The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-04-23


we may not hereafter have to write thai
Winter. lingering. chills the lap of
May
STEALING IN THE PANTRY.
The Hon. John Richie, a prominent !
Democrat who has on more occasions
than one openly denounced the iraudu-
lent practices of the Ring managers Of
his party in this State. once used this
language in reference to the undiSguised
system of public peculation practiced by
his INSCRIPTIONS party associates and
with whom Gov. Hamilton is now openly
at war:
OR boys hire lad their hands in the
rSugar 5qrrt1. and hnring ben stealing i"
the pantry. noe rant to get into the par
"E0r''
One very pretty piece of pantry steal |
ing the Annapolis Republican, exposes in
its issue of the ninth inst. The Ilagers-
town Mail. Governor Hamilton's organ.
had charged that the ColtollS had enjoy ed
!. monopoly of the fat printing Jobs
under the present - Boss" regime. To
show hat he skirts of the .MH--which
Cotton terms 1.-The Mountain Organ of
all the Moralities were not altogether
clean, he publishes the following extract
from the books of the State Comptroller
Ia, ri
every citizen:
State OF Maryland,
To the Managers of the
Hag-r>town Nail. DR..
To amount paid rhe "Colrnns for
printing i'll supplemented form
the laws passed II The January
Session, 1872 ............. . 5 leo
To making out bill and collecting
same Observation-Disclosures. 1,227 30
Total. 81 .3a7 80
To amount paid the "Coinn>' for
SaIn,. work in 1871. 5 100 %
To making ont and C 'llrctin s | i'll
for same. 900 90
Total Sl,65u 90
For same session 1873, paid the
"CnifnnS ..............-. lOU W
To making out hill and collecting
same. LOO 90
Total. 81, 200 90
To session lSS0-pnid "Cnltons".. 5 100 90
Tn making out and collecting bill
for same. Observation-Disclosures. LOU W
Total. 81 POO 90
Making grand total for f'nr sessions. for
publishing The laws, of SI,}lI.1o. oar at
which sum rhe C"lr"n~ We're lald $500, Hn'i
rh Hay-r>tnwn .N,T received rhr balance
nf 81 ,g77. 30. for rhich HeH ne;th"r set Dhe
tupe nor made rerOl"tion Of their press.
But while Mr.. Cotton considers this 4
very etfectual e>t"ppel OF the party cry o.
venaitv raised against him by the KaH
vet his admission. that the charge against
the State for services never rendered aud
for which. as he says "hey m1ht3 sal
one type nor nude recol"tion IF their
Press" is. as Senator Groome would say,
upon general pri"eiples perfectly jn>tiIa
Die. SD long us it could be defended upon
the ground of patty usage, Indicates IL"
low level of "Ring" political honesty.
I'VE do not. says Mr.. Cotton. al
Indie TT this work as any evidence OF
wrong done the State by the managers
of the Hagerstnwn .H'H.'
Now this is the same specious argument
by which the pick pocket justities the
act of piieiinS the pocket of his we'll
dressed victim. lie is able 10 Lose ii.
M wrong done the State.
What rule of business honesty can NJ.
Cotton apply to the individual that is not
equally applicable when the State is il
party i'll interest!
Does Mr.. Cotton pretend to say, that
no question of individual honesty can be
involved in any overcharge made the
State?
This is not only what he means to say.
but which he cuntesse. is the ruling prin
cipe of the party in power.
1t is true the stealing is dc Tended under
the name of subsidy Il sort of party
free gilt a Bourbon bounty. paid to IA
vorite journals. the personal service OF
which the Ring managers are glad to
recognize. and glldder to pay or out OF
the people monies of which they arc the
custndians only. which they hold simply
i'll IA tiduciary capacity, and are as much
thieves for stealing, as the guardian who
robs his ward, or the administrator who
tilches the monies of bis intestate.
Cotton talks very t1ippantly about
jobs which the organ OF the Governor
is not adverse to having 4 finger in
1t is just this very - stem. of jobbery of
which the taxpayers of Mary !am! are
heartily sick. Year after year the steal
ing has gone on. The tax Gates have
grown rapidly richer. while the tax-pa
ers have grown steadily poorer. There
is really very little comfort to them in
in undertaking to determine which polit
zeal .'jobber" got the more of thei,
nard earnings, the German sltalitc OF
the Hamilton henchman. They are most
interested in protecting their Treasury
against either and both of them. But !,
little longer and the whole herd will be
driven from the public crib.