Daily Republican., 1883-03-07
THE ROOSTRRE BILL.
POLICE AND WATER COMMIS.
SIOKR w. THE CITY or
WILMINGTON.

have HNVb oh uVStS WI
years until the people Cat length) by
their ballots, without regard to political
af'iiation, told them 1t was time to see II
they could not fly and support them.
selves outside of their nests in the pub.
lie crib. The people stirred up their
nests and they Topped ont, but perched
near by, where they are still roosting,
constantly peeping back into their old
nests with the view Of pouncing down
INTO them speedily again by the aid of
the country members of the State Leg
isature.
The citizens of Wilmington In June
last, by no uncertain sound or signal,
said "We must have change In our
municipal government, "The flnan-
cia affairs of our city are being man
aged in an extravagant and reckless
manner" !" and they placed the city gov
enment In new hands. The new city
officials On coming into Office found
over 5000 unpaid bills Of the last year
presented for payment. They found
that $50, 600 Of the money sacredly set
aside to build and furnish school houses
had vanished from view. They found
that about 81, 600 received for sale of
City Hospital was also used uIs--that
the Union National Bank of Whining
ton, Tin which the city deposits her
moneys received,) had no money be-
longing to the city in her vaults. And
more than this the contracts for grading
streets TO .he amount of nearly $4,000
had been given out and no provision
made in the estimates Of the next year
TO meet said payments when they
should fall due and become payable.
This shows the financial condition of
this city when the present Mayor and
City Council took possession Of the city
government in June last. The city
government up to January 4, 1883, had
been in power eight months. During
that time the six thousand dollars above
referred to for last years bills were
paid off, the current expenses ofthe city
up to that time having been promptly
met The streets which were left in bad
condition had been greatly improved
and repaired and at that date they had
to the credit Of the city in the Union
National Bank ~, ,54l92, On January
{, one year hAc!1re, under the ad-
minstration ofthe BOOSTERS" whOnow
wish to be placed back in power against
a decisive vote of the people (by the
State Legislature), }, showed In Bank $l3,-
$50. AZ, showing a balance in favor of the
present Council for the same time of
s3l, Ill. 30 after having paid off the large
amount thrown on their hands in July |
andAugust last of the bills contracted by |
the old Council, which they had no
money TO pay them with, nOtwithstand
ing they had the same appropriation for
that year az was made for 1888, and the
fact that they surreptitiously expended
$2O,OoO belonging to the Board OF Pub
Iic Education and alsothe sum n'nearly |
$1,000 received from sale Of the City |
Hospital, which by legislative enact
mrnt was permitted 10 be used for cur
rent expenses.
This statement from official tgu
from til" hooks Of the city is indi,put-
able. Now under this economical admin
istratiOn We are threatened by the RooS
trs ono! the taxpayers Of the city) that
flc Officers whom the sovereign people
by their ballots placed in control Of the
city in June last must by a Police Com
mission bill and n Water Commission
bill (Which has been prepared for Leg
islative enactment by the RoostrrS) be-
turned out Of Office to put those chief
bip,dS back into the official nests from
which the people by their votes drove
them. TO defeat the will of the people,
a. expressed at the ballot box in the
city Of Wilmington, the aid of the
country members of Sussex and Kent
counties, aided by the farmers of the
rural districts of New Castle county in
lhc General Assembly, is asked.
Now what is to be gaine'l by putting,
the city under control of Police Conn
missioners and Water Commissioners
Tac answer is: It will cost the proper
ty owners and taxpayers Of the city OF
Wilmington some nine thousand dol
lars additional tax for salaries annual
ly. II will place the city under the
control Of the men that the taxpayers
by their votes said they did not want in
office. II is u direct attempt by the
Roosters to turn out the men elected il
their stead, and take them down of o.
their roosts and put them in their old
nests 10 prey upon the moneys to be
tilched from the taxpayers pockets for
their special benefit. In other words,
1t means that those BOOSTERS must hav,
their old places back again 80 that they
can get heir support from the same
taxpayers who said by their votes last
june that they did not want them rs
officials any longer. What care the
BOOSTERS about the taxpayers? All
they want is the taxpayers money.
The prcsenrCouncil on raIifying the
new charter few weeks ago admitted
that some few of the city officers were
very badly paid, and that their salaries
should be increased, but ~ they were
trying to carry out the instructions OF
their constituents to ccOn"nlzc they ;
could not see their way clear to make
'hr increase at this time, which they
Thought should be made. Yet nOtwith-
standing this set Of men who pay CIR
any but meagre portion of the taxes
o. l!.r city ask the Legislator" for ''eir
own personal benefit exclusively a.
tlonal exp' nsc TO the G,y-p yrrs of S"i
eral thousand dollars per annnm. Th''
Is j matter that deeply concerns ever.
properly owner in this city, and I"ti-
''"n, representing millions Of cnri'H
C!l!d N.c at oncc fired Y it'll Tho ,amt.
% the leading men Of this city aga!nst
lhc passage of those infamous Matc
ana Police Commission biIlq II nnCes-
sarS,
=, The people are waiting ~ have the
.'op>lers' tila rrad III ,Mn Legislature
to Htr what is the cN,rn, Of inpIdrnr"
ANA arrogance therein contained bcIor'
giving public dcr'Onstla'ion against
those lniquilous filis. Instead Of max
ins every Officer in the state save per
maps the judiciary eicctivodirec'ly by
'hc people tf"sr BOOSTERS wish 80 de-
privc the ",crtOrt, Of Wilmington OF the
right to G'loOsG the men who spend
their ri'csley for them. They want the
',"v"'nrr ofthc State 10 apP"ih, Wahr
tonnd@sionrr, 10 take charge OF the
Nafc Works and override IN" tity
Council (stili elected by the peoplc) ana
the Chief Engineer Of the Water De