The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-10-09

That Tax Surplus.
There has never been any anxiety or
trouble OF mind over the overplus OF
taSes said to haye been paid To ex-Tax
Collector George w. Mckee, except in
tine mind OF the Every Evening, who
made tho discovery and got up great
beating OF drums over ii. The REPun-
IIeAN ventured at the time to say that
there was no surplus, aud everything
would come out as straight as shin
gle. Our predictions have been veri-
fled.
In the investigation by the Levy
Court committee there were three doc
uments before that committee. The
important one that showed exactly
how much money was paid Mr.. Mckee
for taxes and for whom it was paid,
was what was called list No. $. This
list showed that S4616 had been paid
for 5000 persons, This, of course, in
cluded the transactions with both col
lectors. By singing out the wards
below Sixth street, which composed
Mr.. McKee's district, it was found that
OF this amount he received S1553. 80, for
proportionate number of receipts.
Another document before the COM
mittee was the delinquent return of
Collector Mckee, which showed how
many of these persons for whom he
,aaaix-ad taxaa 1gara ,.att,pna6 oa daIip.
quents. Be it remembered that they
were not all returned and there is just
where the Every Evening tripped oven
into the miro. This delinquent return
was of persons who represented
$3.50. 10. leaving an apparent dis
crepancy OF $2O4.70, But let those who
read this article not forget that this
discrepancy represents those for whom
taxes were paid, were credited on the
collectors duplicate, and could not ap
pear on the delinquent list. We think
this is made perfectly plain.
But there was third document be.
fore the investigating committee. and
that was the Levy Court record OF the
assessment.
In comparing list No. 8. and the de
unquent return with the assessment
record 1t was found that there were
names on list No. 3, and not on the
assessment sufficient to amount to
s55.04, The Every Evening Numbered
over this also and sounded aloud its
trumpet that great frauds had been
discovered and putting that to the al
ready discovered discrepancy of $780,
20, declared that the Republicans had
bribed Collector Mckee to the extent
of S25S.74 an amount which by some
method OF computation known only
to the Every Evening, was day or SC
afterwards run up to S3I5. Now there
Is no more mystery about this SIS. Il
discrepancy than there was about the
other. Enough names were found
upon the Levy Court minutes OF
March of persons then assessed and
others assessed by the assessors at the
February sitting in the Court House
that had been omitted In transferring
them to the court record to make vi
that amount.
These names of course, did not ap
appear on the court assessment Blu
they were on the collectors dupllcat,
nll the same, and necessarily on lis
No. 3. The investigating Commits
saw proper in their desire to do no In
Justice to Mr., Mckee to not count il
this $3.50, though fully conv!ncot
that 1t had been paid to Mr.. Mckee 10
taxes. Had it been counted in by tn
summittee we would no doubt hay
beard just AS loud howl from tn
Every Evening, on account of thes
Jew names not being found on all thre
of the documents before tho commit
tee.
The Republicans who paid Mr.. Nc
Zee $685. so have been going over al
the lists infinitely since the Ever
Evenings mares nest Twas discovered
and rs far as they hayegone they hav
.ouud credited receipts enough nc
returned as delinquents to make Il
within six dollars of the whole OF Ii
Every Evening IS discovered dIscrepaI
ry, and this small balance will be full
accounted for by the time the account
are fully gone over.
The Every Evening can see all thes
accounts by calling on Deputy Ma
shall Watson. Nothing will be will
seld to give it the.fullest information
shat it may state to the public that
was in error in regard to the discrel
aney reported by 1t, and beg pardo
tor misleading the people, OF cour,
It will do this il it wants to be consi
tent and just. The public now avail
our nelghbor's explanations.