Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-12
WON'T EXHIBIT EXPENSES
Of the Republican Investiga-
ton of Sussex Affairs.
PROTESTING AGAINST DIVISION
OF Two of the Hundreds of
the Lower County.
Republicans Memorabilia the General
Assembly--They Deny Partisanship In
Jury Matters and Extravagance--yyant
to Borrow 81 900.


Special Correspondenceo Gazette and journal
GEORGETOWN, Feb. 6.--The levy
court met in regular session yesterday
morning and transacted routine business
during morning session. In the after
noon session Mr.. Fisher of Cedar Creek
hundred, one of the newly elected
Democratic members, called up the
resolution offered by II. b. Mitchell at
the last session and which was TO the
effect that the investigating committee
should furnish to the levy court an
itemized statement of its expenses ana
which was at that time laid over until
this February session.
The Republicans opposed it being
taken up, and it was laid over until March
term. There is something peculiar about
the proceedings of the Republicans
about this resolution in opposing it, for
it looks as if there is something about
the affair that they don't care to have
made public. The people would like
to know how much this investigation
cost. Why Republicans should object
to furnishing an itemized account of
expenses is a mystery, but time will
only tell what is the cause of such OPP
position.
However, this seemed to arouse the
Republicans and they sent for their
manager, j. Frank Bacon, who handed
to William ID. Wilson set of resolu-
tions which were offered. The resolu-
tions are as follows and were passed by
strict party vote;
''To he honorable Senate and House Of
Representatives Of he State Of DciaiCarc Ia
General assembly met: The remonstrance of
most respectfully submit, that
WHEREAS, There is now pending before
your honorable body bills providing for
the division of Cedar Creek and Little
Creek hundreds in this county and the
creation of two additional levy court COM
missioners for said hundreds and
WHEREAS, The reasons or preteXt urgent
for the creation of said additional commits
sioners are:
l. That the present levy court has been
extrayagant in its management of public
affairs.
p That it has been so partisan in its
actions as to interfere with the proper all
ministration of public justice by the draw
ing of jurors.
9, That it has impaired the right Of
suffrage by returning large number of
votes as deinquents,
Now we do most earnestly demonstrate
against the passage of these or any other
tCeS upon Stlu HFbuiltlS, ana say lnnL none
of said charges are true, but the facts are
as follows:
|. That the expenses have been de-
creased, as is shown by the table for past 6
years 1885, S2,9372l. Democratic; 1886,
S2765.65, Democratic 1887, &, 34S 40, Dem
ocratic; 1855, S2,775.25 Democratic; 1889,
SS22So,so, Republican, 1890, s2,l61, Repub-
lican.
.. That jurors drawn by us have been
first-class men from best citizens of the
county, and no more partisan than those
drawn by the opposite party for the last
ten years, as a list of the jurors (hereunto
attached will show:
3. That the number of persons deprived
of the right to vote by being returned and
allowed as delinquents have not numbered
as many for the last two years as for the
preceding years the records being as fol
lows 1885, Sl,35941, Democratic; 1886
Sl,462.O3, Democratic; 1887, Si,3l9.0i
1889, 81, 1890, Republican.
As to allowances of delinquents, we
would state that no duty is so unpleasant
i'll its performance to us as the one relating
TO the delinquents and we would be glad
to be relieved of it, which could be done
by the repeal of the act of 1873 providing
for the same. We further desire to state
that the general allowance lists for the
county expenses have decreased since our
incumbency in office, the tax rate has been
reduced from so cents to 40 cents on the
800. And that more taxes have been col
lected in proportion to the amount levied
than before, and that our actions as a bust
ness body is evidenced by the records Of
our court.
We further represent the division of &C.
dar Creek and Little Creek hundreds ms
well as Baltimore and Dagsboro hundreds
of this county, might be advisable as far as
relates to election districts because of the
of Loft hut Al.
need OF additional commissioners because
those hundreds have not increased in area
nor have the duties of the commissioners
been added to. In point of fact by the
incorporation of several towns in said hun
dreds the commissioners have been relieved
OF part OF their work, performed by their
predecessors. The creation of new hun
dreds and the appointment of additional
members of the levy court is to be con
demned in that it increases the expenses
of the county and commends itself to no
one except for surely partisan purposes.
We desire TO add that we believe IL the
present system of levy court commissioners
could be made a purely financial system
and each hundred be allowed to select
its own representative, ii is the system best
suited to our people but that if the right to
crafty voters is to remain u part of its dli-
ties we would then suggest that Il commits
sion of three or five members be substis
tuted in its stead, said commissioners to be
elected by the people at the next general
election.
For pure nerve the above resolution
takes front place on the roost. II
denies that the present levy court has
been extravagant in management of
public affairs. 1t was told your cores
lpondent by reliable party that if the
Democrats had remained in control of |
the levy court that by this time the en- |
tire county debt would nave been paid |
at the rate they were paying it, but MS |
a matter of fact, the Republicans had |
not only not paid anything on the
county debt but are actually trying to |
borrow 81 900 from the Farmers Bank |
ut this place at the present session in
order to pay off county orders.
Next it denies being partisan in draw.
ing jurors. As matter of fact there
was but one Democrat in the last panel
of Jurors and ii is supposed his name
got.in the box by mistake. 1t next de-
mics that it has returned as many delin-
quents as the Democrats, and try to
show it by decreased amount of allow
ance for delinquents. They go on and
say that they have reduced the tax rate
from SO cents to 40 cents on the 800,
which in itself shows why the allow
ance for delinquents was smaller than
the Democratic allowance. The exact
number of delinquents returned and
allowed by the Republicans was 1858
white and 109 negroes The majority
OF delinquents heretofore has been
negroes who would not pay their taxes
and whom nobody would vouch for.
Often times the Democratic collectors
have taken the due bills of Republicans
TO save men from the delinquent list.
The whole thing is species grovelling
begging to continue the Rennhlicnns in