Year: 1871

against us which ara grossly and outrsgeousy fsiss
You are charged with them, and you cannot say word


in defense but try 10 divert attention by resortDg
to fresh abuse and yet you talk about paper doing
dirty work. Is there any dirtier worn than telling lies
about your neghborsT


Thus far, we cannot doubt that The EUan-
gelist has decidedly the advantage in the con-
tr0versy and yet The Times has made a point
which the former has not met yet which it
cannot afford to leave untouched. Half truths
are often the most mischievOus falsehoods. To
select q few out of a mass of facts and pro-
claim them, refusing to notice others at least
equally relevant and important, is neither can
did nor just The Erangelid has seen fit to
take part in the controversy regarding the in
tegrity and fidelity of our present Municipality,
and is in fairness bound to ascertain and pro-
claim all the material facts. 1t has discovered
a channel through which the needed informa-
ton can be had now let it procure and PRINT
truthful answers to the following questions:


l. How much was the aggregate Debt OF our
City and County on the 1st of May lastl and
how much had that aggregate been increased
since the last preceding exhibit by the Con-
troler some two years before,f


2. What has the City to show for this in
creasef


3. How much had our new City Hall cost
up to the 1st of May last and how much
was it actually WORTH


4. Were not Moses Taylor, John j. AstOr &
Co. deceived into giving public assurance
last Fall that our City Debt would all be paid
off, if things were allowed to go On as exist
ing laws required, within the next twelve
years and, if so, who deceived themf


5. Do not our laws still require the Con-
troller to publish quarterly account, item by
item, of the outgoes from the City Treasury,
setting forth the amount Of each warrant and
to whom paid If they do not, when and how
was that requirement abolishedP If they do,
why is it not obeyedf


@. What were the current expenditures, what
the receipts other than from loans, of our
City during each of the last two fiscal years


z. How much has been paid, and to whom,
by the Controller, under the extraordinary
power conferred upon him by recent Tax
Levy to audit and pay claims against the
City Z and what portion of these were claims
which had been rejected by the State Com
mission which passed upon all claims two or
three years ago


s Are not the Millions Of Accumulated
" Debt bonds" which figure in the Controllers
late Report bonds issued to pay in part the
deficit of the last two years 7 If they are, DO
they not bespeak the most reckless financier-
ing that ever swamped City


9. Are we not now paying for the rent OF
Armories at least twice what we need or should
pay and to whom 7


10. Is it probable that the expenditures of the
current fiscal year can be kept within the limits
fixed by the act which virtually concentrated
all power in Messrs. Tweed, Sweeny, Hall, and
Connolly7 If they are not, was not that act
a fraud2 What sense in limitation of taxes
to two per cent: if we are compelled annually
to find a large deficit9


VIII The Evangelist try to procure and print
trustworthy answers to these questiOns7 We
want to ascertain and print the exact, literal
truth; and, if our present rulers are doing the
best that can be done, we stand ready to do |
them full Justice. But let us first have all the |
essential facts.