The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-07-12
Reply to Tax Payer.
EDITOR INDEPENDENT:

1t seems that lax Payer has ceased
his moaning, or at least he has left the
field and no one has replied to his last
squib. He tells us that his design in
his first correspondence was to set the
people to thinking. He has succeeded
in one instance that l know of, if not
in many others. I think he must
think that other people do not think
much; and, therefore, they must be set
to thinking whether their thoughts are
pleasat and profitable or not. / also
think that he cares very little for
the thoughts and feelings Of the per-
sons he mentions in his writing For
instance, the families he classes as pau
pers have, neither of them, asked any
tavors of the County Commissioners.
Mr.. j. w. Russell was not pauper
when he died. True he, was poor and
left but little to his family, having been
in feeble health long time before he
died. And without the consent OF
knowledge of his wife, whom he left
with four helpless children, just in the
hour of her bereavement, some few
provisions were furnished her, and
little wood. / was not in town when
the decease and burial took place but
arrived the evening of the burial. l
learned that Mr.. Russell had very
good attendance at his funeral, and
that the. hearse carried his body to
the place of burial, etc. l was
much gratitied that he was thus
honored and that some kindness
was substantially shown to his wife.
Some friends might have saved the ex-
pense of hearse and carriage to the
county, but to say as Tax Payer said,
that ii he had no team he should ex-
pect to walk to the cemetery in case one
of his family should die, is simply and
emphatically heartless and thoughtless
if not cruel. And right here l would
advise Tax Payer to think a little more
soberly and much less selfshly before
he asks other people to think, and then
he may edify by his thinking.
He says the County is rich etc. "
Why should it not be richl All the
land and real estate owned by individu-
ais is in the sum total, the County's,
and l know that the County is better
able to support its poor than any indi-
vidual can be. True, poor people pay
taxes, but the poorer they are the less
they have to pay. Is not this just as
it should bel If l know anything
about justice the County owes those
individuals who privately assisted the
poor. And how many dollars have
been saved to Clarke County by the
generosity of few citizens in Vancou-
yer God only knows. Tax Payer says
he would walk if he did not have a
wagon to ride in, but he does not leave
us to infer that he has a wagon, because
in his first article he says: Il have
hired the hearse for myself once" /
suppose he also hired a carriage for
himself. Certainly if he could afford
a hearse he would not walk if he had
no wagon to ride in. But, because Mrs.
r.. was not able to hire a carriage and
no friend helped her to a wagon, Tax
Payer says that if one of his family
should die, and he had no wagon to
ride in he should expect to walk to the
cemetery. But if he is SO generous to
the County, why did he not hire
hearse or wagon, or get some farmer to
bring one, and save the County from
financial ruin and bankruptcy. "Oh!
wretched state of despair" Finan-
cially, Clarke County is now there; all
because Tax Payer did not hire hearse
out of his own pocket. For certainly
other citizens could have paid the other
bills, and the county might have gone
scott free Suppose We take up col
lection for the county, or do something
of religious nature. But this little
trouble might have been avoided by
just having the commissioners say:
"Gentlemen no bill shall be paid which
has been presented for the aid Of per-
sons who are not paupers If you will
be generous enough to aid the sick and
dying, do SO, but never think of the
County sharing the expense with you"
But l ask if it is in good taste, because q
family or an individual has been helped
few dollars by the County, in case of
some unavoidable circumstance, and
r. - lls.l