The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-10-18
CREsco, Iowa.
OCroBER ii 1872.
EDITOR PLAIN DEALER.

Howard County has just witnessed an
other unjust and unlawful tax sale un.
der the administration of NJ. NJ. Moon
made in the interest of RING as usua
during his reign.
Treasurer Moon is the employee and
servant ofthe voters and tax payers
Of the county, and bound by law, his
oath of Office and duty to his employ.
ers, to discharge the duties Of his office
lawfully, faithfully and to the best Of
his ability. Mr.. Editor, Treasurer
Moon has disobeyed the law and neg
lected his official duties from first to
last. The law requires aud directs the
Treasurer to proceed to collect the
taxes Immediately after they become
delinquent, which is Feb. LIST, each
year, and in case the towns neglect to
elect Town Collector Of taxes, it is
the Treasurer's duty to appoint an
agent aud issue his warrant for the
collection out of the personal property.
and this must be dope before he can
lawful scu tho land for taxes
These plain statutes, Treasurer
N. NJ. Moon has disobeyel from first
to last, notwithstanding his oath and
plain duty requiring him to obey the
law and do his duty.
No man has been even asked for his
taxes, hut untold numbers of farms
have been sold for taxes, on which, at
any and all tiancs there was hundreds,
and in some cases thousands of dollars
worth of personal property, liable for
the payment of the taxes, hut that per-
sonal property is sacred, and the land
must pay the forfeit, and the home
stead pass away, under the all-powerful
HAMMER of Treasurer NJ. NJ. Moon.
Mr.. Editor: honesty and fidelity in
Office would have prompted Treasurer
Moon to have given thirty days no.;se
to the tax payers, in the newspapers of
the county, when the taxes would
become delinquent, and notice given to
men in the. county whose land had
been sold at the time when the sale
would become absolute, but. nothing of
the kind has ever been done by Treas
urer Moon.
Mr.. Editor: no successful business
man would employ such help as Treas
urer Mn has been to his employers
for thirty days, because such help
would ruin him, as Treasurer Moons
neglect ofduty has ruined untold num-
bers Of persons. But Mr. Editor, the
Legislature at its last session passed an
act which will greatly relieve the peo-
pie from Treasurer Moons neglect of
duty. The owner Of the Tax Sale
Certificates before the sale becomes alb
solute, and two years and nine months
after the sale, give notice to the owner
of the date of the sale, with a descrip-
ton Of the land or lot and the time
when TIE sale would become absolute.
This notice must be in writing, and
signed by the owner of the certificate
of sale, or his agent or attorney and
personally served On the owner or occupant
Of the land or lot, ninety days before the
sale can become absolute, and that no.
tice with an affidavit of the service be
fled with the Treasurer. and recorded.
But if the owner is nonresident OF
the county, notice must he published
three weeks, and in either case, the
owner has ninety days after the ser
vice is completed, in which to redeem
the land or lot. In Winnesheik Go.
the towns elect collectors of taxes and
the same should be done here. Town
Collectors are salutary check on the
Treasurer. MIR. Editor, fewer BID
GLOVES and less cRoQUEr and more at
tcntion to business is the need at our
Court House.
Your readers will find the act referred
to, on page 12S Acts Of the l4th Gen
eral Assembly. Let all read it.
The Supersis 'rs Of Mitchell County
stand indicted for doing far less wrong
to the taxpayers than ours have donc,
but for the want Of a prosecuting at
torncy in each county, justice is
mockery and crime goes unpublished.
The people in the towns, by electing
town collector Of taxes will inaugu-
rate the beginning Of a much needed
reform, but the "oficial and political
clique" will now as heretofore oppose
it, but if the people wish reform, it is
their right to have it, but SO long as
the CLIQUE renominate unfit men fer
Office because Howard exposes their
unftncss, aud the voters vote CLIQUE
nominations, no reform will come, but
taxes will increase. Paying money to
the clerk Of the c,nrts for recording
descriptions Of estrays is only THROWN,
it away. The money is counted and