The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-07-14

to Issue tax receipts In bulk years ago,
even after tho present iniqultous AS
sessment laws OF 1878 were passed
Archie Given, the first collector I'M
der that law will not deny that he Is
sued tax receipts by the bundle. JOS
eph j.. Carpenter, Jr., will. not deny
tInt he did SO. Charles IL. d. Bedford
will not deny that he did It. William
kyhe will not deny 1t. There is mo-
collector within the memory OF q liv-
ing man in Wilmington who did not
give out tax receipts in bulk, but sincel
1873 they were given generally toI
Dem ocratic manipuators and ward
workers, though in some instances,
the Republicans were enabled to got
hold OF few.
The receipts generally issued to-
Democrats, however, were dliferentI
from those thet Messrs. Mckee and
Doughcrty issued to the Republicans,
III that tho Democratic receipts We're
merely signed, and anybody could fiji
In name, date and amount OF taxes
never paid. In the past then, 1t has
been strictly honest to issue blank tax
receipts to Democrats, but now to is
suo bonGtide receipts to Republicans
for fully paid up taxes Is, to the Demo
Gratis, an unpartonab sin.
In regard to the present tax receipt
and delinquent return imtrolgio Mr..
Frederick N. Bach, chairman OF the
First District Republican Committee,
has been seen by II representative Of
the Republican, and here Is how he
talks about ii:
Nobody questions the validity of
our receipts" continued MIR. Bach,
except a few fresh and inconse-
quential Democrats and the Every
Evening. The pretensions OF both are
amusing especially OF tho latter. Ac-
curding to itpoll-tax paying Is a crime.
II does not believe, apparently, in
paving any taxes. Judging from the
character and conduct OF It's con-
trolling mind politically, it prefers
tax receipts signed in blank to honest
receipts, and stuffed ballots to those
that arc cast by bona ilde voters. Its
deisive contempt for our investing SO
much money in honest tax receipts Is
only natural. No Democratic politi-
ciGn can understand why anybody
should want to pay taxes. There Is,
not one among them with enough inI
him to get on II ward committee that
ever paid for a tax receipt. Not since
the advent OF AlesSrs. Neary and Dick
oy as collectors has the DemocratieI
party OF Wilmington paid dollar for
taxes.
Their organization to-day owes
Messrs. Dougherty and Mckee about
81, 700, for receipts issued last fall As
| for the political editor of the Every
| Evening, the lust time he ran for an
Office he got himself elected by using
receipts signed by the collector of the
| Southern district and filed out byI
himself, many of them on the day of
election and by having the ballot-box
stuffed lie has no respect for any
body who believes that tax receipt
ought to be paid for.
"fhe First District Committee &C
compljshed Inst winter whit every Re
| publican committee since 1873 did to
n larger or smaller degree. Every
/ Democratic collector since that year
sold receipts In bulk and most of these
I Nccipts were signed in blank, or If
, filled up the names were taken from
! lists furnished by ward workers and
not from the assessment lists NleSSr5
! Mckee and Dougherty ARE honest and
honorable gentlemen compared to sew
crnl OF their predecessors in Office. In
the course OF my duties last November
| was handed by well-knOwn Demo-
crat in this city nearly 400 receipts
signed in blank. The bulk of that lot
came from the facile pen OF John I
Diekey, the present receiver OF taxes.
The others were Mr.. NcaIy's own.
hey had been intended for Demo.
cratic consumption in 1883, but were
left over.
They had issued moro than were
needed to count in Dunahoo and Hick-
man. | came to the conclusion last
November that there were more blank
receipts in circulation from Neary and
Dickoy than from Mckee and Dough-
erty. No ono has forgotten, presume.
that in 1889 tho error list was stolen
from the office of the clerk OF the
peace, justas tho First District Com.
mitteo had found proof that Collector
Neary had issued receipts to scores oil
Ninth ward Democrats, whose names
appeared on no fewer than three sue
cessiye delinquent lists.
Your Hirtuous contemporary. true
to its training or political direction,
looks nponth issuance OF the receipts.
by McKee, as a crime. IL does not
comprehend that McKee's sole ofrense
consists In returning tho men as dc.
linquents whose taxes had been paid.
lis moral standard Is too low to ap.
preciate any possible wrong that
might be perpetrated on citizens who
are opposed to II politically. In plail
English there is no harm, wrong on o
, Tense OF any kind in issuing tax re-
/ cetpts in numbers, provided tho re.
ceipts are for taxes actually assessed.
: NE her Is thore any wrong or crime
OF any character in tho transaction
ncerning such Issuance of receipts
Tho late Henry DUPONT invariably pail
the taxes OF his employees In bulk
These taxes were paid whenever ht
raid the taxes on his real estate. A,
d. Warner did the same thing for the
employees Of the Charles Warner Com
pHuy, and who will undertake to sa,
that 1t was wrong2 The owners OF Rid
: dies Mills took advantage of the SAINT
custom for years. The farmer.
; throughout the state have done so fol
years. There Is not an eS-collector o.
county taxes living in this city who
I wall have the hardihood to come for
ward and swear or affirm that he Meth
er sold or gave away tax receipts II
bulk again and again during his oflleia
; incumbency. They all did it, ant
where the receipts represented actua
taXables there was no harm done, pro
( vided an honest return was made to tn
q, Levy Court.
when Collectors, Mckee and Dough
erty made their returns last March
D was at washington. During tina
8 month, however, | spent some tim
at tho Court House for another pur
, pose, but the delinquent lists neye
. pnterpl my leatI 4 never saw thpa