Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1910-02-12
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Every EUening in its editorial OF
February 9th entitled "Cost Of
Collecting County Taxes, where
in it seeks 70 indiet the present
Republican county government OF
extravaganza and graft! The
purpose!of that long editorial is
SO plainly dishonest that one is o.
a loss which to despise most, the
foolish attempt or the yet more
foolish failure.
Wepurpose TO examine seriatim
the alleged charges: First, then
as to the work of the Assessors
and Collectors Of the various hun
dreds.
We candidly admit the present
system Of tax levy and collection
is not a perfect one; but under
Republican rule it has been great
" amended in the direction Of
honesty and economy. At least
to-day the taxes are as 9 fact
levied and collected practically
all Of them, whereas under Demo
cratic rule q large percentage OF
county taxes was purposely
returned as errors-a dishonest
political trick to disfranchise Re.
publican voters, whereby many
thousands of dollars of collectible
taxes were lost to the county.
This time.houored Democratic
abuse is no longer tolerated.
Moreover in addition to this big
leak, the cost Of collection then
was increased BY giving q per-
eentsge on Road as well IS on
County taxes, and also by paying
q second collector o further per.
centage on delinquent taxes =
neither Of which charges are now
permitted.
For these reasons, and despite
EVeTy Evenings pretence to the
contrary, the truth is that the
cost OF assessing and collecting
county taxes Is less now than when
the Democrats were in power.
Charge No. 2. Salaries of
Levy Court $500 per member
then, $500 now" This is easily
answered. In the first place no
one fitted in brains, character
and experience to discharge the
duties Of that responsible Office,
can afford to do so for so small q
salary as &800-that ID if he means
to do 90 honestly. But, in the
second place, how did your $500
Democratic members conduct
thingsf Why, spent the county's
money at their own sweet will
kept no tell tale books Of expendi.
tures-made no accounting Of
their cheap ~ stewardship, and
invariably had the county up to
its eyes thousands Of dollars lin
debt, with many thousands OF
County orders floating around ct
y discount Of 80 per cent. or
more! And does any one doubt
that wholesale 'pickings" swelIed
the $500 salaries far enough be-
yond the present salary honestly
allowed by law!
Consequently no Democratic
Levy Court ever went out Of Of.
, Gee without leaving q big deficit
When the first Republican Levy
Court came into Office they found
nota single bookor account show.
ing how and where the county
money had gone nothing in fact
but o big deficit! But under Re-
publican auspices this fat deficit
was wiped out, and has ever since
been kept wiped out. Even
EVerv EUening will hardly have
the hardihood to deny these well
known facts.
But in charge No. 8, Increased
Salaries paid Court House ofic.
ials, the EVery ECenin0 shows a
recklessness Of partisan menda.
city that must amaze even the
hungry Democratic politicians on
whose behalf that fabricated ar.
gument is put forth It is so
grossly at variance with the
widely known:fscts, that it is sur.
prising that any respectable
newspaper would dare to father
90 absurd q falsehood!
Why, under the old system the
Clerk Of the Peace and the Sheriff
each cleaned up about $50, 900 in
their 5 year terms and ether of.
fcials proportionate So ms! True,
this 10 only 300 to 500 per cent. |
more than the salaries now al
lowed those same oficials olus
their fees! The Republican party
has abolished the greater part Of !
this fee system abuse, and should |
and no doubt win abolish it alto. |
gether.
" :.
HkubI1JI 10 KoPoHt IT, tue 6Ui.
anrial of EpeYU EUenin0 In nm ;m