Daily Republican., 1882-09-06
SEPTEMBEKe.Issa
Tho Democratic DeIaICatiOn.

With characteristic partisaDshlp the
Democratic papers have rushed to de-
fend the Democratic Misrepresentation
of 500, 900 from the Board of Education
ana attempt to defend it by saying that
the Republicans some time in the past
spent some $13, 500 of the school Boards
money. Be Uhis as it may it will proba'
bly, be looked upon by the people as
hardly justifable for the Democrats to
filch SO, 900, beca use the Republicans
took $13, 800 from the Board. When
Thaddeus Stephens was a young man
and at that time a leading member of
the Whigparty of Pennsylvania, in one
of his speeches he related the incident
of Northern line county farmer, who
butchered hog and left it hang out
all night in the frost to harden.
When he got up in the morning
he found that some thief had with a
knife ripped the porker in two and car.
ried off one half of it. "Ah," said the
farmer, some rascally whig did that.
Being asked why a whig more than
any body else, he said that If 1t had
been Democrat he would have taken
the whole of 1t. Provided it be true
that the Republicans did take $l3, 800 at
some time away back when there were
different laws and regulations for dis.
bursing the school money, it makes the
Democrats no more virtuous and hon
est under more rigid restrictions and
laws, to take $2O 900 from the Board.
The tempt to divide the responsibility
with the few Republicans who were in
the City Council last year must signally
fail. All told there were only eight
Republicans to fifteen Democrats, the
latter being so much in the majority
that very little Difference was paid to
Ghe Republican members, and even if
one or two of them did happen to be on
the finance or any other important com.
mitSee, they were ignored and kept in
ignorance OF what was done as general
rule. Then it must be remembered that
City Conncilmen do not look upon each
other as being suspicious objects that
needed the closest watching. 1t was a
very easy matter to put the $4,000 in
bank to the credit of the city, and there
was really nothing in it suspicious or
wrong, considering the doubtful consti-
tutiOn of the Board of Education. The
Democratic City Council may say that
they were as capable of taking care of
S2O, 900, not Immediately needed, as the
Democratic Board of Education was.
There was the first mistake that was
made. The City Council had no busi.
ness to keep the money. 1t did not be-
long to them. A legislative enactment
sacredly set it aside for the use of the
Board of Education, and it was to be
nSsd for repairing and building school
houses. Instead of paying over this
mon ey, as should have been done, to
the Board of Education, the City Coun.
Gil placed it In bank to the credit of the
city liable to be drafted upon when,m mon
ey was needed, and as the sequel shows
was drafted upon and spent in violation
of the city charter, which provides a
heavy fine to be recovered from any
City Treasurer, who will draw checks
after an appropriation is exhausted.
1t is all nonsense for the recent chair.
man of the finance committee to say
that all the Board of Education has to
do is TO make demand upon The City
Go uncil for the money and the money
mu st be forthcoming. Such foolish as
sertions will certainly not deceive
and we are surprised that the
old chairman, who is at least credited
with ordinary intelligence and fairness.
Bhould make such an assertion. What
resources have the City Council to fall
back upon? 1t cannot raise money at
will to pay off old defalcations. Why
does not the old chairman of the
finance committee, who thinks 1t such
n light matter for the City Council to
pay $40, 900, show some plan by which
1T can be raised? The appropriations
of the present fiscal year were made by
the old City Council, and they were
made with the expectation that the
Council would remain Democratic
These appropriations were made for
she purpose of keeping down the tax
rata to $1.32 on the 800, the old rate,
When the new City Council came into
power, which, contrary to the expecta-
tbORS Of Democrats, was Republican,
fhsiE hands were tied. They found the
appropriations already made, and all
they had to do or could do in the case,
WAS to fix the tax rate at the old figures.
The City Council is prevented by an or
dinanes from fixing the tax rate at a
higher Agure than will raise enough
money to meet the appropriations that
were made by the old City Council
Now, how iS the present City Council
to meet this deficiency on the money
belonging to the Board Of Education ?
Why does not the old chairman, who is
90 certain that 1t is matter Of little
OUBssQnence, point ont the way 1t could
be zneet2 He cannot do it.