Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-12-16
THAT TAX
The Jonrnal of last week in regard
TO tho taxes due and unpaid. savs.

The Jonrndl of last week in regard
TO tho taxes due and unpaid, says:
mo one can blame disappointed sure
Ties Ter using every reasonable means to
relieve themselves. But We think they
ought 10 look the matter %squarely I'm the
face, ami as they have undertaken TO
raake good the miscarriage Of Branscom
ihey ought to be made to come as square,
ly up and pay off his delinquencies. Such
wilbe the inevitable, Result, they will
have 1t to do"
And suchi is no doubt the inevitable
desire of the Attorney who wrote the
article. mo one can blsme' an At.
torney for using every reasonable
means" to be successful in his causes,
bit to read the decision OF the Courts
to the public before a cause has been
investigated, is going beyond what is
right and proper and what would be
expected by intelligent people. We,
OF course, do not know whether the
Courts will decide against some of the
sureties above alluded to or whether
they will be released, but we do know,
that the sureties for the years 1868
and 1869, Gf there Is still a balance
due for those years. have been mis-.
isad' and thrown off their guard by
both State and County officers. If the
taxes for those years are not paid, it
Ia through the NEGLIGENCE or ineficiency
OF 1.-THE officers whose duty it was to force
the collection. The s~urcties are not to
slame for it, and the Journals attack
npon them is certainly uncalled for.
II there is no relief for sureties under
these circumstance, the officers have
done them a great injustice.
AS the Journal seems to take pleas.
ure in bringing the matter before the
public, it is but justice to the sureties
that the people should know that Com
petroller Pennebaker acknowledged
that the claims for these wears wero
paid, and that in 1871 he wrote the
Attorney General to that effect. The
letter was published by request of Mr..
Hacker in the HERALD AMI T,,p,,vr
on the 9TH day Of January 1872. that
II tax payers of Washington County.
as well as the sureties Of Mr.. Brans.
con might know the facts. This was
at a time that Mr.. Branscom had plep.
" OF property and could have mid
within himself any just demands
against him. With the information
from the proper officer that the matter
was settled no further attention was
given as all were satisfied that Brans.
com owed nothing for those years.
The county claimed nothing for the
ABOVE years, until the last few months
AS an evidence of this the Cbairma n
entered suit against Branscom for tbs
'ull amount that he owed, and claim cd
ho'u'ne on any year but 1878. Blu;
W some means an attempt has been
made recently to. spread the amount
bran'eom owes the county, over all the
years Tor which he has been the collec,
'0r' If this is according to law, we
nave no hesitancy in saying that the
county Court has made some most
terrible plumbers, and they should be
helo responsible for such blundcrs.
The sureties in this matter should
nave justice. They ask no more nor no
less. If the law binds them to do what
they believe would be unjust. they will
walk up like mel and settle with tb,
captain II they have been released
as they believe they have, they
viii most certainly contend for tbei,
rights, Notwithstanding the Jouraa
would be pleased to see them bear Ia,
burden.
100