The Lincoln County herald., 1869-11-25
The Bounty Tax and County Psor
ttt.~f nouso. : &

Editor Herald. Several articles on
taxation have appeared 10 the columns Of
the Herald lately: ons asking "What
becomes Of The Peoples money! sisusd
''Tsuzsos," ssd your editorial thereon
aaotAse signed "Troy," ;pusportins 10 b.
sNsatisiactory reply to "Truxtou" and
your editorial; ana still another . re.
|oindes 70 "Tsoy's" ststsusnts, wherein
be iiuds 70 his amusement that the law
the County Courts Of The State
. publish % abstract Of The receipts aud
expenditures of county revenue, has not
bssn repealed, but 10 IN full force
and obligatory on our County Court.
In his srtio'e "Troy" makss three ssser.
Mons 10 bic defense Of he Court: the one
above mentioned, which Taxpayer"
from Truxton hss shown conclusively to
be untrue. Itisthe second and third asser.
sions made BY "TrOy' that We propose to
notice 10 this sreiels, to. vie: First. tie
Bounty Tax; and secondly, the County
Poor House. ~ ,..4 "
On the 18th Of August. 1894, when
this county was threatened with draft
for the United States military service,
~ Ce.nv Cesst Of this seupsyt By vir-
tue Of an act Of the General Assembly Of
the State, made an order duly entered Of
record, Offering a bounty Of 500 for
every soldier who should enlist in the
United States service for the period Of
one year and be credited to this county,
the number Of men not to exceed 203 ;
and On the same day and in the same or
der tho County Court, by virtue Of said
cot Of the Legislature proposed to Dor.
row . sum Of money not exceeding
$4,000, to pay these bouuties. 1t is
au incontestable fact that the County
Court borrowed of tho citizens of this
county tho sum Of $4,000 on tho last
days Of August, 1864, for which said
Court issued bonds due one year after date,
signed by che presiding Justice and
cointersigned by the Clerk Of the County
Court. and bearing 10 per cent. interest
from date, the interest payable annually.
Now here arises question: What be.
came Of this $4,000 borrowed money ?
The County Treasury is BY law made the
depository for oil county moneys, no mat.
ter to what fund they belong, whether
collected BY taxation, borrowed or other.
wise; and no moneys belonging to .
county con be legally paid out unless the
account is first audited and allowed by
tho Court, for whichu warrant must be
issued and presented 10 the county Treas.
urer. We claim that only 5000 Of this
$4,000 weeo ever paid into the county
Treasury aud paid out by him on war.
rauts-if We arc to credit the accounts Of
the Comfy Treasurer, as kept by him and
tho County Clerk. 1t may be contended,
and no doubt will, that this sl4 400 not
accounted for was paid to volunteers as
bounty money; but the question then
comes up: Who paid it to them, and how
many were paid? The number Of men
who enlisted under that order must for
ever remain q mystery-tho number that
wero paid who can tell? The records Of
the Court show that only six were ever
paid out Of tho County Treasury on war.
rants, after the accounts we're duly an.
dited and allowed, and these, too, were
paid in 1866, long after the war closed.
It is truo. there is q book In the County
Clerks Office purporting to be su abstract
Of oil warrants issued by order Of the
Court, wherein are recorded 147 war.
rants issued to divers persons for bounty
purposes, which l47 uamos include the
six above mentioned. All the warrants
recorded in that book we're issued. on an
allowance BY the County Court Of record
Except 14l Of the above named bounty
warrants, which we're issued without being
sudited and allowed. And here steps in
the mystery. But let us suppose that
147 men actually did enlist and receive
warrants 10 this irregular way, making
sl4,7oo paid out, still ssisss another
question What has become of the $500,
the balance Of the $3.50 borrowed?
Having explained how the bounty
debt Vas created and conducted in 1864,
we now come to examine the taxes raised
for the purpose Of paying Of this sum oi
$4,000 borrowed. You will please bear
in mind that the county debt fer bounty