Year: 1876

WALNUT STBEET JOE.


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Approvsd.


The work on Walnut street has COM
menced, and win be carried through despite
the charges of "outrage," raised by some Of
the papers of Wilmington. This work Il .
necessity; 1t is imperative. But while
there is such sensational fever seixing
newspapers about the work, It would not
be inapplicable to the work to mention Q
certain job undertaken by . Republican
Council, and pushed through with the
greatest Indifference to appeals and pro-
tests well grounded. Those who recollect
the Macadamizing Of Fourth street can but
recall the storm Of Indignation that It met
with from the property owners along that
street. Now the City Councils confronted
by the very men who did this work, pro-
claiming the work on Walnut street to be an
outrage upon the property owners along
that street. Leaving out the most important
phase of the question that 1t 10 work of
necessity, the work is but following pr~ce-
dent set by those who now 30 loudly lift
their:voices In denunciation Of it. tits not the
wish of TEE HERALD to be understood ~
saying that any one would be right In fol-
lowing precedent set by the Republican
Council, but 1t means to say that there Is
precedent for the work on Walnut street.
Economy is one of the safeguards of all
governments, and TIE HERALD has and
always will maintain that such has been
observed fully by the Democratic majority
in Council. It came into power under
burden left by the old Council, and that
they have had to meet, and which the papers
who are decrying Democratic rule In this
city, are placing to Democratic extrava-
gance. It Is very easy matter to run up
extravagant figures by heaping the sins of
one party upon another. If the work on
Walnut street is an extravaganza, that upon
Fourth street was downright steal. 1.-THE
work on Walnut street is an outrage upon
the rights of the people, that upon Fourth
street was muzzle to the public's voice.
It is not the claim of the would-be reform
newspapers of Wilmington that the work
is wrong, but 1t is claimed as one without
precedent in the annals of our municipal
government. This is disproved by what
has already been said In this article. 1t
might further be added that numbers who
signed the petition asking that the work on
Walnut street should not be done, have no
real estate interest on that street; and that
1t was done solely for political purposes,
whatever influence 1t may have upon the
approaching city elections, In reversing the
tide which must inevitably lead to Demo-
cratic successes.


One paper states that TEE HERALD
wishes to excuse Mr.. McMcMenamin be-
cause he had not been guilty of transgres-
sions any greater than those that have been
committed under other administrations. If
It was the object Of this paper to make such
point 1t would be only to meet the aver
ments that his control of the Street Com
mittee has been one Of such extravagance
as was never before known in our munich
pal government. One paper only can be
considered In this matter, although pro-
fessedly not Republican journal It made
the attack with Us much venom as though
it had been, while another journal fights
behind the intrenchments its neighbor has
built. This reminds ono very much
of the story of the womaR's
who killed the bear, and after the fighting
was all over the husband sneaks from be-
hind cover and wishes to know If Eve"
didn't kill the bear.


But 1t 10 rather lame In beth to be prating
of extravagance in city government now,
when the Council preceding the present one
was guilty Of some Of the most farsnt
gouges. Every dollar that has been ex.
pended by Mr.. McMensmin In bis admins
tration of the Street Committee can be
shown as having been put to uses demanded
by work coming under his special depart
msnt. His actions are approved by re-
nomination to Council BY . tremendous
majority.