The sun., 1901-04-10
WEDNESDAY. APRIL 10, 1901
4 LEVY COURT CRISIS.

and out of which all kinds OF fumors oA
alleged political and financial rascallty
have fioated. Various futile efforts
have been made TO find the source of
these rumors and to determine what
truth there was in the runors and to
place the responsibility for any wrong
doing that might be discovered. Every
attempt at this has proved abortiye.
1.-The chief reason for this has been the
fact that the Levy Court has been the |
center and main factor in the politics of |
The county. When voting depended upon
assessments and tax paying the party III
power in the court was practically AS
sured Of success at the polls. The open
manipulation of the assessment and col
lection of taxes was prolific source Of
evil Without doubt thousands Of dol
lars OF assessed taxes were remitted
in the gift of tax receipts to the voters
of the party i'll power, and other thous-
ands of assessed and uncollected taxes
We're allowed rs errors in order that
the persons against whom they We're
assessed could be disfranchised. What
the public lost i'll this way can only
be estimated, the true sum can now
never be ascertained. Ii it could be
accurately ascertained the sum would
be one of startling magnitude. The Sys-
TEN Of fraud, which has corrupted its
~ tat. -,thi,ll,
has entailed upon the counties Of the
State financial loss at the extent Of
which the best informed citizens can only
guess-gfew out Of the efforts of the
Democrats of the State TO disfranchise
The coIarcd voters. Previous to 1873,
while the Levy Court was an important
there was no scandal attached to its
proceedings. In that year the Demo-
Gratis, by the passage of the delinquent
tax law, aimed at the colored voter and
all Republican voters, made the Levy
Courts Of the various counties the cen
Iers Of political force, the control Of
-
the State. From that year the Demo-
cratic control Of the Levy Courts, and
of the State was almost continuous UP
to, ii we remember correctly, 1890. In
that year the tables were turned, the
Republicans securing majority Of the
court III this county. Then occurred the
Democratic spasm for Levy Court re-
form. Before the Republican court could
get fairly organized the Democrats ap-
pealed to the Legislature and the five
commissioner bill was passed, the Re
legislated out Of Office and the Demo
Gratis put III possession. Since then the
Democrats have been i'll undisputcd pos
session until they were defeated i'll th,
recent election. The matters to be iii
yestigatcd are, therefore, matters u
Democratic Administration.
We have deemed this resume Of tn
history of the Levy Court necessary fo
the full understanding of the case no,
in hand, the investigation of which ha
been precipitated by the action of Al
torney- General Ward. 1t will be re
membered in this regard that previou
to the last election current rumo
charged members of the Levy Coul
with gross frauds III the manipulation {
to the attention of the then Democrat
attorney general by publication of tt
rumors in the newspapers of the cit,
No attention was paid to the matter b
the authorities further than a perfun
tory reference to the grand jury and, /
that body, i'll the same unsatisfactoI
way referred to the Legislature.
both these references the object seen
TO have been the avoidance of the d
sired investigation. The Legislator
however, did take the matter up,
provided for an increase Of the coul
with view TO the prevention Of Il
frauds that had been charged again
members Of the court, as it was tho
constituted. When that matter wi
lHurF tOllSlueFdtlon MI. isA IN, WHO W.
elected as a Republican, appeared
The General Assembly opposing the pr
posed increase of the membership of Il
court, at the same time threatening
make combination with the Dem
cratic members Of it III order to conti
the court and prevent the new membe
from such participation in its work
would enable them to correct or aid
the correction Of any abuses that mig
be discovered This threat Mr.. Lyl
has carried out. finding Democrats wi
ing TO join him in the conspiracy again
the public veal.
In tile meantime there is n renewal
the runors Of alleged frauds in t
manipulation of county orders, The
orders appear 10 have been drawn
large amounts iii favor of parties w
could have no claim on the court I
either services rendered or material 81
piled Then a very cursory examimati
of the matter at issue appears to in
cate very costly leak in the financ
of the court The income Of the cot
from taxation is estimated mt $500
The fixed charges Of the court on
liberal estimate is put at $15O0O0 le;