San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-08-23
4 IDssd Law.
Dallas Herald and Commercial

Out correspondent ID uOtoS '"'s
morning his objections to several
acts of the recent legislature, aad a.
mong the number. the bill repealing
the Law formerly in force requiring de-
;inquent taxpayers to be published
in The pewspspers.v This is % iuiqsi-
tous law-probably the worst sct
amseg the many bad .ones, Of the whole
session. II is very easy to say that
the newspapers inveigh' against the
measure because it takes money out Of
their pockets, but if that was d all the
objection to be urged against it we
should have nothing to say. That is
but small matter, as the publication
Of the delinquent taxpayers did not
benefit one newspaper in ten IN the /;
State. and not one to \ mount to sny'
thing. The objections to the bill arc
that it is injustice to every delinquent
tax. payer in the, State. and especially
is it unjust to non. residents, to widows
and 10 minors. The law as it now is,
only requires the list to. be posted at
the Court House door Of each county.
WHO goes to the Court House? Docs
one tax payer in ten go there once in
three months? Can non residents go?
DO widows go there ,nosing around
reading notices of Sheritf's sales delin.
quent tax lists ct ID omne genMss Is it
/ to be presumed that minors can b.
this means know if their property is
advertised for sale? Suppose, how.
ever. that the list is published in some
newspaper in the county as was form.
erly the case. it becohes generally
known then that it is published, does
it not2 The property owner who lives
abroad has his attention called to the
fact that his property is advertised for
sale through tho medium of the paper.
The widow finds out that her home
stead or other little property is liable
to go under the auctioneer's hammer
if she does not raisp means enough for
the remorseless tax. .gatherer to prevent
it.
These are some of the objections to
this law. We cannot say that it was
conceived in sin and brought forth in
iniquity, but we do say that its law
in the interest of the speculator and
the money grub who is ever on the Qui
vive to make profit Of other peoples
necessities and grow fat on the miser-
les of his fellow men.
The fact is, not only ought the list
Of delinquent taxpay ers to be publish.
ed in the papers, but all forced
sales should also. In this matter of
posting the list of delinquents at the
Court House they are not saved one
cent by it. The penalties are just as
heavy as when the lists were publish
ed in the papers, and the question is
asked, what is gained by the change?
Who is benefited and how? In the
matter of Sheriff s and Consta ble's sales
and the various notices in estates. the
same objection can be urged to posting
them at the Court House as in the case
Of delinquent taxpayers. Who sees
these notices? How long do they re-
main up? What is to prevent inter-
ested persons from pulling the notices
down as soon as they are put up Z
Who can prevent a general knowledge
of these sales and notices being wide
spread in every county when publish
ed in the newspapers?
1t is the right Of the citizen to be
afforded all the protection possessed BY
the State. not only protection for his
person and for his property when it is
intact in his possession, with no legal
claims upon 1t, but also that protec-
tion which will enable him to defend
il an care for it. This is the right OF
every taxpayer. whether resident OF
or nonresident. l. that pro
lection furnished then. when
notices of sale Of property, either for
taxes or under judgement Of the courts
are posted up at but one two or three
(which is the outside limit places in
the county. and which can be destroy
ed and in thousands Of instances are,
before they are seen at II?
The press Of the coun ~ is the me-
diuu of information in this day Of nd
. II x-E.lto.-.ct x,T