Middletown transcript., 1900-10-13
MORE ABOUT THE LEVY COURT

called a paramount issue.
MORE ABOUT THE LEVY COURT
As we promised in the last issue of
THE TRAEsCRIPT we propose to deal this
week in some figures of local interest,
cleaned from the report of the auditing
committee, as made to the Associate
Judge of New Castle county. The first
item under the head of Levy Court, is
salaries of commissioners for which we
see that Mr.. William A. Scott received
for salary $500. The law by virture of
which he holds this Office. positively pro.
hibits any member of the Levy Court
from furnishing any supplies or being in
terested in any contracts for the county,
and yet we find charged under "Ginn's
Bridge" warrant 1940S favor w. A.
Scott for $43. 70 and under fifth district
warrants 1905 for 90 and 205l0 for
$l47, 90 total of $244, rs for labor per-
formed or material furnished. The law
also provides that all work or supplies to
the amount of $500or over shall be adj
vertised and the contract awarded to the
lowest and best bidder. Nevertheless this
very Ginn's Bridge was built by day labor
and the total cost was 81 ,095.05, although
prominent local contractor has said
that 5000 would allow a fair margin of
profit on the work done. Mr.. Scott, the
commissioner, has an uncle, Mr.. Thomas
janitor at the court house and whose sal
ary is fixed at 5000 and he got it and
more too. For under repairs and i'm
provemcnts we find warrants drawn in
his favor, as follows: 1855 for $500,
1884 for $500, 1880 for $500, 1881
for $500, 1885 for $1,000, 1891 for
$1,000, 190S2 for $34 90, 1880 for $500,
1888 for $1,000, 20l25 for $500, 2O253
for $1,000, 206l2 for $500, total of $169
which represents what is technically
known as the trimmings" Others par
ticipate in these trimming as Mr..
John F. Campbell, the fireman at the
court house found time to do 1928. 90
worth of extra work or at least to draw
that much extre pay over his salary of
$600per year. Mr.. Scott, the commissioner,
has father, Mr.. William Scott, whose
name is frequently met in this report, as
evidenced by the following list of war
rants drawn in his 1892 for $2S, 90, 1885,
76 for $24, 90, 1874 for $500, 1904 for
$94, 90, 1901 for $34, 90, 1929 for S3S, 90,
19417 for $4S, 90, 1862 $500, 1859 for
$4,000, 1882 for $500, 2O226 for $4,000,
2O402 for $32, 90, total of 1898 for work
done for the county in the fifth district,
presumably as supervisor. Mr.. Scott,
the commissioner, also has brother Mr..
/. C. Scott, who In addition to being
tax collector at a salary of 81 900 and al
lowance of $404.O6 for collecting the
road tax of st. Georges hundred, re-
ceived the following warrants for work
done or material furnished in the fifth
district; 1888 for $500, 1902 for $34,-
90, 1909 for $34, ,OO 1928 for $500, 10
ALP for $4s, 90, 1886 for $1,000, 20436 for
$500, total of 1856. All there figures
are for the single year ending December
81, 1899. 1t is no wonder that certain
well-known Democrat of Appoquini-
mink hundred said, when asked what
he thought of ''anti-imperialism, !" ''That
may be all right, but for me the plat
form and cry is, anti-Scottism'." As
we stated last week. Mr.. Armstrong is
known to be entirely satisfactory to Mr..
Scott. And we have no good grounds
for belief that four years of Mr.. Arm
strong would be any different than four
YEAR, of Mr.. Scotts except that the
iormer also has relatives to look out for.
His brother-in-law, Mr.. J. A. Cleaver,
S said to be slated for collector Of taxes.
We don't think that would be higher sat
sfactory appointment to the Democrats of !
It. Georges hundred. One, and the only, !,
ure panacea for Scottish" is to elect
francis H. Lattomus as commissioner !,
rom the district. Mr.. Lattomus is honest,
traight and fair in all his dealings with
ii men, and if elected would serve all
lis constituents with the same degree
+ right and justice. He is no mans a
man y; has no prefix or affix to any re- e
atoms with other men. In fine, he is n
lst plain every day citizen who is in t
crested in good government and who c
Tould see that the government was good. il
here would be no giving out of private V
obs, no favorlte lumber dealer: no Fl
inecures about the court house wasting 81
( the county funds. On the contray, all "
Tork would be advertised and the lowest s.
nd best bidder would secure the con-
ract, this applying to lumber as well as b
D. other supplies and everyman who
Torked for the county would be excepted d
nd required to give an honest dollars b
'orth of work for an honest dollar. We rt
ave not yet exhausted this theme, but Il
ext week will have some more facts and ir
iures from the above quoted report. But al
e want, in closing, to repeat what we al
aid last week, that under the present CT
onatitution, the Levy Court has ceased a
} be political issue and is now purely
business proposition. 1t is merely an
lstrument to take your money and
pend it in improving and maintaining :,
our property. !"
" Shortly after McKendree Downhain's !
ate OF health compelled him to relin- h