The daily gazette., 1883-02-19
patlu Y Gasette
wrLmINGroN. MONDAY. FEB. 10.
About CITY FInancea.

about by the "costly and eorrupting" action
of the democratic Council of 1879 and
& 1880" in creating floating debts, 1t dis
plays q lamentable ignorance of ordinary |
local affairs as well as an oveT-weening will
ingness to sacrifice truth for mere partisan
effect. However, there is nothing very sur
prising about this, when 1t is considered
how ready that paper has ever been to evade
a conclusive argument or deny an estab-
Iished fact, when demanded by political
exigencies, with a cheek and assurance the /
the most accomplished Annanias of the /
country would envy.
Any person at all familiar with our local |
history knows that the organization of the /
"Committee Of Twenty-six" closely fol |
lowed the election of the Democratic Coun- |
ell, in September, 1878. Previous to this
time, With the exception of about nine |
months of the year 1869, and the Council |
manic year of 1876, the City Council had |
been under Republican control for twenty
five or thirty years, and it was during this
period that the evil habit of levying a low
tax-rate and supplying the deficiency by
creating floating debts that were ever.s.Se.'
added to the funded nhIiTs-- Sof morea Lhaffy
orgipa. mo 10y g = entltsft6o i Of the city
asks fascu and prevailed. Thousands Of
dollars were paid for discounts, but not
since the first of April, 1879, has the city
had its paper discounted for current ex-
penses.
The condition of our financial affairs
when the Democratic Council took charge
of them In September, 1873, is well-known.
The appropriations were almost exhausted,
the bank account, which included the bulk
of the July taxes, overdrawn, and about
$l2 900 raised by sale of bonds for the bene-
fit of the School Board mysterlously ex-
pended in a manner that has not been ex-
planned TO this day. During the winter the
floating debts thus left as legacy of Re
publican misrule and extravaganza
were funded, and then it was that
the "Committee of Twenty-six" ap-
peared in the field and declared
its determination of preventing Council
from borrowing any more money from the
banks for ordinary current expenses. Since
then the city has been run upon practically
cash basis, and the credit for what some
people think the flattering condition of ouI
city hnhniSo az tAN lAtotLb blAiSs 10 NAS ~
the Democratic City Council, which for the
first time, probably, in the history of the
city, adopted the "pay-as-you-go" system,
and left a well-defned track for their sue
eessors to follow.
We are not yet ready to join in the com.
placent congratulations to the present
Council for its wise and superior manage
ment of our financial affairs. 1t commenced
with q clean balance sheet, but failed TO lay
tax-rate sufficient to fully cover its ap
preparations, and though balance of $40,
600 in bank looks very comfortable jus
now, It will be materially dwindled wheI
it is applied to the current expenses
of the remaining five months of thu
fiscal year. Congratulations upon th
point Will be more in order about the frs
of next June, when the balance then existing
If any, is contrasted with the bills awaiting
payment and the work on hand properl,
chargeable to this years receipts If it i
then found that the boastful predictions o
the Councils injudiclous and untruthtu
advocates are fulfilled, we will not refrain
from adding our mite Of praise to our city
fathers for their wonderfully successful
work But meanwhile, let us wait and see
-.~~-s ~-~.--
WE FAIL to see any difference betweeI
the full text of the SUSSEX Journals edtoria
upon the question of increased representa-
ton, and the synopsis telegraphed us b
our Georgetown correspondent on Saturda.
week. Indeed, to our mind, the article I
its entirety only serves to strengthen ou
impression that the Journal would be only
too glad to evade the pledges made by tn
Democratic party during last campaign AM
ignore the great question entirely OF al
the Sussex papers the Journal seems to bt
alone in this position, and Instead of feelin!
that we did 1t an injustice by our brief re
ply, we fear we have been more completely
guilty of injustice towards the SUISSE
county Democracy by chasing the Journd
as their "chief organ.o We believe tn
Democrats of Sussex are in favor of meetin
the representation question fairly and a
once, without falling back upon the tediou
process of altering the Constitution by
legislative amendment or convention Q
the people.
80 aS-..--
THE Newark Ledger quotes, with evider
approval, the opinion of gentleman VIII
thought that ''the abolition of the pillor
"and whipping post would do more to brin
"immigrants to Delaware than all the In
Emigration Commissioners that could
appointed" So it would, no doubt, bI
they would be class of immigrant
not at all desirable or conduciN
to our general prosperity. The abolition
tha ,vhinDinu most would not only eucou