The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-11-13
Lincoln County Finances.

BRooKnAvES, Miss, Nov. 10th, 1879.
Editor Broohhasea Ledger {
have no desire TO appear "a a news
paper "scrtbbtcr" or as a''sorehead" or
9rumbier," but as orr taxes a re growing SO
en- ormously high, l, az a tax payer, am
compelled to enter some complaint. We were
promised that under Democratic rule land
|, as a Democrat 80 promised the people,)
that we ould have retrenchment, reform
and low taxes; but from some cause,
which am unable to explain, our taxes
are higher every year, and this year they
run up to the enormous amount OF SO 05
on the thousand dollars. Now l ask, in all
candor, If this is carrying out the promises
made by the Democracy in 1875, Con-.
Hdering the relative value Of property in
the ~bloodiest days of Radical rule and
now, our taxes comparatively are much
higher this year than they were under
radical rule. Lands that could have been
sold for SIS 90 per acre in 1873 and 1874
cannot be disposed of for half that amount
! now, vet our taxes are going up and up in
this county every year. am not disposed
to blame the Democratic party for this
overburthening of our people with.taxes,for
| am aDemocrat, lo> al and true to'the faith
as delivered to me by the "Fathers," but
ss a taxpayer | must enter my unquaiifi>
ed disapproval of this failure TO reduce
taxes as promised bv the Democracy.
There certainly is a ca use somewhere in
the financial management of our county
finances, and as taxpayers the people
should begin tc look into this matter.
There has been collected in this county
for the past three years the nor
sum of of $50 600 co.; or over, yet our
county debt is gett,ngs larger every year,
and no public building have BEEN erected.
IL this vast amount swalled up in bridge
building, and providing tor the paupers,
and paying of the Offices of the county,
and the few inefficient free schools that We
have had over tho country!
Other counties around us paving taxes
on less taxable property than Lincoln
county and taxes not as high on less pro-
perty, are out of debt; have in the past
eight years put up good c%ourt.honses and
tails and are cut of debt to day, and have
money in their county Treasury to pay all
warrants that are issued; yet we here in
Lincoln are taxed beyond our ability to
70 paw, and have no public buildings, and
our county on the verge Of bankruptcy.
"Whv is this? There certainly is a great
fault existing in some part OF our county
government. As tax payers l think IL be
hoovcs each and every one to begin to
look into tins matter. 1t is a duty we owe
ourselves and none should feel too timid
to make the investigation.
We should see to it. that all county
officers give q good and safe bond, and
that the officers perform their duty hon
estly and faithfully and let the officers
know that the people are the masters an"
the officers only the servants. My notions
az to officers are, that they should be held
to a strict accountability to their constitu-
ents, but this may be regared "a old fogy-
ism, for it seems now that thing
have been changed and that..the, consti-
,uents are held in strict accountability to
the officers. and the officers the masters
and the people the servants. This, t" my
untutored mind, is wrong, and until the
people throw off this yoke We can never be
in any better condition than we are now.
LINCOLN COUNTY TAX. PAYER.