Daily Republican., 1889-12-26


HAD x-Secretary Thomas F. Bay.
ard and the Hon. George Gray have
desired to avoid the disagreeable ne
cessity of discussing the mandamus
proceedings before the Superior Court,
they would have only had 10 tell Col
lectors Dougheriy and Mckee, TO col
lect the taxes equally alike from all
who owned, and to give ample oppor.
tunities for doing so by sitting at night,
so that workmen need not run the risk
OF losing several days in wild goose
chase after the collector, and then
in the end probably fail in the effort.
A single word from either or both
these distinguished Democrats would
have done the work. All Republicans
wanted was an equal chance with the
Democrats. II Republicans had to be
made to come personally before the
collectors to pay taxes at the most un-
reasonable hours that could be appojnt-
ed to receive them, they simply asked
and demanded that Democrats be made
TO do the same thing. Was there, ia
there, anyth NJ wing in that2
IL tax receipts are 10 be made out in
bulk and sent to Democrats to save
them the lime and expense of going to
the tax Office, the Republicans de-
manded that the same favor be shown
TO them, nothing more, surely nothing
less Was there any wrong in thatY
Let Tree, unbiased, unpreiudiced men
answer. MIR. Bayard and Mr. Gray
were well acquainted with the collec.
tors. They met them often and knew
they were collectors of taxes. They
read the papers and they knew that
there was great complaint about the
methods employed to collect taxes.
which resulted in disiranchlslna Re
publicans and no Democrats. They
knew that by these very means they
were kept in office, and without the
employment oil these means the State
would during these long years past
have been in the hands OF the Rcpuh.
lican party. They knew they held
offices that Others would have held
had there been no discrimination in
the mode of collecting taxes, and vet
these eminent gentlemen have never,
so tar as is known, raised their voices
In public against this monstrous
wrong.
They never called upon the collec.
tors TO tell them, like public spirited.
impartial and flair gentlemen, thai
they were the servants, not the bosses
OF the people, and that it was their
duty to collect the taxes from all who
owed them. One word from either or
both OF them would have stapped ali
this difficulty. At their request the
col ectors would arrange better hours.
would even sit al night to accept taxes
from workingmen. But this one word
was never given. Why? Let them
answer. They may say they had no
right ~ Interfere with the prerogatlvcs
OF the tax collectors, that they are
bonded public officials, responsible to
their surct.es and to the law Tor the
faithful performance OF their duty, that
so far as they know they are going ac-
cording 10 the law Of 1873, the law
that Mr.. Bayard had passed TO protect
The collectors in their outraCes upCn
the franchise, and therefore they have
nothing to do with il.
But when these collectors are
brought before the courts 10 show
cause why they should not c made to
collect the taxes imparlially these gen.
tlemen arc GU hand. Mr., Bayard, il
ls true, did not appear a. counsel, hat
lie WIS fitting around in the back
ground Il meteor In the darkno IS.
Dir. Gray came out as the Cmployrl
attorney lgr the collectors. THESE
gentlemen found th.t their acnupal on
OF holding offices anal lii1ifpr a. .l-ryars=