Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-18

[ That's SOL In the name of progress the
ruin Of the city of WilliamspOrt was
accomplished. A few years ago l saw in
the public prints a statement that the
taxation in WilliamspOrt for that year was
seven and six -tenths per cent. of the valua-
ton. In the name Of progress millions
upon millions of dollars Of debt were
piled upon the people of New York which
must be confronted now in the shape of
taxation of something over S3 upon 800
valuation. Now that which has happened
elsewhere may happen here. You will
tell me there is a constitutional barrier in
the way of the further increase of the
debt, but i say to you in rcp.y that the men
who can break through the statute
law of the state i'll executing city work
will have no very great compunctiOns Of
conscience in setting aside the fundamental
law of the state. And all may be done in
the name of progress" But hereafter,
fellow citizens, OH account of our having
reached the constitutional limit, you will
feel the wrongs done you Immediately and
sensibly, and that, it is hoped, will begct
the remedy. All future expedtures over
the appropriation, must be provided for by
direct tax. Your cOuncilmen cannot
resort to the old system oftemporary loans
and after little while fund them, for
they cannot increase the city's debt over
two per cent of the assessed valuation
| without vote of the people of the city.
What then will be consequence if the same
recklcssness is pursued which has been
practiced heretofore Ten or twenty cents
per 500 additional every year on the tax
rate until high taxes will prevent people
settling in our midst and induce those who
Lnr To InyS
elsewhere as the people OF Williamsport
| are now doing.
Just here would say Il word to my fel-
low citizens generally, and in all earnest
ness advise you to heed what | say. To
| break up this system of corruption you
| must watch the course of your public ser
wants more closely, and when you find
them pursuing an extravagant, illegal,
corrupt or selfish course, although covered
over with the hypOcritiCal cant Of prog
rcss, you must break your party fetters
as many noble gentlemen did to-day, and
condemn by your ballot and by Outspoken
| denunciatiOn the men who commit the
wrong, whether in the name of Republi-
canism or Democracy. Long continued
cheers. Crimes have been committed i'll
the name of religion, in the name OF liberty,
in the name of progress, but much more
frequently in the name of party. We
must remember that we have higher,
nobler duties to perform than to adhere
blindly to patty. Let it not be said of us as
Goldsmith said of the great Burke: That
| Born for the universe We narrowed our mind
And to party gave up what was meant for man
| kind"
One more word as to the future, gentle
men. | have no promises to make. Two
|
promise of any kind to a single individual,
| assumed the mayoralty. keep on and
you'll beat Grant for third tcrm'l. My
record for that time is before you. You
| to-day put your seal of appreciation upon
that record, and am encouraged to go on
as have done, endeavoring to improve
such portions of my administration as
experience has taught me have not been
all they should be. [Three rousing cheers
for MacGonigle.]
| Thence Mr.. Samuel W. Altick marsilalcd
the procession out West King to Manor,
down Manor to Dorwart, up Dorwart to
West King, down Mary to Orange, in
Orange to Prince, up Prince to Lemon, in
Lemon to North Queen, down to Walnut,
out Lime to Orange, to Shippen, to East
King, to Middle, to Lime, to East King, to
Duke, to Middle, to South Queen, to
Centre Square, where it dispersed in good
order All along the route there was
illumination and people stood at the win
dOws and doors and chcercd and were
cheered i'll turn. At Geo. kirchner's S
saloon the procession stopped and he put
Of a beautiful set of rockets that he had
prepared for the occasion, Mr. X. was
loudly chcered for his patriotism.
Following are the returns from the
several wards on the officers voted for.
First Ward.
DEM Select Council. REF.
| jacob Reese. ...... PIG Henry DOcrr.. IN
| Common Council.
Samuel X. Lichty .25OI.J. T. StOrmfeltz... .aa4'
John f. Heth 80. .S5s Harry n. Dillcr... Isl
L 1