The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-09-28

which was bonded indebte dness, ant
the balance S27.so6.oI floating debt.
not one cent of which had been leviet
for and which at the very outset O
their Administration they had to pro
vide for, either Gy initiating the baC
example set them by their Democratic
predecessors of carrying it from year IL
year, or by promptly levying for suff
cient sum to liquidate it, and that in
addition to the necessary amount to b'
levied to meet the current expenses o.
the first year of their Administration.
They adopted the latter course, and
met the accumulated indebtedness b,
an extra levy last year, making the rat
of one hundred cents on the hundred
dollars.
Now, if as attempted to be shown
by the Cecil Democrat successiv,
Boards of Democratic Commissioners,
were levying year by year, sufficient
amounts to meet the annually recurring
expenses of the County, and were hon,
estly appropriating them to the pur
poses tor which they were levied and
collected, how is this increasing IN.
debtedness to be accounted forP
One OF two conclusions is inevitable,
either that sufficient sums for annual
current County expenses had been
levied and collected but were mis- ap
propriated, or that for par,izan reasons,
insufficient amounts had been levied
for years past. and Deficiencies carried
from year to year. An examination OF
the records of the Commissioners Office
shows, that the latter was the case, and
that the annual rates of taxation, which
the Democrat so freely quotes as an
evidence of the good business manage
ment of his party, 7Oere insufficient
Lea1es. In other words, that successive
Boards of Democratic Commissioners,
were carrying deficiencies from year to
year, which they were afraid to levy
for, because the increased rate of tax
alton would have indicated an extrava-
gance of expenditure, which the party
managers feared would, and which,
when finally discovered and disclosed
to the voters OF the County, did, at the
election in 1887, cost them their as
cendancy In the County. A short ex-
hibit of figures will explain the situation
in that year and fully disclose the falsity
of the Democrats comparative state
ment. An examination of the books
of the Commissioners Office shows that
in 1883. the deficiency for that year
was $4,000. THIS deficiency was dis
charged out OF the levy of 1884, and a
larger deficiency s7,o64.2e created and
unlevied for in that year. This was in
turn met out of the levy of 1885, and
in that year still larger deficiency
created viz, SI5,S1I.S3. A part OF
this was met out of the levy of 1886,
the sum of So, 7S6 10 being carried in
the National Bank of Elkton on the
promissory notes of the Board of Com
missioners. In the year 1887. the still
larger deficiency of s2o,593.oo existed,
leaving after the levy of that year the
final actual deficiency or floating in
debtedness OF Sat 3o6.o1 which the
present Board OF Commissions had to
provide for on assuming their office.
Now in these years, had the levy been
made at rate sufficient to discharge
the Indebtedness incurred, the actual
rate would have been 90 cents, instead
of SO cents on the hundred dollars, and
Democratic defeat at the polls would
have come earlier than it did. The
simple tact is, that final defeat was only
delayed by this system OF partizan fnan-
cial kite flying, which postponed but
did not finally prevent the Democratic
overthrow of 1887. To ask the people
of Cecil County to turn down capable
Board of County Commissioners, after
a few short months OF administration of
their Office, marked by good sense, by
sound financial judgment, and by
wise and conservative regard for the
public interest, is as preposterous as it
is unreasonable. We mistake the tenn
per of the taxpayers of all political
classes of the county, if they respond
to any such proposition made in the
interest of any set whatsoever of local
political managers,