The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-10-11

:, "a" ' &C esrr'- me taxpayers will he nm.
Ioie 10 pay their taxes, and must surrende,
! .nelr property to the city authorities The
u CITY debt must be met as it falls due. and
i Ihere can be no relief from this burthen.
1 great us it is and unjustitiable ~ il. w.
crease. The Onl v remedy left * f., l.sssn
guy expenditures. This is the opinion OF
lne great mass OF property holders. If those
WI" pay the taxes will unite and form y
soild phalanX, they will force the desired
decrease, II not Immediately, yet in a re;l-
Sonaoie time The taxes of III. city must
NC reuuced 10 an amount which property
can bear The system of not naripT n,
matters 80 on, but of issuing bonds bearino
interest, must no longer be tolerated.
hear IN mind these are not the words of n
hepubiican, but of one whose adherance
10 Democratic principles cannot be uues-
tlonea. Inc resolutions adopted at that
meeting afford abundant food for thought
on me part OF citizens who have the interests
vi the community at heart. They denouuce
the primary system, registration frauds,
election 1arces, overpaid and superhous
Offices, and kindred evils. They demand
that all this shall be rectified; the court ey
penses shall be lessened; that grand iurics
shai! De selected without regard to political |
considerations: that the clerks of The citu
courts shall no longer be permitted to rc-
celve Illegal commissions, and that tbav
snail be required to Devote their time To
legitimate business instead of lneddlino in
politics; that the expenses of the State and
cry government should be lesSened, ect. In
TACT, these Independent Democrats brine
lofth as strong an indictment against the
powers that be as we Republicans could
ma. And the fallacy of their position i.
Ihal tney deem redress possible within "tbe
party, while experience pr0rcS beyond the
possibility of doubt that this is utterly
!,; we nave waited for the relief and
sneE nave mao the opportunity to afford it
lor Tour years past, and we are rs far fran, |
It's attainment through their instrumentalitv
tonight as on the day when these promises
were 1lrSt given. 1t seems to me fellow
cltlZens, that the time is now ripe for callinp
10 account those who have misruled the city
ana State for SO long time, and | appeal 10
every good citizen to rally under the Eenuh.
can banner, upon which is inscribed "citv
ana state Reform" and if | am by your
votes elevated to the high and responsible
position for which have been nominated 7
promise, with the aid of an honest Lenisio-
Lurs TO not only audit the accounts of past Il
administrations, but to so reform the State
expenditures that reduced taxation shall re- h
suit. Whatever ability and energy | pos
'eHs Shall De gwen earnestly to this end, so
IL 10 merit the commentator of all citizens al
of party
since the panic of 1873 the country has hi
,een passing through critical period -
aiueS have been depreciating, incomes
essened, and the wages of laborer have pl
zen reduced from thirty to fifty per cent. II
ct we lind that the tax rate to meet the av
lenses OF our city government has increased bo
rom 9l.b3 IN 1873 on an assessment of ar
: Dos, 80, to Sl.90 in 1873 on as assessment
9.E,-oo,5 30 This too, notwithstanding
ne increased purchasing power of MONEY Id'
apout II per cent. This year the city tax DC
lte has been reduced to 81 80 per hundred
an expedisnt of doubtful policy and Nm rel
QUILTED bad faith, viz: the appropriatinr of if
large portion of the sinking fund to nav
lie runnlns expenses of the city government.
In 1866, when the Republicans had the "S
engagement of the city affairs, their con-
ton was as follows: =
~, VIII
nnned dept, '..:.......... So, 923 500 II cts
of property. al o26 pr m
'.o VI t,Attioh per 9loo.. % =.
'Nes collected ........ 1856, 197 63 gol
c;,,,o Ill.,, sho
80 'n ''ese items nave steadily in bur
eaSed under Democratic administration lilo
III III 1873 they reached the following
ureS: -
,., IL, but
lnuea debt --........... So, 917 21S73 non
seSSment OF property..... 2I9, 266 595 90 eve
o vi ,1A''ioh per SluO. 30 LEV
AeS collected. ......... 4,02S, HI 90
THIS shows an increase in the debt of = Of
out ~ per cent. And while the assess in,r
nj OF property has been increased saw - ,rr.
cent, 1t will be observed that the INK 70 !
e on the 500 has advanced 81 per cent shoe
Is increasing the amount of taxes col
TED from the people in the enormous ratio
nearly one huRdre,i and ten per cent. But VIE
he Tax rate and collections of 1873 vyer. NOV
rly if not nuitc an :, ,roII - W - were into
collections IF 500 .LarI, -, ~ i'''e ness
same basis in orJer ~ ;, -. .euucea 10 digit
lparlSon between the two periods. -.
n 1850 the gold value of currency dollar l 1"l
about ~ cents. Placing the tax rate ne
coilectonS on that basis, the rate would : '.iN :
nave been $3.50 cents on the hundred ms
airs, and the taxes collected 81, 1885, GIG 81 anu
S'S the average gold value of currency u
ar was about 9912 cents. On that basis to Sc
tax rate and tax collections would have corn
Sl.S9 and S4O7S, as. Is resnactfyal,, of ;}6
that compared with 1866, on the poId full
s. the tax rate in 1873 was about Two ed on
ohe-et9hh times greater, and the anount to no
axes taken from the people nearly three -
greWf. These are startling compare child
) ou' 'heir accuracy may be verified by terna
one " II" VIII take the trouble to inveS- five o
e. Erorts nave been made to deceive of pc,
'eoPic ny statements to the effect that dear
r ave u taN0ti1n IN this city compares the pi
raoiy with that of other large cities. W
sophlstry Of this will be apparent when over :,
'aSls OF taxation here is compared with tr,,,,
oil the cities referred to. The assess ,onn,l
Is OF Philadelphia, New York, Boston hooI'
nearly every other city, are much lower i, H.
lively than ours. Were our valuations ars Nv ,
ie same proportion as theirs, it would b.;n,
ne much heavier draft upor'thc sink. wir5,