Mountain Democrat., 1857-11-28
IIi IQgRAT.
Csrre.p.ndence Of be Dsmoera..
CLARKsyILLE, Nov. 28, l957.

NAAhAoNAAAaAsl
EDroRs DExocRAT: With your per-
mission we desire to present plain state
ment of facts to the good people OfEl Dora
do county, 90 that ccnsurc, If any be due,
may fall upon the proper persons, not un.
suspccting parties. We conceive that we
have been outraged; and we want to know
what redress VIC have.
Considerable excitement exists in our
community in consequence Of the uncailcd
for and arbitrary PtoceedingsOfthe agents
of the District Attorney who, "clOthcd
with a little brief authority" imagine
themselves the superiOrs of the people
They lord it with high hand, and talk
rs il they had the power to crush all who
questioned their authority or disobeycd
their mandates. They walk into store
and haughtily inquire Of the proprietor
"HAVe you taken out your license for the
current quarter sLH you have not, you
must suffer the consequences" and in
some instances, without waiting for a re-
bly, proceed to prosecute him. They will
listen to no excuses, hear no explanations,
but with q staggering and supercilious
air, insist on having their own way Some
of our traders have been prosecuted and
subjected to no little annoyance, inconvc-
nience and trouble for nothing whatever.
They have been forced to neglect their
business and attend trials when they had
their licenses in their pockets. Now who
pays the costs Of suits? Perhaps if the
agents were held responsible they would
be more chary representing men with
out. cause. But as the county has to foot
the bill, what care they? They are after
the dimes, it matters not how they make
them.
wish to call your attention; and the
attention Of the public to another very
important fact in connection with this
license business, and that is, that when
the license collector went around last he
stated that traders need not trouble them
selves to 60 to the county seat to get their
licenses or give themselves the least unca-
sincss, as he would be round in time for
them to renew their licenses or obtain
new ones. He stated further, that if they
overrun the time few days it would be
ovcrlookcd-where there was no intention
to dcfraud no notice would be taken of
the delay. Well. sirs, the traders in this
ncighborhood placed confidence in his
statement, and dearly have they been
made to pay for it. They allowed their
licenses to run out, thinking to make it
all right when the collector called upon
them, when to their astonishmcnt and
their cost, the agent of the District At
torney waits upon them and coolly in
forms them that he has instituted suit
against them for not taking out licenses
at the proper time. This, Messrs Edit
ors, is what we complain of-what VIC did
not expect Why put us to extra cx-
pense and trouble when VIC are perfectly
willing to pay our licenses, and would
have done 80 ere this, had We not expec-
It'd to be called upon by the collectors p
Have we not just cause of complaint! Is
there no remedy?
Now, gents, | don't wish to reflect upon
the conduct Of the District Attorney he
is perhaps merely doing his duty and is
not aware to what extremes his agents are
pushing matters. l wish to call his at
tention to their acts, and to induce him to
restrain them little. Let him instruct
them to listen to explanations, and where
there was no design to cvadc the law, not
to prosecute. All traders who have neg.
,lectcd to take out their licenses or renew
them. arc not scoundrels, nor should they
bc so treated. Tho deputies of the Dis
trict Attorney evidently regard them as
rascals, and prosecute them with rigor.-
This extreme course must bc abolished.
Ex-Treasurer Reeds dcfalcatlon took
every person by surprise in this ncghbor-
hood. He looked like an innocent, weak
minded, honest man, but not like scoun-
-drel as he has proved himself Associa-
ton, however, may have had much to do
in changing the whole nature Of the man.
The good book teaches us that evil COM
municatiOns corrupt good manners" and
certainly many an ''cvil communication"
did he receive from his advisers. 1t is a
source ofpride and pleasure to every true
son of FL Dorado that we have one press
the MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT-that has the
Independence and fearlcssness to expose
corruption in high places regardless Of
consequences. have been a subscriber
to it since its first issue, and have always
admired its bold and manly course. Itis
terror to evil doers and of course it is
cursed by them, but every honest man
endorses its course and wishes it to pros
per. Yours, OLD HICKORY.