Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-08-24

County Taxes-.Extravagant and lie.
gal Expenditures.

frcsilcs and their pockets. 10 il one which
may increase or diminish their comforts. or
ono which may increase or lessen their IA.
bors and burdens. II is highly important.
therefore, that those officers who arc On.
trusted with these affairs, should b. men or
integrity and fully compc,cnt to discharge
their duties, in a legal, faithful, and impr.
tial manner.
II we'll known fact that IN, County
Commissioners arc the responsible agents ig
whom the law vests the control or an the
County expenditures II j. for them to .ay
whether this or that account shall h. allow.
81. Its for them to say whether bin /.
Just or unjust. 81 that II any account !,
allowed % any individual which IL unjust.
illegal or cytrangant, it i not the iniIyil.
ual which l. IN blame, but Il is The County
Commissioners. They are ne legal guard
ans Of the public funds, and they must D.
held responsible for every interpolation Il
those funds and for every tax laid upon
the people beyond the absolitc wants of tha
County.
Sine tho publication Of 'crtain bilIs AMI
CERTAIN facts, concerning the finances Of the
County, a. made known by the correspond
cncc n Mrssrs. Walker ard Virgin, with
the clerk Of the Courts, a question of thr
most important character Is presented ~
the consideration Of the people II Oyfrl
County II 4. not a question of party, hut
a nakcl question of dollars and conf. The
question il Shall the people NJ th's
County h. taxed reasonably or crtnnslnt-
ly' Shall they pay print,r'' and hilrrs'
accounts once or twice? Shall they pay
the County Commissioners 'or ten sessions
per annum. when only thrc' are Necessary
Shall money b. assessed on the harl earn
ing. Of the people, and pail out without
law anil in violation II lew, in liberal boz
,talmcnt. 10 reward the srry crs II political
sauprr, and political f'voritcs'" Thcsr
are questions which it is hgi time the T".-
ple should consider and !. H. matter of
the highest importance that they should
prepare themselves to dccid at the coming
election, whether the men wlo have lor..v-
,ral ycars past abandoned all honest party
warfare. AMI broke down n, old Democrat
ic Republican party-thc n ,iow Of which
they now rcrrr-out--'hall Hereafter b. a'-
Lowell I, di.hur-r the publ, fund, NJ ihr
County, and continue to huld oHri1l sa-
tons which they have abusyl, perverted
and li.honor'l
Without going into details, the great fact
that our County tax ha. ircrcased in i'u
year. s35OO.OO when az tlc SINE tim 81 o
County valuation ha. lron ii uinishcl a'0n.
orc-oishth. /. calculated 20 excite 'hc 90.
constituent Of every honest inan. What F.
the cause Of thi, great and overwhelming
incrrasc Of myation2 n any reasonable
c1uza can b. assigned why ar not che r'.-
PIE informed what il is2 y, cause can 'a
ayign-l c1rypt official carclsucss, of.al
neglect and extravaganza.
And then again why arr tn County Com.
missioner. Bill. increased fron S7l2,iJ IN
lsli. 10 the cnormou. sum Of $780, bon
1855? Why, We The people, are ioll. f'at
in 1854 the County Commissioner. hHl On
sessions, anil that they viewed AMI url'nl
a great many roads and that they PERFORMED
q large amount Of services. Now the truth
l., there !. not, nor can there b. prlaral
a single go,l and substantial reason WY
the ac,opnt. or thc-c officers should exc Z
one half he sum of Sl93O,5i, nor any
god reason why 90 many sessions should b"
held pcr annlm nor any sooi reason why
a greater demand has been made upon their
services in 1854, than in other wears, 90 such
a degree A. &. here exhibited. And Il there
is no good reason why these enormously OK.
tramrant hills should exist, as thc County
has diminished in size by the anpcza,i.n s
two large towns to another County, ..a.l
not the people examine this whole subject,
in Nh it, barinss, and establish such a r..
form a. the necessity Of the case roluire- ?
Orcoursc they should.
The allowance Of Bills in violation Of law.
.bv the County Commissioners, i. a just cauc
Of complaint. The law requires that Couu.
~ Commissioners accounts should b. pub
li,hed but instead OF complying with tl.'
statute which was enacted A. prJt'.t..n
to the tax paying community, those Come
missioncrs on their own responsibility, with
out the shadow of legal authority, have
allowed various accounts Of an exceedingly
questionable character 20 the amount OF
$4,000, Suth illegal allowance Of a,-
counts to various County Commissioner IN
such manner cannot be justifci on any
plea orri,ht. necessity or czrciirncy AMI .'
therefore clear violation Of ofcH o'i'5-
ton.
There are still other accounts, winch have
been allowed by the County Commis..nr''
which show a .,ill higher degree Of Official
neglect, carclcsncss, cztruvasan'', or ia,0T'
itism.
: Tho Tailor j. allowed le.al sum 'o'
certain services and then, in addition be -
allowed more than a legal sum for the sane
identical services The public printer |"
these Commissioner, is allowed $500 io'
printing certain accounts in 1854 and then
in the same year, Tor the same identical 81
vice he is allowed $500 more. And yet
no Justification Is offered for such reckless