The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-09-22
Friday, Sept. %, 1898.
The Public Plunderers.

The above is the title of pamphlet in
the form of an Address 10 the People Of
Hartford County, prepared by E. M. Allen,
of Bel Air. The history of corruption and
plumber by the county officers of Hartford
detailed in this pamphlet ought to raise TO
white heat the indignation Of every tax
payer and every other honest man in the
county. The revelations IN this pamphlet
should arouse the tax payers of every other
county to examine into the county govern
ment and the amount of fees charged by
county officers.
Fees in Hartford county, the pamphlet
shows, in most instances are double to FIVE
times as much as the law allows; and the
county commissioners Office is sink Of
corruption. In opening his explorations
into this departing mt Mr.. Allen says:
81 told you in 1891 that the commits
sioners were using the money levied for the
roads in 1892 on the roads of 1891, in order
to promote their own election, and they had
then used nearly all it, and that you
would have to pay it up in the taxes levied
in 1892. How did il turn out? In 1892
they made you pay 1909 cents on the
$4,000 in taxes, higher rate than was
ever levied before in Hartford County since
God made heayen and earth
HE KNEW THE COMMISSIONERS.
An anecdote illustrating how the road
members were we'll paid is told.
A reliable Democratic lawyer in Bel Air
told me man went to him with an account
against the county for road meDding, on
some loose sheets of paper, and asked him
to put it in proper form to take 10 the Com
missioners TO get county certificate for the
amount of it. These county certificates are
equal 10 money, for the banks will usually
pay out money for them, and if they won t.
other companies in Bel Air will.
The lawyer looked at the loose papers and
found the account amounted to over $50.
He asked the road man where his road
warrant was. He showed it, and it was for
only 500 or $25.
The lawyer said, 'It is of no use for me
to make out this account, for you will get
no road check for this much, on road war
rant for $50" The road man said, "Neyer
mind that part, you make up the account
and I'll attend to the other part"
The lawyer made up the account, which
was for over $50. The road man took it to
the Commissioners office, and came back
in less than five minutes, with county
certificate for the whole sum
Nine road machines were purchased from
the Kennett Square Company, price 5000
each, on which drawback of $40 on each
machine was paid by the machine company
to the commissioners, which these faithful
watch dogs of the county treasury as faith
fully pocketed.
Hartford is solid democratic county and
if long lease of power tempts that party to
illegal practices in Hartford why not in any
other county. If party organs would address
themselves TO an investigation of the free
charges, and county accounts, they would
serve the public much better than firing
squibs at each other containing no informa-
tion and very little wit. Such electoneer
ing would interest tax payers deeply and
the parties could verify each others state
ment in such manner as the public could
believe.
Every tax payer in Cecil should drop E.
NJ. Allen, Esq, Bel Air, Md, postal card
and secure copy of his pamphlet. 1t con-
tains lots of profitable information, very
suggestive at this time.