The daily gazette., 1879-12-22
C3f1f Fi7lOncp9.

EDITOR OF THE GAZLTTE '--OeuT
Sir: The editor Of the Republican, in
ali editorial of the Goth inst, as usual,
endeasors to lead the people astray in
relation to the financial condition of the
city of WilD ngton. He does, however,
admit that there will be In bank on the
first of January $4,000. Old fox-like
he tries to explain it away. He has
failed in the attempt because his knowl-
edge of the city's finances is very limit
| ed. He knows better, but he is such a
hide-bound partizan he cannot tell the
truth when the truth shows his party to
have been reckless and extravagaDt. Let
us look at the City Treasurer's report,
January 4th, 1877, under Republican
rule, and how much do we find in bank,
$3, 1886. They had tax rate of $1.20
on the 500. What do we find now under
Democratic rule, and tax rate of $1.15
on the hundred dollars? To s.y the
least of it there will ne $4,000 in bank
on January 1st, 1880, and no floating
| debt. How different this is from
the Republicans, who had such trifle
in bank, and large floating debt But
you will perceived they borrowed from
individuals as well as banks, and paid 9
per cent. interest. That was all right
then. The committee of 20" were as
still as mice. Why one of them loaned
the city $4,000 and was paid six per
cent. Why, sir, this Republican party
paid annually fiom four to seven Lhou-
sand dollars for interest on their floating
debt, and no doubt if they had remained
in power the tax payers would still have
been robbed of this amount for interest.
But how different under democratic
rule! The Democrats funded their
| floating debt al a. per cent, and have
not cre ated another, thereby saving to
the tax payers about six thousand dol
lars for interest. He speaks about $34,-
900 being withheld from its legitimate
purpose and has been applied to the pay
ment of current expenses. This is not
true as l will demonstrate. First, it took
$1,000 to pay their gas bill. Then $1,000
tor Anton Henze, one hundred dollars
for child being hurt on lot Ninth and
Pine, and about six hundred dol
lars for lie. .islative expenses and
numerous small items, which his party
contracted and left the democrats to pay,
making about ten thousand dollars to be
paid. These items were not anticipated
when the appropriations were made
January 1st, 1879. But by careful
management and strict economy we
find that q tax rate of $1.15 on the hun
dred dollars is ample for the current
years. expenses, and to the astonishment
of all, we will have at least thirty thou
sand dollars over, and safe in bank,
really to commence the new year with.
This is good news to the tax payers, and
very comforting to the democrats, who
can walk the streets and look their con-
sttuents, and in fact all, in the face with
clear conscience, knowing that they
have done their duty and saved at least
$4,000 to the tax payers in one year. 1t
will be difficult matter to carry on the
city government to July with the availa-
BILE means at the command of The Coun-
Gil, but rest assured it is the determine
ton of the democrats to do all in their
power to save the city paying interest on
borrowed money. Economy will be
practiced in every department, and debt
ors to the city will be called upon to pay
up, or take the consequences of having
costs to pay besides the debt. Why, sir,
| YOU can at once see that if the items re-
ferred to, amounting to $4,000, had not
| been taken from the Treasury, there
would have been $4,000 in bank in
stead of $4,000. Will the Republican
statewhat this imaginary floating debt con
sists of? The interest is all paid, to date,
no notes in bank to pay, and the appro-
priations not yet all exhausted. Let him
give the items, and when the debt was
contracted and by whom contracted, and
make fair statement of all that has
been done. Then let him tell his read
ers that $1.15 on the 500 is ample to
cary the city government.
This he will not do. But by trickery
and misstatements he will endeavor to
make the people believe that by creating
floating debt, and borrowing money
from banks, aud paying six or seven
Thousand dollars interest, and large sala-
ries to officials with big margins for lighi
ing the city, S31 per post, when it can be
done for S2095, besides giving quite a
number of his party pets contracts for
oil and offices for lighting, costing thou
sands o! dollars. This had been bis way
of doing things until the people were
ground down by extravaganza, and,
feeling the great wrong perpetrated upon
them, they hurled his party from power
by such majority that caused him and
his adherents TO shake and tremble for
their misdeeds during the past twenty
years. The last election was indeed an
indignation meeting OF the people against
those who had been in power so long
and who had governed the affairs of the
city with recklessness and extravaganza.
T Mr.. Editor, your statements in regard to
the city's finances are easily understood
!. for you state nothing but the truth, and
this is what caused our party to triumph
Truth! truth! DEMOCRAT.