Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-05-04
Tho County Ire asurship.

The New Castle Star has awoke
to find that somebody has not exactly
struck Billy Patterson" but has
struck Mr.. Lane until the last annual
meeting of the Board Of Trustees of the
Poor, the Treasurer of that body. Our
neigh Dor, however, now seems to have
m idea as to how Mr.. Lane was lain
out and broadly intimates that Mr..
Ferguson, who is q member Of the Leg
islature and who is Mr.. Lanes sue
cessor as Treasurer, sold his vote at the
recent session Of the Leg stature for a
consideration, that consideration being
Treasurer of the Trustees of the Poor
for an indefinite number Of years a. an
annual salary Of $500, with S25 extra
for settling with the State Auditor of
accounts. But the Stars accusations i'm
ply morethan the selling of Mr.. Fer
"This looks very much like, and Is gen
summation Of bargain, by which the vote
of Mr.. Ferguson who is member Of the
LeRislature) WAS secured in favor Of the bill
that was passed at the last session OF the
Legislature to pay the building committee
of the Trustees Of the Poor a reasonable COM
pensation for supervising the construction OF
the Almshouse MIR Williams was a mem.
Der of this Building Committee. and MIR.
williams nominated his friend Mr.. Ferguson
for reasurer. and with the votes OF the 9th or
members OF that committee and their per.
sonal friends, succeed ed in electing him by a
majority of two votes before the friends OF
Mr.. Lane realized that there was any op.
position in the held. If this does not savoi
Of iobbery and tIickeIy We are at q loss
to know what oeher construction to put upor
it."
This is bold language for a Demo
cratic Journal that believes almost il
tie infallibility of the Democratic part.
to utter, but to Republican outsiders i
would appear that the Star is making
out very good case. The building
committee Of the Trustees of the Poo
wanted pay for what time they lost il
attending to the erection OF the new
Almshouse.
They could draw no pay under tn
law, and SO new law had to be made
IL all seemed to come handy to get Nj
Ferguson to engineer the new la,
through the Legislature. Had az
plication been made for the law frot
the Wilmington City members Of tn
Board of Trustees of the Poor, throug
Senator McWhorter or Representative
Moore, the little scheme might hay
been blown sky high before it e
through.
Mr.. Ferguson was the man to do i
Coming from Blackbird Hundred, b
hadn't much to do anyhow, and 80 /
could slip the thing along at Leisure
without attracting much attention
Anyhow the bill passed, and the Boal
OF Trustees is authorized to pay II
building committee. Mr.. f. mig
have been elected Treasurer witho
having been member of the Legisl
ture, and without having put this b
through. The Board, in its wisdol
may have come to the conclusion th
Mr.. Lane was not the man Cor TT,
surer, and that Mr.. Ferguson from ott
considerations than those intimated
the Star, which says
Some years ago Mr. Fergusons ma
was mentioned for the office to which he
Just been elected, and he received one vo
but at that time there was no Building g,
mittee seeking reasonab ecomper sation fr
the Legislature, and Mr. Ferguson was
then memi er Of that body"
We agree that Mr.. Lane has mad,
very efficient treasurer of the Board, |
why should he not be, for all the dut
he has to perform. H alf the salary
got would pay amply for all the lal
attached to the Off ,e
We are not surprised that tn
should be other applicants for sucl
rich plum, and in giving it out
Board of Trustees have only put
where it will do the most good for the
selves and lpssibly for their party.