The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-11

Press Ehat investigation.
There Is greater reason now for a
str'lct ald rigid Investigation of tho
County finances than there was when
the committee OF the Levy Court was
appointed for that purpose. At that
time there WIS general public clamor
% have the books of tho County open
ed and tho Hight turned on without any
general specification OF wrong doing
against any state or coanty official.
Since then the case has very much
changed, and two large deraieatlons
hive come TO light by the prepoIder.
alee of their own weight and impor-
tnnce. In neithcr case does either the
co MY or state lose money, at least
no great amount, but both would have
lost heavily Ind there not been fortu-
iiately in each case ample collatarals
and suroties to make good all losses.
Only these collateials and financial
sar2ties have saved the county from n
worry haayy loss, considerably over
si0,000 in the ease OF Elk. Clerk of the
Peace L. r. Cochran, and saved the
Gtat0 from some s34, 900 in the case OF
Ex-State Treasurer William Herbert.
fortunately for both State and
County these gentlemen were both men
Of wealth before they received their
appointment, and this alone has
saved both county and state from
heavy 10 sses. Suppose, for instance,
tiat Mr. Cocrhan and Mr.. Herbert
hid been poor men and possessed
0 no eollatarl!s whatever, would not
their surc;i,'s have been compelled to
Stand the brunt? And because the
snr,ties paid the money, would that
haze saved either of these gentlemen
from being dciaultefs? II poor men had
bal those Offices, spent the same
amounts Of money, and not being able
to replace it eitheN emselves or by
their surelies on demand, they would
have boon compelled to join the
Canadian Colony o. to have accepted a
forced retirement in jail. That Is Just
how the matter stands, and nothing
else can he made OF it.
AT the same time. far be it from us
that we should attribute any inten
tional act on the part Of either OF the
gentlemen NAMED to do any thing by
which the state and County, for whom
they acted. should lie wronged out o
a single cent. 1t was only the SAINT
old syren cry over again, If can pay il
back before It is wanted" This dell.
sive cry has built up an American
Colony in Canada. and filled jnils am
pAniteHt aries. But we arc pleaset
That the gentlemen whom we hay,
mined, have not been driven TO eithel
can1d OF jail, and still it must lie salt
tat only their own collatelals ant
tlcir surety Londs have saved them.
We urge this as an argument that in
vestigatcn Is needed and can hurt no
body. Especially since Trustee of tht
Poor, Henry A, Nowland in an i'm
pei IONS and furious speech lung def
ance in th1 face of the Levy Court iuves
gaiiag committee. Should not tina
co nmittee The more earnestly pres
tn, investigation! Where people yiel,
with such bad grace to an insestiga
ton is the strongest kind OF evidence
that investigation is needed.
The past administration of the finan
ces of New Castle County offers n
guaranty of strict official honest
Look AZ the $4,000 of floating deb
piled up contrary to law! Look a
$4,000 Of county notes gone TO pre-
test for want of money to pay then
Look at thrcr d faulting county Ia
collectors, for which their secluitie
have not settled Look at 500 600 q
uncollectcd taxes In the county at til
close OF the year, when the law +,
quires thai all taxes levied shall b
paid to the County Treasurer Loo
at the notes that have been given b
collectors in lieu of taxes and th
county made to pay the discount fo
the benefit of the collectors Look d
the county orders floating around no,
that cannot be honored because I'll
treasury is empty Tell us there is n
cause for Investigation When wa
there ever cause If not now2
Let the investigation go on rigo
ously. We are afraid the committe
Is not pushing it as they should. Tt
job Is big one and will require muc
time. II cannot be done by spendin
an occasional snatch OF time at 1t du
ing the brief hours OF the meeting ,
Levy Court. The committee was a.
thorized to employ an expert, the
should do it Immediately, and that @
pert should be at his work night ar
day. We call upon the committee
wake up and go TO work in earnest, ar
II the charge OF crooked financi
management on the part OF The cou
" officials, lisa lie as black as hi
as Mr.. Rowland puts it, let US have
substantiated by some other authorl
than Mr. Rowland. Let the inpestis
ton go on.
'All signs fail"-exeept pimples al
blotches. These never fail to indica
an impure condition of the bloc
which may be thoroughly cleansed al
renewed by the use of Ayetss Sa