The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-05-30
of the offices in the gift Of the people.

of the offices III the gilt OF the people.
According to a statement politely
furnished us last Wednesday, by A.
w. Stanard, County Clerk, we learn
that the total amount of Delinquent
Taxes now due to Linn county is &c.
7l4.ss. Everybody will agree with
us that this is a very large balance.
Were it now in the Treasury, instead
of being in the hands of dilatory tax
payers, every ordinary County Order,
now outstanding, could be paid ON
presentation. Instead of this, how
ever, those holding County Orders arc
forced to hold them for an indefinite
length of time, or sell them at consid-
cradle discount. Whose fault is it
that a portion of this large balance is
not now in the Treasury? We an
swer, nobody's except that of Harvey
Smith. He is by law not only Sheriff,
but collector of the County Revenue;
and as such it was his duty, long be-
fore this, to collect these delinquent
taxes, or at least that portion of them
which is good and can be collected. If
delinquents will not pay, voluntarily,
the law makes it his duty to enforce
payment. This should have been
done this he had a right to do j; this
was his duty to do. No other course
is lawful; no other course is just to
those taxpayers who do pay their
taxes promptly, and no other course
is just to those who hold the County
Orders of Linn county. No other
course can keep them ut par.
We do not wish to be misunder-
stood, nor do we desire TO do Mr..
Smith injustice. He is a personal
friend of ours, and we would not in
tentionalIy misreprescnt him for the
world. We do not take the position
that he should have collected all of
this large balance amounting, as VIC
have stated, to over $4,000. It is no
doubt true that a portion of it cannot
be collected even through the cnginery
of the law. When Mr.. 5. entered up
on the discharge Of the duties of his
office the amount of Delinquent Taxes
turned owe to him by his predecessor
for the years 1861, ls62-'63-'64-'65,
was SO $685. 4. OF this amount he
has collected $3I6,9I. The amount OF
delinquent taxes for 1866, is $685.
SO. OF this amount he has collected
and turned over $4,000 leaving n
balance of $3,337,s6. The amount of
delinquent taxes for 1867 and 1868 up
to May !, is S7,6s0.37; and of this
amount there has been collected about
$6s0,37 leaving a balance of 81 1000.
With these facts before them the pub
lie can judge as we'll rs We can rs to
the amount that should have been
collected, long ere this, and placed in
the hands of the Treasurer. Is il too
much TO say that n half Of $l6,7l4,-
80 are good and collectiblc W.
think not ; and if we are right in this,
then there should now be over $4,000
in the hands of the Treasurer.
Relative to the motives which
prompted Mr.. Smith to be thus dere-
lict in the discharge of some of his
official duties we have a few words to
say. He may have thought that, by
being lenient with taxpayers, he could
thereby secure their friendship. Or,
it may be a loose, lax way he has OF
doing business. Whatever the mo-
tive, it is certain that there is n total
unsolicited balance of over SIC, 900
that more than one-half of this
should now be in the hands of the
Treasurer that the public credit OF
Linn county is suffering because il
has not been collected !; and that in
justice has been done, not only to those
who are prompt Taxpayers, but those
holding the County Orders of the
county. VOTERS when you march
up to the polls next Monday, remcm'
Der these facts and act accordingly.
We are authorized to say that, il
elected, Dir. Irvine will collect the taxes
in the time and prescribed by
the laws of Oregon. lie keeps his
own business, snug and smooth, and
it is fair to infer that he will also be
energetic and prompt in the discharge
of his official duties.
Vote for II. A. Irvine.
D. MANSFIELD THE BOLTER.