The daily gazette., 1882-09-05
DEMOCRATIC COUNTY TICKET.
A Mares Nest. sure Enough.

The morning organ comes out to-day with
a pretended exposure Of a transaction In
city affairs that has been known for months.
that was never done surreptitiously, and
that would have worked no disadvantage to |
parties directly interested had the present
City Council performed its duty in the mat
ter Of raising money by taxation for the |
current year.
The great "mare's nest" discovered by |
the morning organ is the fact that $40, 600 |
of the money raised by the sale Of bonds |
for the erection Of new public schools In this,
city was spent by the last City Council for |
current expenses of the city. This is an |
nouuced with great flourish OF trumpets |
as startling discovery" when, in fact, 1t |
Is no discovery at all, as the money was |
spent openly, with the full knowledge Of |
every member of City Council, and with the |
expressly declared intention of refunding 1t |
to the Board when the July taxes were re-
ceived.
1t happened towards the close of the last
fiscal year, as had happened frequently be
fore and will in the future, that while the
treasury was short of money, people were
clamoring for necessary public improve
ments in all parts of the city. 1t was in
Difference to this demand that after the
revenues of the city were exhausted the
money reserved for the School Board was
drawn upon and expended. This money, as
it laid in bank, by no means belonged to
the School Board, but was the property of
the city. The latter was simply indebted
to the Board to the amount of twenty seven
thousand dollars, and itAnade no difference
to the Board whether it was paid then, when
it was not needed for school purposes or ii
July, when the need for 1t would be NOR,
pressing, and as was the distinct understand
ing In City Council at the time.
As We remarked before, this arrangement
was effected openly and without any at
tempt at concealment. 1t was within tn
knowledge of every member of City Coun
ell and the present Chairman Of the Fnane'
Committee knew it as well as the rest. HI
failed to raise his voice in opposition at tn
time, thereby tacitly asscnting TO tn
transaction, and In his presen
position is morally bound to carr
out the arrangement In which he virtuall
took part by voting for the payment 0
bills which Ire knew could not be paid uI
less the reserve of twenty thousan
members of Council but people ger
orally, were aware of the conditio
of affairs, and not voice was raise
against the proceedings, which was onl
adopted in order to keep the machinery
the city government in motion until til
revenues of the next year were In hant
Thus, there were no underhand ransactioI
in the entire business, and the great " di
''cOvery" of the morning organ was full
known to the press and the people 81
months ago.
The charges of the morning organ th
the plan pursued by the City Council WI
contemplated when the bill authorizing II
loan Of S6O, 600 for the benefit Of the Scho
Beard was before the Legislature, and tn
there WAS collusion with certain mcmbe
of the Board in order to carry the plan In
effect, are rliculously false. The b
was pressed before the Legislature
committee of the School Board, al
uniformly opposed by the City Coun
Committee, until it was sh Irn of its obje
ionabe features, when the Council rep
sentatives Withdrew their opposition,
though they never raised hand to effect
passage. As to the subsequent use of
HOilc1J ilOL u NOiu was bpoktn 10 u u1eIlll
of the School Board upon the subject, al
was not deemed necessary, In view of t
fact that the money wol
be in the City Treasury VIII
1t was needed by the Board. 1t is tn
now, and whenever the Board is in need
any funds for new schools 1t is only necess
to draw upon the City Council and Il
body is bound to honor their drafts to
extent of twenty thousand dollars.
so much for the great discovery of
morning organ. Now, If 1t wants to mi
discovery "as is discovery" let it t
out what became of the SUN of S13,i
which the Republican Council of 1877
obtained from the sale OF School Bo
bonds, and concealed so efTectua
that the public TO day does
know In what manner it was expended.
this case the sale Of the bonds was a sec
transaction, and It was the discovery of
sale that led to the discovery of the defal
tion. No arrangement was mi