Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-08-07
THE WAY HOW NOT TO DO 1T.

Mr.. EDITOR 1t is gratifying to see
that you are beginning to take the same
view of our local affairs as related to the
general government, which those more
directly interested, have held and ex-
pressed for some time past. Your late
leaders show Enthusiastically, that even
The REPUBLICAN is opening its eyes,
| though late, to the true condition of
things. Your remarks are most judi.
cious on the subject Of the Trea sury De-
partment continuing to hold large por-
ton of the landed property of Beaufort
County, and receiving the revenues aris-
ing from rents &C., without paying into
our Impoverished treasury one cent of
tax. This necessarily imposes on the re:
naming portion of the county an onerous
burden of taxation, such as an honest
and generous government ought prompt
ly to relieve. Now, is there any man, in
Washington. or out oft, who can con-
lecture the purpose of this long delay {?
What good is accomplished; what good
expected to either of the parties interes.
ted 2
Last year a bill was passed in Congress.
ostensiJy for the purpose of providing
facilities for the redemption" Of real
estate still in tho hands of the govern
ment. Some thought they saw, in that
act, signs of returning sense of justice;
and even ventured to call it "the first
step" towards remuneration for losses
sustained under the Direct Tax Act, and
its obnoxious administration. The more
judicious and far-seeing discovered, at
once, that it was preliminary to abandon
ing property which "did not pay In
the parlance of the day, it cost more to
run the machine than it was worth.
The numerous obstacles thrown into
the way of those endeavoring to avail
themselves Of the late act, have suggest
ed to thoughtful minds the possibility of
designs, somewhere, to defeat its legiti-
mate, or avowed purpose and so i'm
pede its operation as eventually, to rem
der sale inevitable, in consequence of
the expiration of the time granted.
While unwilling to endorse the suspicious
of all malcontents, it is yet our duty to
look at things as they are:
Claimants put in their applications to.
redeem, expressed in such manner and
style as they deem suitable, no form hav-
ing been furnished. As every thing has
an end, so has the journey to Washing
ton, of one of these i'll fated applications;
and it is believed that most, or all of
those handed in during the early part of
of the current year, have by this time,
reached their destination not withstand
ing the delay attendant upon red tape,
a collar of which is indispensable to Sc
cure for each,-like the CANNES on our
streets,-a safe conduit on their fruitless
journey. To be serious: An applica-
ton is sent in, setting forth the nature Of
tenure by which the claimant holds his
lands, its name and boundaries are given,
and every particular by which claimant
and land could be identified. This is
verified and vouched by the clerk Of
a court of record and duly fortified by
seal. Consigned to the charge Of the
Department Official, an interval of sever
al months occurs; at the expiration of
which, the expectant claimant receives
by mail an immense, official document.
Land redeemed? No claimant is in
formed that no such tract is known to
that Office; forsooth, because the immac-
ulate Brisbane and his plant coadjutors,
creatures of the department,-had
mallciously changed the name at the
time of sale. In the case of city proper
ty the same cunning trick was practised;
the names Of all the streets changed, and
the numbers of the lots altered. Here,
however, the poor claimant Identifies his
lot by the plat of the town, and wisely
applies for it by its modern designation.
An obstacle must be found to this also:
Here the realty is identified; but, lest
the claim proceed to its tardy maturity,
claimant is informed that the ownership,
must be better established than by af6-
dayit certified by the above clerk Of court