Daily Republican., 1881-12-01
LETTER FROM SLACK BIRD,
Few Interesting Facts In Regard
to COuDty Taxes and Tax COlIee.

tOCOuDay TAX es and Tax COllee
tors.
Correspondence Of the REPUBLICAN.
b will soon be time tor tn e collector
OF taxes to advertise to sit at certai
stores for the purpose of receiving taxes
All who have the money can then NEE
the tax gatherers, at the place adver
tised, and pay over their dues. Bu
very often the poor labGring man, Il
that season of the year, finds that al
his energies and money, II ho has any
Is in urgent demand to ward of
hunger and cold. 1t strikes me tha
the law for appointing those days, a
that season of the year, is very defec
tive. 1t matters but little in the city
where the laboring man works all win
ter, for nearly or quite as much as h,
realizes during the summer months; but
even there, apprehend, that their ex
penses are heavie, at that season thar
during the summer, when they cal
clothe themselves with less expense
and have less use for fuel But in the
country, where the majority Of labor
ing men work only about nine
months during tho year, commencing
on the first Of March, and nine month.
hence, their employer stops their wages
but often gives places for them at hi.
table, providing they will attend to tht
stock, while others procure axe, and
chop wood, at SO cents per cord, by
which means they can keep a little
meal In their homes; but often, espe
cially when the winter is severe, they
are compelled to economize their scanty
stock of provisions, and sometimes ad-
versity with hem tapers itself to sue d
a point that it pricks them 80 sharp
that they are driven out on a toraging
expedition at night. Where is thu
blame? Wherein, there is not labor.
ing man that receives wages in Dola-
Ware or any other State that cannot pay
his taxes, il he is called on durins the
working season 1t used to b. the GUS
tom for the collectors to ask thoss who
are 80 unfortunate as to be destitute OF
property for their taxes and they gen
orally had them to pay, too; but now,
our Common wealth has grown 50
wealthy or sympathetic that she can
make ont without the taxes of her poor
despicable subjects. She is perfectly
willing that her treasury should be-
come bankrupt sooner than ask poor
man for his taxes, especially if he is /.
Republican with the mark of Gods
wrath upon him"
Would it not be infinitely better. my
fellow countrymen, that our State had
less sympathy for her poor, wno at
times are able to pay their taxes, and
doubtless are willing, like the poor
widow we read of in the Bible, 10 CON
tribute their mite? If for nothing else,
for the freedom which was handed down
to then by men of broader and more
philanthropic minds than the men
whom you and helped with our scanty
earnings, to pay while at Dover, to
enact laws that are calculated to dis
franchise rs, and make US, in the eyes
of a citizen, being patriots, a subject of
uselessness in the political machinery
of our State. Why did they not say
that the collectors should advertise in
July or October, when money is more
plentiful? Because they knew you
would be likely to have money and
might be foolish enough to pay your
tax, ard thereby make yourself an in.
dependent citizen, as it was intended
by the father. We have nearly one
hundred colored voters in our Hundred,
and in glancinz over the collectors du-
plicate, some two weeks ago, | found
but one had paid his tax. Some of
those that are unpaid will not be re-
turned because they have property, but
ninetenths of them are without proper
ty, and unless they can spare from their
scanty earnings next February, suili-
cient to pay the tax, they will be reduced
to non-citizenship, unless the party to
which they belong should conclude to
help them, which, by the way is a very
difficult task for the collectors come
to the conclusion, about that time, that
no man has a right to pay another
mans tax. have learned that it is a
very difficult undertaking however, |
will not explain the formula, for fear
that it might be changed.
How long shall the people of Della
ware be compelled to stagger under
these degradating Inconvenience? l
will assume to take the responsibility
g. answer-not long, if the people Will
! a. awaken and commence at once to
,tter down the already tottering walls
>. oppression and wrong. Homo.