The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-09-05
CORPORATION AFFAIRS.
Response 10 Circular Issued by the
Mayor and Council.
lcoMMUNIcATED.l

minister on Saturday evening last printed hand
| bill over the signature of the Mayor and members
of the Council, which informed us that the corpo-
ration was in debt 50 00O that the total avail
able taxes for corporation purposes 81 9O0 that
of this amount 81 GIL required to pay for gas,
salaries fire department and interest and thus that
only S229 was left for repairs and improvements
The object and points of the handful are to ask
the citizens TO take immediate action for amend
ing the charter by increasing the rate of taxation
and so to enable the Mayor and Council at once, to
borrow more money to make repairs and improve
ments And finally it was stated to be the view OF
the sgners that if the people refused to agree to
increase of taxes the gas must be shuto the balitf
discharged, all repairs and Improvements discon-
tinued, and the whole corporation income applied
to paying the present debt and the salaries of Off
GERS, minus the bailiff and street commissioner
In Short the proposition of the Mayor and Council
is that the taxes must be increased, else that the
really useful purposes of the corporation to wit the
lighting of the town. the services of bailif to re-
press disorder, and keeping up the present very
passable condition of the streets be put end
| to.
| The Mayor, and most if not all, of the Council
men, whose names are appended to this handful,
are highly reputable citizens of the community 1t
has occasoned surprise to many that some of those
gentlemen, at least, should have allowed their
names to be so used But so 1t Is.
They were voted for by little more than 100 of the
500 voters of Westminster They seem to think that
they charged by the voters of the town with the
large duty OF making repairs and Improvements of
SO extensive kind that taxes must be increased to
supply enlarged means for doing
No one, probably, except themselves, entertained
such an idea.
Let them. if they think proper to carry out their
|
probably discover that the people of the town differ
with them in opinion very decidedly.
When such meeting shall assemble the Mayor
and Council should be prepared to inform the
people by whom debt of over $780, in their
name has been incurred for what purpose such
a debt has been incurred? and by what authority ?
To whom over 500 year in salaries are paid for
administering total income of 81 900, and what
services rendered by the officials who receive
the salaries? Let them be prepared to state names,
amounts and specific facts.
The charter of the corporation is believed to au-
thorize the Mayor and Council to levy the amount
of taxes specified in it, to collect them and apply
them to the current annual expenses of the town.
1t does not authorize the creation of any debt for
any purpose.
1t is believed that the courts will decide, when
the question shall be properly brought be fore them
!
powers not granted to them, are criminals, and
must be punished by due process of criminal law.
Let the people know who it is, or who they are
! that have undertaken to burden Westminster with
a debt of over $780, and when they know all about
it they can determine whether they approve what
has been done, and whether they approve the erea-
ton of further debts and the necessary increase Of
taxation to pay ALL and interest all, or whether
they will apply to the grand jury for the protection
ofthe law against those who have violated it.
Let the people know the persons to whom. and
the services for which, over 500 year is paid out
OF 81 800 income!
Give them detailed, exact report of the moneys
collected, the salaries and expenses paid and the
debts created and then. but not till then, they
act inelligently on the proposition to alter Their
charter and increase the taxes.
1t is supposed that this handful means the re-
newal of the agitation which commenced abouttwo
years ago, for the purpose of involving Westminster
in a bonded debt which, once begun will have nc
end.
The very fact that debt of more than $1,000 has
been already created, without any authority, is
given by this handful as the reason why the people
shall be deprived of the reasonable conveniences
which all desire, and willing to pay for else
shall consent to increased taxation Each step in
usurpation of unlawful authority would, by this
|
step, and thus a bonded debt once commenced
would grow and feed on itself This is the general
experience of corporations whose people have
listened to the prettiy arranged songs of the choris
tiers who have sung sweetly as to induce them to
consent to small beginnings of debts which have
sweed and swelled it hard to see how, whilst the
sweet singing artists have lived and smiled OH how
blandy, and grown fat on very debts themselves
Manipulation has come to be science understood
by only a few, but that few have made and con-
tinue to make il pay, enormous profits.
fla town meeting shall be called, don't let it be
manipulated, but fairly called with abundant
notice, 50 that everybody may have opportunity to
attend and express his opinions. Even in small
corporation matters have heretofore experienced
manipulation and felt its powers.
Ring power so called for short, did actually send
only two years ago, to our Legislature, persons
called representatives of the people, and who treat
ed with the utmost disrespect not to say contempt
the petition OF majority of the taxpayers of West
minister, praying that they might be let alone, and
not be put to the risk of having their property swa
lowed up by the Inauguration of bonded debt, as
was then proposed. And when the people tried to
thwart this scheme at the polls they were defeated
by the votes of every whiskey drinking worthless
negro who could be gathered into the whiskey
shops, run for that purpose during the pretended
election, whilst every respectable colored man in
the town voted with the people of the town. Thi:
scheme broke down only from it's inherent absurdity
and impracticablity. But for this we should moi
now be asked to agree to increase our taxes and
in substance threatened that if we wont agree we
shall be deprived of all the benefits for which the
corporation is really useful
The distinction between the people of the town
and the manipulators ring of the town is design
eddy made, in the hope that those few of the people
who have no other object in view than the general
welfare, but who sometimes permit their judg-
ments to be seduced by the juggling of the jug
glers, may note and act on the distinction. There
are always some good and true men who are so i'm
posed upon. 1t is believed the number has grown
less and less, and is daily becoming smaller.
Ring power has been prodigious in this county
and has accomplished prodigious results for the
small number of the most skillful manipulators Il
has been supposed to be political only butitisa com
mon and true saying that birds of feather will iocB
together" and it has been demonstrated to careful
observers of passing events that manpua tors of the
party machine and manipulators of the money get
ting machine are found cheek by jowl, working to-
gether When either is found in strait they will help
each other when the chance occurs, in the public
Offices ON the witness stand, even in the jury box
The difficulty is to tell in what department of our
affairs political corporate business, social, even
religious, ring power and influence can De surely
/ found to be absent
That power and influence is believed to be on the
wane and the government of the people is being
restored in all the departments in which it ought to
govern officers will not be hereafter elected by
the people merely because ring says so. Dele
gates will not be sent to the Legislature to treat
with contempt the wishes of the people and do the
bidding of ring. Taxes will not be imposed upon
the people by the powers of ring manipulation.
The corporation of Westminster will not be con-
trolled by the means, but the people will gov
ern it. At all events, ring power will not govern
hereafter as it has done heretofore, and it still
strives to do without the most effective protest
which the author of this article can make. By all
means let us have the town meeting as soon as you
are ready, gentlemen. CITIZEN
F. PS-Any one who may feel interested in know
ing the name of the writer of this article can learn
! it by inquiring of the editors of this paper.
Mrs. Elizabeth Lindsay Gordon, died in Al
bemarle county, Va, on Monday hight.
She was the wife of Gen. VIM. f. Gordon,
for number of years a representative of the
Albemarle district in Congress. Her life ex-
tended through and covered the administra-
ton of every President of the United States,
she having been born in Albermarle county
in 1892, during Washington's first administra-
ton, and she had seen all the Presidents
down to Grant. She was personally ac-
quainted with jefferson, Madison and Mon
I 1.