The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-10-22

| March last, / think 1t Is eminently
proper that recourse should be had In
some reasonable way, II 1t can be had,
to the receipts which were given 10y
Messrs. Mckee and Dougherty; and
this. az say. In order to remove any
lingering doubt In the mind of any
reasonable being as TO whether they
fraudulently returned men as delin.
quents on whose account they had
collected taxes for which they had
duly Issued receipts signed and
stamped by them.
| Now then, the question Is. what Is O
reasonable course to pursuep do not
know how the members of the com
mittee may feel upon the subject, but
| l, for one, do not propose TO be con-
nected with this investigation until
the 4th OF July next or even until
| next Christmas. l do not think 1t
reasonable to expect that this com.
mittee shall do eithr impossible things
or grossly unreasonable things, or
things which would lead to great de.
lay and unnecessary expense. 1t will
occur to each and every one of you, /
think. just as soon as suggest 1t, that
1t is impractlcable for us within any
Reasonable time to find and produce
here all the receipts issued for taxes
which were paid as testified to. 1t
would prolong this investigation un-
| duly-there can be no doubt in the
world about that and it would be
very expensive proceeding before
we got through with it.
| The question then is, how can we
test the accuracy of the work of the
committee; test the correctness of the
conclusion at which the committee ar.
rived in the case of Mckee, at or be-
l fhfa La In,
the mandaInus case, in some reason
able way. by the production of tax re
ceipts, IL they can be produced2
| would suggest that both or either of
the minority members of this commit
tee select In any way they or he
may see fit, ut random or with DELHI
Grafton, reasonable number OF names
appearing on list No. s. and which you
have ascertained to appear also on
the assessment list as we'll as on the
error list for 1890, and then let this
committee undertake to produce as
many OF the receipts, genuine receipts,
corresponding with the name SO select
ed, as this committee shall be able to
find.
In other words, in order to suggest
a test which will be reasonable and
practicable, and which will not con-
sumo unnecessary time and lead to
unnecessary expenses, l would sug-
gest that either my friend, Mr.. HEX
man, or my friend, Mr.. Eliason, or If
you please, the clerk of the peace, or
even Mr.. Mckee, or, II you please, Mr..
Mckee's counsel, any one OF them SO
lect fifty names that appear on list
No. g. as verified, and in making that
selection that he at his own pleasure,
select the fifty names either from any
! rfxrnU -rl.
| district OF the city OF Wilmington OF
from the whole OF the Southern dis
trict of Wilmington, and hand that list
OF fifty names to the chairman of this
committee; and then / would suggest
| that this committee forthwith use all
diligent effort to ascertain how many
genuine receipts corresponding to
| those fifty Names signed and sealed
by Mckee. can be produced before this
committee. Think, gentlemen, il you
will pardon me for moment, you will
see the advantage of that course.
The point has been raised and dis
eussed not only in the public prints,
but it is n question which evidently
has arisen In the minds of the minor
| ity Of this committee, that even II
money was paid by Mr.. Stewart to
Messrs. Mckee and Dougherty to the
| amount as testified to 1t. was not a.
payment of taxes. and the demand has
ueen made, not only outside of the
committee room, but by the minority
members Of this committee that the
tax receipts be produced as being the
best evidence. Now suggest the
course, by which you will be enabled.
In my opinion, TO determine beyond
all peradventure whether this money
was not only so p,..d, but paid by wayl
~ will
hat II we give to any memps- If thisl
committee or other person who has
not been satisfied with the evidenced
upon the point, the right to select any
nifty names or any reasonable number
do not care whether il be forty, sixtyl
OF one hundrod, then il genuine re-
ceipts shall be produced corresponding
to those names and covering such al
proportion OF them as to exclude the
hypothesis OF mistake or error on the
part of the collector, you will have
proved to demonstration the fact
that this money WINS paid by way of
payment of taxes which have not been
accounted for.
II, as against fifty names so select
ed, there should be produced, we will
say thirty or forty OF fifty genuine re
coipts under the seal of the tax collec-
tor, Mckee, then there Is an end tol
doubt, and no reasonable man could
expect this committee to undertake tol
produce every receipt called for byl
this list No. 8, nor is it necessary inl
the least 10 produce every single re-.
ceipt. Why? Why the evidence is al
ready full and clear as to the amount
which was paid the collectors. NowI'
the only possible question that can re-
main is for what puapose or upon what
basis did the collectors receive the
money SO paid? When you produce
receipts for one-half OF three.fourthsI
of the fifty selected names going tol
show that Mr.. Mckee received theli
money us taxes, and not in any otherlt
way or upon any other basis, you es. Il
tablish the principle and substance OIL
the case just as firmly and unalterablyl
as you would by the production Of
every one of these receipts, and, there
fore, | would uuhesitatlDgly recon-.
mend the adoption of some such test
as that now suggested.
The following resolution was adopt
ed:
Resolved, That, In order to re-
move any doubt that may exist in the
mind OF any member of this commit
tee upon the question whether or notl
money which has been testified to asIl
having been paid to George w. Me-
he e, late collector, was 20 paid to
him in payment of taxes, the minoritylI
members OF this committee, or eitherls
OF them, be requested to select anyl,
fifty names on list No, 3, as tinallvII
with the assessment andIS
delinquent lists for the year 1890, suclIt
of names to be made either
from any particular ward or wards in !,
the Southern diatrict, as the person.
or persons making such selection mayI