The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-07-22
WHERE HAS THE MONEY GONE

SOME one ought, in all kindness, u
take the editor of the Democrat aside
and tell him gently but firmly that dis
cussion of public questions is not his
forte. That editorial Of last week Vi,
"all other taxpayers" Is a pitiful ex-
ample. 1t starts out with such blunders
as primary grade school boy ought not
to make. 1t says "Mr. Frank E. Wi.
liams acting for himself and all other
taxpayers has secured an injunction,
etc., and then it wants to know by what
right Mr. Williams presumes to speak
for "all other taxpayers" Is this just
sheer stupidity or wilful misquotation
of the petition for an injunction? The
editor of the Democrat has evidently
read the petition itself and must know
that, following the prescribed form of
such documents, it says:-"Your orator,
who sues as well for himself as for all
other taxpayers residing in Cecil county,
WHO COME IN AND MAKE THEM
SELVES PARTIES TO THIS CAUSE
AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE EXPENSES
o FTHE SAME" etc. The editor OF Inc
Democrat is not so stupid as to have not
understood that sentence. He simply
preferred to misquote it, to twist and
turn 1t from it's plain and proper mean
tnn i,,ct ho tote, opl o+l,n
and more important matters, in the hope
of misleading readers who do not get
chance to hear him called to account.
2. The Democrat next wants to know
why mt. Williams did not issue a call
for taxpayers to take some action to
prevent the extravaganza of the Republic
can administration in 1905" Inasmuch
as we were entirely absent from the
county that year and knew nothing of
any such movement, we naturally. could
not take any part therein. But the edi-
tor of the Democrat says prominent
citizen and tax payer urged HLM to
issue such a call. Why didn't he do it..
If the administration was guilty of un-
bearable extravaganza and the editor of
the Democrat knew it, it was his bust
ness as a good citizen to Issue the CALI
that was urged upon him. Was he afraid,
or Indifferent or what? Why didn't he
do 1t.
g. In the third place the Democrat,
while declining to defend the practice of
County Commissioners borrowing money
reminds us that it is a common business
practice, etc, etc. But the cases are not
on all-fours The County Commission
the people of this county, with certain
clearly defined powers and borrowing
money without legislative authority Is
not one of them. The Democrat knows
this perfectly well, and hurries by this
phase of the matter, in order to enlarge
upon the way this injunction ties up the
Commissioners from paying their bills
But the injunction does not in the leas,
prohibit the paying of bills-it only pro-
hibits THE BORROWING OF MONEY.
Why should not the bills be paid out of
the county's income for the year just
closed? They levied for $4,000 and
then slipped out and borrowed $4,000
more when they saw the Injunction was
coming. Where has all this money
gone? What has emptied the treasur,
so that they cannot las they claim pay
their present bills, until the coming
years taxes begin to come in? They
nave erected no school houses, they
have built no bridges, last year they did
practically nothing on the roads, and SO
the story goes. But where has the
money gone? Think of the County Com
missioners spending about 100000 of
the peoples money in the past year, WI h
have to show. These are the things
about which the people are asking and
asking with indignation. If the county
Is bankrupt, If it cannot meet its ma
turing obligations, the people have sense
enough to understand that the fault can
not be charged 10 an injunction that
prevents their borrowing money 10 hide
their record; the fault lies with the
wretchedly incompetent administration
and the people are tired of it; SO tired
that they are longing for the time to
come when they can end it.
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