Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-23
SATURDAY, APRIL 23. 1921.
LESSON or COURT HOUSE CASES.

growing out of the acknowledged pecu-
lation of county funds TO the extent of
about SEQ 600 10y Furman 6. cole. re-
cordcr OF deeds. 10 which he pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to imprison-
mcnt for I'VE years in the workhousc.
camc TO an end in General Sessions
court yesterday afternoon. The court
denied the motion for a new trial in the
cases Of Deputy Recorder William G.
cole. Walter Babcock and Harry Fen
uInorc. who were indicted for con
spiracy TO aid in the principal dcfoIca-
tlon and convicted by jury. and sen
tcnced Babcock t. two years imrrison-
men, and cole and Fcnnmore 70 fines
az $500 and $500. respectively
The closing Of this unsavory and most
r,rrcuul episode. which has attracted
unusual interest in our community by
reason cf the prominence n the paruci-
pants and their personal popularity
among wide circle of acquaintanccs
should leave its impress. It's memory.
and its lessons 1t is not TO he re-
rarded as a mere delinquency on the
part ot trusted officials TO he forgotten
with the imposition Of sentence upon
them II is far more. Regardless Of
tho question of guilt or innocence as
Il all the defendants. it IS a startling
evidence Of the laNity in official prohi;y
that has naturally followed upon Lastly
OF the part Of the people With respect
q tbc intelligent attention they should
to AFFAIRS q public administration
o-d especially 10 the selection or thei-
p,.'llg officials And this laxi,y on the
..rt It The people has served to en-
,uurag, c>ilS in administration not es-
lt,ialy as to Iawless pcculatIon OF
rabI.e funds. Int To cxcesscs and ex-
travaganccs. to impudent impositions
il tn, form Of heavy burdens Of taxa
uon. and to gross ineficiency in the
administration OF public affairs. Those
entrusted by the people with TINS ad-
r4n.s,ration have advanced 10 the
point of rcchlcssncss in their selfish
purpose 10 make public offices q source
OF public profit. and TO enlarge the
oaiciary TO a scandalous extent. so that
unnecessary places have been provided
for distribution as mere rewards for
partisan service, with the public
severely mulcted in taxation to meet
tho cost thereof.
Il IS only necessary to make a cursory
survey Of our governmental oficiary,
state. country and rnunicipal-at least
here IL WilmInrton-to see how this
grave evil has increased by rapid and
astounding strides. Take the office in
VOWED in this latest court episode
the office of recorder of deeds for New
Castle county-as an instance. Good
salaries are attached to the chief and
most OF the subordinate positions. and
tn number Of the latter has been large
ly multiplied. Their number at present
Is %, an increase having been allowed
when the late recorder assumed the
office. on the ground of an accumuIa-
tion ~ work that demanded more help. |
1t is now shown that while the pay roll
for the month of March amounted to |
81 40 the fee receipts amounted to
only sI,627.75, creating a deficit for the /
In"nth Of s2.s72.25. The result which /
similar comparison would show in
a., operations Of other county Offices
might prove an interesting revelation,
one way or the other
Yet IN a former regime all the court +
house Offices were looked upon as ex-
ceedingly profitable positions. although
the incumbent of each was recon-
rensed 10y the fees received. he paying
for all The official assistance that was
deemed necessary. the county paying
only for office accommodations. heat and
supplies. in those days it was gen
orally considered that the Office Of
sheriff was worth $4,000 TO SIS 900 per
annum-that official, however, pronting
largely by the privilege Of feeding the
offices Of recorder of deeds and mort
cages and register Of wills were held
70 be worth at least $4,000 year each;
the others less profitable.
Now these county offices throughout
the STATE are salaried on liberal
basis. with ample clerical help In
many instances. it is charged. the