Wilmington Daily Gazette

Radical Legislation a Failure.

The fairest opportunity ever given to men to organize a cheap, effective and economical government, was, perhaps, that presented when Congress re-organized the District of Columbia, and gave the sole control of the City of Washington into the hands of the Radical party, and gave them ample power to retain themselves in office.

The scandalous conduct and abuse of power by these officers, from the Governor down, has been repeatedly referred to by the newspaper Press.

Taxation became so enormous, and corruption so glaring that Congress was appealed to, and that body appointed a committee to investigate and report upon the condition of the city and the District. That committee, composed of six Radicals and two Democrats, have just submitted a printed report to Congress, and after examining the matter we presume thoughtfully, they say, "Your committee have unanimously arrived at the conclusion that the existing form of government of the District is a failure."

The cause of the failure is shown to be in the want of principle in the men who held the offices and wielded the power of the government. So fully convinced of this are the committee that they "recommend the abolition of the executive, the Secretary of the District, the legislative assembly, the Board of Public Works, and the office of Delegate in Congress." That amounts very nearly to an abolishment of the government, which Congress with great boasting set up a few years ago.

In those few years they have created a debt of $20,916,007, which the committee say is "the total burden upon the property of the District."

And this enormous debt has been contracted notwithstanding the limitation of $10,000,000 fixed by an act of Congress.

This disregard of law was perpetrated under the very nose of the Executive," and it is asserted with his knowledge, and that members of the Cabinet of General Grant silently participated in some of the personal benefits resulting from the extravagant management by the Ring that controlled the operations of the Board of Public Works. The auditor's office there is in a worse condition than we find that office in our own city.

The committee say: "Notwithstanding the power of the auditor and of the treasurer, the board, during the three years it has been in existence has done nothing in the way of verifying the accounts of these two officers. This is a negligence not to be excused in those in whom such important trusts were confided.

Whether moneys have been paid out on false accounts, or diverted to improper purposes, can only be determined from a careful scrutiny of the accounts in detail."

Such is the condition in which the Federal capital is found, and such is the condition of every city where the same party, kept in power by the aid of negro votes, is found. That negro suffrage has been the means of entailing debt, distress and misfortune on every people where it has been powerful enough to put the Radical party in power there is not a particle of doubt.

There is no place that can be pointed out where negro suffrage has been beneficial or promoted economy. And it will not do so in Delaware.