Smyrna times., 1891-07-15

per line.
That the politics of Wilmington has
been of a most unsaVOry quality, has
been apparent to everyone for years.
This condition has gone on from bad
to worse until it has ended in perjury,
followed by an appeal to the Chancel-
lor for an Injunction to restrain the
Levy Court from executing certain
political measures, &c. The apparent
method of correction has been to "set
rogue to catch a rogue, "a feature
well understood in certain detective
lines. If men otherwise honorable
proceeded in politics as they did in
matters relative to social and business
society, they would lie disgusted and
abhOr the whole business. But many
politicians, we might say the most of
them, excuse anything, ne matter how
dlsreputable, so it brings success. The
Wilmington ENHANCEMENT over the
1000 tax receipts necessarily interests
the whole State because of its influence
on the future.
1t is expected that Chancellor Sauls-
bury will grant the injunction against
putting these names on the levy list.
A strong point is made against the
Republican members of the Levy Court
that it took several months to find out
the names for which they had paid
had been returned as delinquents.
Without attempting to show just
where the right and wrong is. we will
give a statement from either side. The
foIlowing is an extract from the state
ment of the Daily Republican
Then to the facts which bear CON
densed repeating. The collectors, in
December, were short in money.
They had payments to make to the
County before the first of March. How
were they to get the money to make
these? The thought struck them that
here were four thousand odd Republi-
can poll taxables unpaid.
If they were paid it would bring
some $45OO into their hands and 60
that far towards making ends meet.
They knew it was no use asking the
Democrats to pay for their poll taxa
bles, because they were not used to
doing so, and even if they would con-
sent, they would only give their OBJ
legations, which would not be worth
as much as the ready cash of the Re-
pubIicans. And then besides, the
Republicans who had in the pas: met
with great difficulty in their taxes
paid owing to the obstructive methods
of these same collectors would be
glad to accept the opportunity TO pay
for their poll taxables in bulk, and
and have in their possession the re
ceipts that would insure them u vote
in 1892.
Full of this idea the collectors came
themselves to the Republican commit
tee and made the proposition to accep
the taxes due from these poll taXable'
in bulk, if they would raise the money
to pay for them. They even Offered
70 aid the Republicans by sendins
them lists of all poll taxables on thei
duplicates and they should make from
these lists other lists of Republican
alone, whose taxes the collectors wOul'
receive, and for which they would
issue receipts.
Can anybody blame the Republican
for accepting such an offer? They
did accept it and they paid over t
ELECTORS DOugherty and Mckee
$4SO0.16 for which they have the re
eeiptN of those. gentlemen. $500 O
this n3ney was paid as early as tn
s.hird Of january 10 advance as the re
ceipt shows, Notwithstanding the aft
daVit Of Mr.. Mckee, which he nO'
regrets he made. And in that afida
Wit Mr.. Mckee swears that these re
ceipts issued in January are fraudU
lent. Those tell-tale receipts backe
up by other receipts for the money i
bulk are rising up in judgment againi
Mckee. No wonder he now regre
he made the affidavit. The sooner b
can wash his soul of this sin the bette
will it be for his peace CT mind.
We leave the collectors in the hand
of a justly indignant public, only
say that the Republicans have don
nothing of which they are ashamed
Their transactions are as straight as
shingle, honest and legitimate, Thi
the county has not got the 81 800. ]
they paid the collectors for poll take
which is not their fault. That thes
four thousand poll taxables for whol
they paid those taxes are returned 1
delinquents is contrary to their expe
tatiOns and in defiance of law.
Had the Democrats pursued tE
same course and have paid their tax
as legitimately as the Republican
then their actions would have bee
highly cOmmendable. Will they y
denOunce those four thousand ia
receipts in bundles. crisp and new, n,
wrinkled nor used as fraudulent? W
will see.
The EUery EUening in discussing Il
same subject says:
When rogues fall out honest mt
aet their duesn The pending tax T
ceipt controversy illustrates the o
adage.
According to their statement, CC
lector Mckee came to them, told the
that he was ll a ..e and begged the
70 help him l.ereupOn ba
gain was struck, by which Mckee al
DOugherty received and receipted
81 800 cash down and agreed To- iurni
tax receipts for as many nance 1H q
assessment list as Postmaster SteWa
and Me, Bach, Mahafy & 60. we
willing to pay for.
There we're 23,6O8 names on th
remarkable assessment list. The pu
chasers picked out 1850 of th, m, al
Ohfasaed tax receipts to fit them. +
these $50 receipts they paid S4,6O
16 being q faction over Sill apiece.
They had the law before them. Tn
knew that il provides a ''delinque
list shall not be allowed until the e
IiratiOn of i've days from the day of
return by the collector; and any ci
zen of the county shall have the RIG
at any time after such return and
fore allowance 70 inspect the same
and that the same section also pTOyi(
that "at the meeting in March IN eve
year the Levy Court shall examil
adjust and settle the accounts of
collectors, making all just allowances
and the adjustment and settlemG
shall be final" And, knowing u
they ask the public to believe d
they - without inspection, withC
challenge, without ObjectiOD-allow
their Levy Court to approve the
counts and make this final adjustmt
and settlement. They bought qu
tionable goods, clandestinely, from 81
psctable parties, and now by their o.
ao,faoafon admit that thew were An