Daily Republican., 1879-09-20
Those Blank Receipts.


Those Blank Receipts.
Those blank tax receipts that were
used so plsntifully on election day, that
had Mr.. Carpenters name signed to
them, appear to give our neighbor Of
the 'Gazette" a great deal OF trouble.
It seems to have the fair name and fame
ofJossph L. Carpenter, jr., in keeping,
and is very much afraid that the pub
lie might think from what We have
said that Mr.. Carpenter, yes, jr., we
must not forget that, had signed and
issued those blank receipts, or else it
is very anxious that We should say he
signed and issued them. Now, its great
anxiety for Mr.. Carpenter, jr., cannot
induce us to say any thing of the kind,
not even to crafty the "Gazette," and
If Mr.. Carpenter, jr., was half as much
concerned about it as the Gazette
prstends 10 be, he would in all proba-
bility have come to US himself to set
matters straight, without employing a
newspaper to protect him from misrsp-
rsssntation. We have known Mr.. Car
penter, jr., for quite number Of years
and are pleased to say that he ranks
amongst our most snterprising citizens.
We wish We only had more such Car
pentsr, jr's., in Wilmington. We will
also admit that he has made quite as
elective tax collector as the law re-
quires Of him. OF course he has not
troubled himself about hunting up Re-
publioans and making them pay poll
taxes for the law never intended that he
should do so, but he has sat in his Office
and received the taxes that were
brought to him, just as effectively -
any other tax collector could have done,
and We believe he has been honest and
punctual in paying over every cent he
collected to the County Treasurer. We
believe also he has been diligent in
importuning property holders to make
them pay their taxes and in all respects
Mr.. Carpenter, jr., has been model
collector SO far as the law required him
to be. Now We don't believe the "Ga
zetts" can go farther than that in its
praise Of Mr.. Carpenter, jr., so then
where is our offending? Simply because
we said that there were blank
tax receipts flying around on election
day bearing Mr.. Carpenters name
signed to them. We never said Mr..
Carpenter, Jr., signed them; oh, no,
We did not intend to do that, nor the
"Gazette" in its great anxiety for Mr..
Carpenters good name, cannot get us
to do so. The signing of those receipts
is something that very few know any
thing about. 1t was never intended
that they should know, and we never
said that Mr.. Carpenter did know any
thing about il, but nevertheless it is
positively asserted that there were no
scarcity of these kind of receipts in cir
culatipn. As the Gazette" assumes to
think that there could not have been
such receipts in circulation because
Mr.. Carpenter signed none, We would
ask it Why should it be impossible that
Mr.. Carp-a'er's name could not have
been forg 4 a. many other names have
been ? We are not personally cogni-
zant of it, bu! it IS said that it is no I'M
common tn 'ng for the names Of the tax
collectors to he forged to tax receipts
and wny should Mr.. Carpenters name
escape! Oh, but the stamp Well,
why colld no. the stamp b. counter
feited also? The impression Of the die
goes forth on every tax receipt that is
issued. 1t is visible to every ordinary
sight. Then why, in these days ofpro.
Aciency in counterfeiting, should it bs
hought strange that simple plain
die for making impressions on tax re.
ceipts could not be successfully coun-
terfeited p? We think that We have
made ourselves sufficiently plain to bs
understood by the Gazette" y Mr..
Carpenter, Jr., and by the public, and
+ the Gazette" is really anxious, il
by any sudden spasmodic twinge OF
conscience it might feel imprlled to ex-
pose and condemn the frauds at the
late election by which the rights Of the
people of Wilmington have been sc
outrageously violated, instead of apollo.
gizing for them, then we welcome it IN
the good work. Mr.. Carpenter needs
no defence from it, and anyhow it will
be time enough for it to come to his de.
fence when his character is assailed,