The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-10-29
ties as assessor. called At the ,esi,len,el

OF Col. Philips; was told by his wife that
she did noI know any thing about the
assessment of his property; ,ha, the Col
would be home liz time to attend 10 j,
himself. This was an right and proper
and was satisfactory TO me- Seine time
afterwards called upon Mr.. Campbell,
at his store, asked him ifhe could list Col
Phillips personal property. He answer.
ed that he could Bot-did not suppose
| that any person else could but himself.
Some time afterwards, called upon
Capt. Hanna, and asked him the same
question. He answered that he could
not and that he did not believe any liz
ing man could but himself. But that be
could give me list OF his real estate
| which was information / did not need.
On the first of July, when returned
the assessment roll 10 the county clerk
stated that ". A. Phillips name as
not on the personal property list for the
reason that he was not here, and found
no person authorized to list him. There
| supposed MY work was done, and here
my duties as assessor was at an end, and
that the assessments would be made TO
and by the county clerk.
SO understood the law, and so the
law is. | treated Mr.. Philips assess
ment just as | would that of any other
citizen. Nothing Misunderstanding
more and nothing less. | gave il no
more time nor cons deration than would
that OF any other case. | made no
speciality of it. Did not examine the
books and records to see whether he
was paying more or less taxes this year
than last; more or less than his neigh
bcr.. That would have been manifestng
a zeal for the public revenues, | did not
pos>ess-an interest in his personal az
fairs | did not feel. A far as any act
of mine is concerned, in the assessors
business, am not conscious of having
Sinned against Col. Phillips in thought
word or deed. Neither do ! consider
myself directly or indirectly, morally or
legally responsible for tie omission OF
his name from the tax roll Of this year
The in.lnuation that politics have
any thing TO do with The matter at all is
mean and contemplate, and honorable
men ought 10 be ashamed of it. And
now comes Mr.. Campbell with q card,
which ii would have been better not TO
have been written, as in it he attempts
to defend Mr.. Phillips from charge
that has never yet been made against
him. Who has charged him with that
which made it necessary TO get the
county treasurer's certificate, that he had
pail all taxes charged To him on his
books; who doubted his having done
so. Ii does look like throwing dust in
peoples eyes and that without cause.
The on y question is, has Mr.. Phillips,
either himself or through his authorized
agents, listed all his property subject To
taxation. ! do not know whether he
has or not. 1t would have been better
for Mr.. Campbell 10 have admitted frank
" that such was not the case, that there
bad been an oversight or mistake in tins
respect on the part of Mr.. Phillips, and
that he stood ready TO correct and make
it good. Here the matter would have
ended and all reasonable men would have
been satisfied. Blu: no-he sets up a
charge against Phillips and proceeds to
reiutc and demolish this creation of his
own, and winds up with paragraph,
that reads very much like postscript in
which he very generously divides the
blame, if any, between himself and the
assessor. Logic-It is not me, therefore
it must be the assessor.
1t is very kind ard generous in Mr..
Campbell doing so. Bnt he ought 10 re-
member that when there Is more than
one good reason on his part, WHY he
should carry his sharc. there are no cor
reasons on the part Of the as
SCISSOR why he should do SO. ! must de- 1
:lre the offer liberal ard generous rs il /
=, II for no other reason, than the fact 1
hat have ot my own, now on hand, q /
arge stock of such things and cannot !
we'll afford to carry the dcinqucnccs Of
others. And without attrbuting one
lad motive to Mr.. Campbell, cannot
lelp but feel that his reference TO the rs.
lessor is unkind and unjust.
have now written more than ! in
ended. | regret the necessity of writing
Il ALL The whole subject is detes,ful to
ne. | wonli much prefer to have re-
aimed silent had not some of Col. Phil
FPS friends, who are now holding on 10
lis coat tail, SIMPLY for the cash in band,
r for the hope o; public reward, seen
il t. create a wrong impression in RI
ard to me. in the matter. All are re-
erred 10 General Statutes Of 1868, chap
or l07. section so. Il. II. BIsnOP.