The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-05-22
pnshlng Doueherty.

5 Pushing DOugherty.
We are no particular friend to tax
collector Dougherty, indeed we were
early in the field after his appoint
mont as tax-collector as entirely OPP
posed to his method of collecting
taxes swhichresultedi in the disfranchise-
ment of hundreds of Republicans who
wanted to pay their taxes and the en-
franchisement of hundreds of Demo-
Gratis who paid no taxes. This at least
was said to have been the taS-collectors
mode of doing business and we were
no ways slow as Is we'll known in ex-
posing that mode and arousing the peo-
pie to insist on paying their taxes oven
though it required n sacrifice Of time
aud money. Everybody knows the
consequences.
lho lieaaollcans did rush to tho
O Gee to pay their taxes. and enough
paid to carry the county for their party
a. the last election, ...
All at once the Democratic tax-col-
lectars became unpopular vita the
leaders OF their party. They We're nc
cused OF selling out the Democrats by
the issuance OF bundles OF blank tax
receipts TO the Republicans, while at
tho same time the Democrats had all
the tax receipts thny could hanhle.
There was not a Democrat, qualified or
unqualified, who could not vote had
he wanted to.
The tax Office for days and nights
before the election was crowtlfd such
Democratic leaders as Neary, Dickey,
Hickman, Kane, Pagan, Callahan, and
iiilling over tho leaves of the tax
duplicates and was the great manipu-
lator William II. Lee. Yet under all
these circumstances come the cry from
the Democratic camp that the tax Of
flee was run in the interests OF the Re
publicans simply because the latter
got in about 400 of the 1900 majority
they are entitled to in the city.
But now an opportunity occurs to
strike back on the collectors, especially
UnMr. Dougherty, He is no farther
behind in the collection of his taxes
than his Predecessor, Mr.. Noary was
ut the same period of the year, and
there is no more cause for pashing
him to the wall, than there was for
pushing Mr.. Nemy. But, somehow,
Mr., Dougherty is not running his office
this time to suit the Democrats. liay-
ing been accused of assisting In tho
defeat of his party last fall uuiustly.
while the Democratic 'roOstpls" act.
ually had possession of It, he no
doLut lG1ls under no obligations To
permit his oiIice to DO again invaded
by horde Of ''roosters" and havo his
duplicates CLAIMED over by such men
as William II. Lee.
We do not suppose he has the least
objection to the demand of his sure.
ties for his books, in fact we woull
rather be inclined to think that hc
would be glad to get clear OF them and
lot some one olse collect the halaGee oi
tho taxes, but 1t did not take long
for Mr.. Dousherty to see who wouid
be the collector of the balance, as Joht
II. Diekry was appointed County
Treasurer and Receiver of Taxes uhdcl
tho Five Commissioner bill lhC
books, had they be given up ON de-
mand, would Of course gone into MIR.
D,ckey's hands, and as tho demand
for the books was made two days be
fore to-norrow's registration of vot
els, it Is needless to ask Why the books
were wanted just at This particular
junrture.
Had they been given up It is quite
possible there would have been a big
registration OF Democratic voters to
morrow on duplicate tax receipts. W,
are informed that Mr. Bougherty is
unwilling to give up his books into th,
hands OF Mr.. bickey, for that is where
they would have landed, and propose,
placing them in the safe or vault o
any Responsible firm in the city to be
safely kept until Monday next an,
then to be handed over to tho Securit,
Trust and Safe Deposit Company ful
Mi. Dickey's use, but this did not quit
suit. II would have been too lat
then to use them Tor to morrow's reg
islratiun. .