Smyrna times., 1891-10-28
THE SMYRNA TIMES.
.vDaYa'm0, DeI.,
Wednesday Afternoon, Oct. %, 1891
The Kee-Dougherty Tax Receipt
Business in WilmingtOn-Its
Interpretation.

&AeSA
The how and wherefore of the 1850
tax receipts in Wilmington has puz-
zled many besides the members of the
Levy Court. The following categOri-
cal questions and answers between the
Newark Ledger and the Daily Republic
can. we quote from the latter :.
1--WE thought we had made the tax
muddle question sufficiently clear so
our good friend, the Newark Ledger,
that no other explanations would be
necessary. The Ledger gives no reason
for saying so, but keeps on talking
about those 1860 tax receipts as being
purchased. We simply wish to reiter-
ate that no tax receipts were purchased
from the collectors. These 1860 people
all owed the county taxes, or at least a
Democratic Levy Court said they did.
The court put their names upon the
collectors duplicates, each charged
with the amount of taxes they owed
the county. The court then put
these duplicates into the hands
of the two men they appointed
to collect the taxes, Messrs. Dougherty
and Mckee, and in that duplicate en-
joined the collectors by warrant to col
lect those taxes.
The collectors did collect them and
they gave each man a receipt for the
amount paid. The Ledger should not
call this purchase of tax receipts un-
less it is prepared to say that the man
who paid it a dollar for subscriber
bought the receipt. What did the sub
scription owe for? Did he owe for the
paper or did he owe for the receipt
Did he subscribe for the paper or sub
scribe for the receipt? There is moth
ing silly about this illustration, friend
Ledger.
"'But, says the Ledger:
The Republican says that the col
lectOrs approached the leaders of the
Republican party and beseeched them
to pay the taxes of these poor men
who wanted to vote
"Oh no, the Republican said no such
thing, but it did say or intended to
say, that the collectors went to these
leaders, being as they said hard pushed
to make payments, and offered to issue
receipts for their poll taxables if they
would pay their taxes, The Ledger
then further asks:
"'Will the Republican say these re-
ceipts were made out in full, name of
voter thereon, or space for name left
blank p
Certainly, we will give all the in
formation we can on that subject. II
the Ledger read Mr.. Watson's testi-
mOny before the Levy Court investi-
eating committee, it will remember
that he said that at one time when the
collectors were pXshed for time he
filed in a few receipts which the col
lectOrs compared with their duplicates
and signed. With these few exceptions
the collectors flled up the receipts
themselves 10 full with name of voter
thereon. The Ledger then asks:
off the collectors wanted to issue
receipts to all vOters-Or names on the
bOOks-why didn't they do so in an
open way. Publish notice to the effect
that several thousand names were on
the books and some man or dozen
men were wanted to come forward and
pay
I'VE really cannot answer for the
collectors, but we suppose they had
their own way without going to the
expense of advertising. There was nc
need either for them to advertise
They went straight to the Republican
committee without advertising it, told
the committee they wanted the taxes
these 1850 Republican poll taxable;
owed and they got the money and the
Republicans got the receipts. That il
all there was in it. We are frank tc
say that the Republicans were GLAD
such an offer was made. They had
never had such an offer before, and
they were not slow in accepting it
There is a pair of questions by thC
Ledger:
will the Republican tell us why
the collectors approached Republican
leaders instead of Democrats ? Why
was the whole affair kept such a pro
found secret when the "wAole affair
was not strictly business p
I'VE cannot answer the first posi-
lively of our own knowledge, but We
have it upon undOubted authority thai
the collectors did go to the Democratic
leaders first, but as they had the Leg
islature and expected to have a new
law that would qualify all their voters
without paying the taxes for 1890
they would not agree to spend ths
money. We are informed farther thai
the Democrats still owe Collector
Dougherty and Mckee o good round
sum for receipts issued for them OF
Cnelr promise to pay for the year 1889
and the collectors wanted cash dowr
for 1890. And then again the Demo
Gratis expected to get their receipts il
blank, as they had been getting then
for many years before without any
money, fill them up at the nearest gro
Gerry store or saloon, vote them and de
strOy them,
"Such practices were not very en-
couraging for the collectors who
wanted money for taxes instead O
promises unfulfilled. Unless lately
paid the Democratic leaders ow,
Dickey and Neary large amount o
money for receipts in the campaign o
1888. In answer to the last question
we can only answer that there was ne
necessity for trumpeting it abroad tha
the Republicans for once were given 8
fair chance to pay their Legitimate
taxes.
II - l.