Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-10-24

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knows, or ought to know il he or she
reads the papers, that for the past two or |
three weeks conflicting reports have been |
current as to the administration OF the |
county tax collectors for Wilmington
hundred. They have been accused, on
the authority Of Tom, Dick and Harry,
Of absenting themselves during office
hours, and in other ways making IL diff
cult or announcement for poll taSables to
iiquidate their Indebtedness tothe county.
Per contra, they have been defended, in
a like secondhand way, directly and
indirectly; by denial and by innuendo
As to the very right OF the controversy,
the community could only see that
charges of malsdninistration and dis
elimination were preferred with bitter
ness by Republican politicians and either
denied with corresponding vehemence, or
defended on the you're another basis,
by Democratic politicians. To the i'm
partial on-looker the testimony pro and
con was necessarily so discfedited by
anonymity, unreliability and political
bias that he could not tell what to believe
and what to discard.
There remained one way to clear up
this uncertainty. That WAS to set on foot
such an investigation as, by its entire
fairness and freedom from partisanship,
should merit the confidence Of the
people Of this community. The tax
payers have the undoubtea right to know
the exact truth ahaut the administration
of the collectors Office, and this EVERY
EVENING determined to pfocure for thsnl.
Not what Tom, DICK or Harry might say,
or be accredited with saying; but what
the collectors and the taxahlss calling to
transact public business with them said
end did. This is the public mission that
EVERY EVENING decided to perform, to
tile best Of its ability, to the salts
faction of the public. It entered
upon that performance in this spirit;
tie resolution to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the
truth, so fer as the matters coming under
its direct observation were concerned.
In fitness for this work, EVERY EVENING
feels that 1t hae the right to stand forth
unimpeachable. It would have known
neither friend nor foe 80 the impairment
OF the faithfulness with which 1t would
have performed thia self-imposed duty.
It had no axe to grind; no motive to
suppress or distort anything. It had
commended the appointment OF Colleo-
tors Dougherty and Mckee, saying Gin
its issue OF February 9th last): "From
the new appointees EVERY EVENING has
good reason to expect o buEinsss admin
iatration, devoid OF that ambition to rails
or rain that characterized their prede-
cessors. Both gentlemen are competent
and well qualified for their positions"
1t had stood by them since when they
were clearly in the right in their re-
cent refusal TO issue poll tax receipts in
blocks to employers and psrty workers.
But it stood equally ready to show NJ
any wiIiul shorseoming or misconduct Of
public business on their patio hold
The scales With absolute iiapRrtiality be
tWesn The collectors and tue taxpayers
70 do this Il WAS necessary tnst it shouic
gathag the requisite Information for it
sslt--Aud nottRke AZ 7body'a ssy.so for It
This waa Ii work Int EVERY EvEy ISc
started out to DO yesterday. II had Ii
reason to imagine tuat such an investiga
ton would 10 unweloome to the coliec
tors. II they have been InilrepresertG
ii il not easy TO see why they should Or
iect 70 heiD9 watched az they tenn
by enc instructed to report trutntuilv q
the business of o pubic nature pertain
ing 70 their office. They volunteer th
statement taat the reprsEartatiye aaaigre
to this mlssion ~ EVERY EyENIsa w
not personally Objectionable; EyrR
EVENING will add that ha was not pnlit
caliy hostile. II the collectors desired
viad:letiop against wha. thoy assert Al
unfouEded calumn.es, Inora comps
opportunity to ylnG cate themselvt
could hardly have been thrown ~ tke
way. All that they had to 10 was to a
tend strictly to the transaction OF I!
pubic business they were appointed
TO- confident thai Information shst tn
were thus faithfully attending 70 da
would 90 forth to and be accepted BY t
public from day 10 day.
They chose to reject this opportuni
and to eject-undes threat 81 using for
if necessary EvEEY EYESTSa's reports
Their reasons tor thElug this course /
best known TO themselves. Their acti
oostructs the completeness OF EVE
EVENINGS investigation, Int Of cou
docs not balk il altogether. EewapRp
10 not do business IN that way. EyT
EyESINd started in TO end ont thg VII
truth IN regard to the management Of
tax Office; that i has been denied
facilities for doing this Is no fault Of
own. But the investigation, thor
hampsred, will 90 on. And EYERY Ey
no thus debartgd from doing ali tia
had purposed doing will still fluid "
Of keeping the tax Payers informed
far as its curtailed Opportunities 50, /
tleir official ngentB are trsnsaating pu
business.
The escape Of eighteen prisoners
Jne batch from New Castle jail and
manner OF that esospa, put upon sht
Alien the burden If explaining how s
Wholesale de.lv-r. could have gont
from il incept' to itscompletioa v
cut being discovered in time to pre-
its eonsummslion. II the jsll is so j
cure as this episode indicates, y