The daily gazette., 1882-04-01

The failure to collect tie taxes
makes large deficit IN the amount
appropriated for the support of the
poor and hence the necessity of ask
ing the Levy Court to increase the ap-
preparation to make up that deficit.
This is the truth in nutshell and it
cannot be CLOSED over. The Levy
Court is now asked for $1,000 more
than was ever before appropriated,
while the number Of paupers are not
much in excess of former years.-Re-
publican.
Well, we shall not believe that that
is the ''truth in nutshell" just yet.
We are decidedly opposed to extrava-
gance, whether in the Trustees of the
Poor, or any other body of public
servants. We have not one word Of
excuse to make for this Board and
care not how soon il is changed if it |
proves TO have been negleotful of |
economy. But we wish to have the
readers of the GAZETTE informed on
the question at issue. The Republican
makes no allowance for the heavy cost
that the Board has been put to in its
care Of the small ;pox patients and Its
expensive preventive efforts. Nor of
the extra cost 1t has had to bear in
the efforts to buy new grounds and
build new houses into which to move
the county poor. All Of these efforts
the Republican urged time and time
again. And urged that no expense
should be spared in efforts to stamp
out the smallpox and it urged that
the poor establishment should be
moved as strenuously as it had the
ability to do.
On the 29th ult., when the Levy
Court visited the Aims House, Mr.. j.
Wilkins Coocb, the Secretary of the
Board of Trustees of the Poor was
present and made statement of expen-
ses. That statement was published by
the "Republican," and is a fat refutation
of what that paper says in its Issue of
yesterday. MIR. Cooch said:
"rhat the Appropriation last year
was SS2 ,OOO, which, after the errors and
commissions were deducted was re-
duced TO $29, 900. This is what tbev
have been getting for number of years
though expenses have been increasing
year by year. Last year the expeDdi-
lures Tor smallpox alone was something
over 5000. The proposed removal Of
the almshouse has also cost good deal,
the architects plans alone putting the
Board to an expense OF $3.50. The total
expenses last year were $3S, 157, leaving
deficiency of about $4,000, wbics
will have TO be met this year. The
Board thinks 1t will be impossible to
get along for another year With less than
$4O,OOO, and this tum it has decided to
ask for."
So much for 'the truth in a nut
she'll"
NOW, as to the deficiency caused by
the law governing the action of Collect
ors' The old law wss changed because
OF the clamor raised by the Republican
politicians and the Republican pres,.
Under the old law the Collectors carried
their warrants in their duplicates.
They were empowered to enter a mans
dwelling; to demand the amount of his
lax, and on failure to pay they were au-
thonzed to read their warrants and
seize upon any article that would 90 to-
ward payment. This was always re-
garded as hard upon the poor family.
but when the negroes were suddenly
made subject to it by being forced to
the polls 10 save the Radical party from
defeat, it became especially hard ON
these poor people.
In fact it astounded and disausted
the negro with suffrage. But more
than this, in his ignorance of the
new state of affairs, he frequently
resisted and made all sorts of threats.
and actually did on several occasions
fight for articles of his small amount
of household goods. Of course The
Collectors were determined to make
negroes and poor Republicans pay il
order to get their names on the asse S.
ment, and be relieved of responsibility
for the taxes.
Then the Republican clamored at
the hardships of the negroes, and
censured the Collectors even NOR,
than it does now. But the Collector.
were compelled to make an effort tC
get the taxes. They could not hell
themselves-they did not want to gc
to every poor negro's hut and take hil
few household goods. 1t was neces.
sary, however, to do so and the tina
result was suits at law and threats
from the District Attorney to prose-
cute, because Of the numerous lies
bad negroes told of propositions to