Daily Republican., 1879-07-30

Sumner and q Wilson will long remain
under subsection to such an unholy
mass. Butler, however, is not yet elect
ed Gov srnor of Massachusetts,.
The City Manaxemeat.
A paper in this city is conspicuous
| for movement on the part OF the peo
pie to lay an injunction on the City
Council to restrain il the moment II
may make an attempt to borrow a few
dollars to meet expenses if its appro'
priations should run short. In the main
the paper is correct, but while 1t takes
that position it certainly looks very in
consistent to spend SO much Of its abili
ty and space every few days in loaded
articles, ,ad vocating..the opening aud fin
ishing of Christians avenue to the Del
aware river. We are not opposed to
either Of the positions taken by the pa
per referred to, but We cannot be SO in,
consistent as to urge the people to step
in and prevent the City Council frohl
borrowing few Thousand dollars to
carry on the city until the taxes are
paid in July, and at the same time urge
this same Council to engage in an en-
terprise which would compel it to bor-
row money. 1t is we'll known that We
have heartily objected all along to a re-
duction of the tax rate to LIS, because
it must inevitably create floating debt
which will have to be met by next
years taxes. We think Council has
done wrong, and under the circumstan
ces we are opposed to the borrowing of
a dollar after the present appropriation
has been expended, but while this is
our opinion it doe, not follow that the
Council must be prohibited from bor-
rowing in cases of unforeseen necessity,
which may arise any day by the break.
ing out of infectious diseases or some
unforeseen calamity. We have in com
mon with the other papers of our city
earnestly advocated tue opening of a
highway to the Delaware, and We hope
the time is not far distant when this
desired AMI much needed improvement
will be made, but such an improvement
will take money. mile and quarter
of an eighty feet wide avenue cannet be
opened, graded, curbed aud paved or
macadamized over boys, marshes,
bitches and inets, and steamb boat
wharf built at the river without an
enormous outlay Of money, and that
money has to come from some place.
Will the paper that has so lately wax
ened up to advocate the improvement
tell us wherei
1t will hardly be built by taxing the
property owners along the route, for
the taxes would be very high. 1t could
not be built by the taxes laid to carry
on the ordinary expenses of the city,
for it would raise the rate of taxation
so high that the p rty that would at
tempt it would be Immediately driven
from power, and if the city attempts to
borrow money, not only fpr this i'm
provement, but even to carry on the
necessary work that must be done, the
uptown paper threatens it with an in
junction and prosecution. If this is
consistency well may its virtue be
questioned. If strict economy is what
is wanted then we think Council is OH
the right track in reducing the rate Of
taxation, provided it prevents the crea-
tion of a floating debt. 1t should be sup
ported by thu paper that condemns it
in practicing economy instead of being
melted to undertake an experiment
which cannot, at the present time, but
result in large increase Of floating
debt. Consistency is jewel.