White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-12-02
TAXES.

The great exciting topic, of present, is
the tax question. The collector is going
his rounds, and his appearance is hailed
with general grumbling-and weN2e not
blame people for it. Considering that
We are Territory, and have no govern
msnt expenses to dsfrsy, our taxes are
sxorbitant. Some persons are seriously
contemplating offering their property in
part payment for the taxes on it, and
making the collector wait for the balance
until they can go out and earn the money
TO pay 1t. There is a Territorial tax, and
q poll tax of one dollar upon each man in
the Territory; and our County Board Of
Commissioners have added another dollar
poll tax, and enormously increased the
property tax, making it, exclusive Of poll
tai, as high, if not higher, than in any
Of the States, where they have heavy
government expenses. In addition to this,
Eve per cent. is charged for collecting,
and another dollar is added on, for the
Assessors eall-although he never called
on many and many others, who offered.
At the proper time. to give in their prop
erty, he put of until another time.
We presume the old whiskey bloat who
disgraces the County. as her Assessor,
makes enough clear gains in this way, to
pay his grog bill. he could not do it,
with much less than one dollar per head
for each man in the County. This Ass.
sssor took particular psins to denOunce
the conduct of his predecessor, and to
make people believe that he was the fault
Of all the mismansgement Of the tax bust
Z ness; at the same time he was himself
preparing the way to swindle each man
ont Of a dollar Men would offer to give
IN their taxes, when be would tell them
to hold on, be had to call around again
before long. and he would attend to It
thsn. He would at the same time tell
them, confdentially, that he would not
charge them the dollar for calling. With
this assurance, many agreed to wait until
he came again. Now the collector comes
around, and has them all charged one
dollar for the Assessors call After i'm
posing such sea6s upon the people of the
County, no wonder they came near
demolishing the Free State party, al
though the old curmudgeon has renegsdsd
from the party.
For what is the Territorial tax levied ?
The National Government pays all our
expenses, and We. have no roads to pay
for: The tax levied by the County Board,
We can see into. The last Legislature
created myriad Of new officers in each
County, whose expenses must be paid +;
and they are determined to see themselves
paid. The Board of Commissioners Of
this County have piled it on thick. A
majority of them are Democrats, whom
the people permitted themselves to be
gullsd into elocting, by listening to the
cry Of reform, economy, and Black Re-
publicsnism. The people of this Town
ship elected one of the sweet members Of
the Beard-now they must pay for it.
This pack Of SINNERS make it convenient
to hold their meetings and their adjourned
meetings as often as possible, and levy
taxes upon the people, to pay them FOL
wearing out the seats Of their breechee,
al Troy, and doing nothing for the bens-
ct Of the people This august body Of
chnggls-heads must live, if the people
have to be robbed for it. And this is moi
all Many persons have claims against
the County, for services rendered in vsri'
ous ways. They have applied to the
Board for County Warrants to the amount
of their claims, in order that they NIGH
turn them in for taxes, when the collector
came around. But these ssges have re-
fused to grant Warrants. Thus. mer
mast render their services for nothing
and pay heavy taxes, that those may liv'
who refuse them their just dues. Their
is never any money in the Treasury. t.
pay Just claims, yet ths people are bur
dsned with heavy taxes. What, then
becomes of the money? The only rsas
enable conclusion is, that it is 'fgobSled'
up by the County officers, who are so Ia
boriously engaged in doing nothing. a
large majority Of the people are refusing
70 pay their taxes. and the officers WI
have a lively tine in collecting them
When men have to pay money. they wan
to know what it is for. Two dollar
POLL tax, ons dollar for assessing it, ant
Eve per cent. for collecting ii ! /. Whew
Who xouldnrt live in Donirhaa County