
she has none. She need have had IL
debt, had she not been over anxious t
rush in and pay the communication iet
of drafted men to keep them from yoin
into the army, and when the Govern
ment would not accept commutati0
money any more and demanded mel
she raised $500, 900 to pay to the drat
ed men to enable them to employ SUI
stitutes. That is the way the Sta
debt was made, md it is now being r
duced by the taxes of the Wilmingtc
manufacturers. If Wilmington has
heavier debt than the State, it is b
cause she has more improvements =
Look at her magnificent water work
her miles of paved and macadamizt
streets, her splendid school houses ar
a school system that puts the State
the blush. If Wilmington is in de
she has something to show for it, al
he has the con ISOLATION of knowing tn
ner debt was not created to keep h,
patriotic citizens from going forth
fight for the old hag. There is often Z
trtvagance no doubt, there is in all d
partments of business, but there stan'
the magnificent city upon the hill sic
to show where the money goes. Tn
the city debt is not diminishing is
disgrace whatever, but ali increase
he debt might possibly be dangero
in the future if not checked. If W
mington was to stop making improv
ments, like thu State has, it could p
off her debt in three years at the usu
rate of taxation.
- S-a-----
The Prcsident and the south.
The second message of Preside
Hayes was sent in and read in DO
Houses OF Congress yesterday aft-rnoo
The part fraught with the most int
est to the people is that which relat
10 southern affairs. He touches t
outrage question very gingerly bat
the same time here is a noticeable
gree of firmness indicative of his det.