The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-05-05
AFTER THE COUNTY COURT.
.Eaitor Erchenqe.


nent of our county affairs by our
county court. The people of Gibson
county should feel justly proud of, at
least, one editor in the county, who
has the moral courage to look after
the interest of the people of the coun-
ty, and "tackle" the financial mans
agement of our mammoth county
court. The editor of the Globe should
have gone little further and struck
at the abolition of our present county
court system. Our present system
belongs to the past and should for
many reasons be abolished. [ guess
Solomon knew what he was talking
about when he said, "In a multitude
of counsellors there is safety" If the
old man was now living and could
see the workings of our present coun>
ty court system, he would be led to
exclaim that numbers do not always
constitute safety in a financial way.
There is an annual meeting of the
magistrates of the county for the
purpose of assessing tax to meet
the expenses of the county. For the
present year, the people of the coun>
ty are assessed $40, 853, added to this,
for privileges, some six or seven thous-
and dollars. Add the two, and you
have about the amount assessed by
our county court for county purposes.
1t does seem when the court meets for
the purpose of assessing the property
some appropriate idea should be obs
served in regard to the probable
amount required for that year to meet
the obligations of the county and the
ordinary expenditures. There seems
to be Il want Of something, or the
two ends would meet sometime. A
special tax Of ten cents on the huns
dred dollars has been levied for a
humber Of years TO pay the county
out Of debt; and how does the county
stand to-day? Her bonds are selling
from seventy to eighty five cents on
the dollar. How long will the peo~
pie tolerate such financial manages
ment. Our bonds have created II
system of speculation and money
making upon the part of some, who,
perhaps do not desire to see the coun,
ty out Of debt. 1t is thought that
members of our present county court
have long been engaged in such
speculation. If that be true, they do
not desire the county Indebtedness
paid off, If it is not that way, what
becomes of the money assessed spec
tally for that purpose? 1t must be
appropriated in some other way than
the payment of the county indebted
ness, The taxable property upon
which the ten per cent. is assessed, is
1918, $500. That was the value
of the property last year; this year
it may be more. Nearly six thousand
dollars annually assessed to pay of
county bonds, and yet the county
warrants are a heavy discount. Who,
then, is in favor of our present coun-
ty court system? The people com.
plain of federal and state taxation,
and desire to be released from their
burdens, but are submit sive to IA sys-
tenn at home that is gnawing upon
their pockets from one year to anoth
er, which could be made less SO by
the people if they willed it. | am
/ informed that the releasements OF
persons taxed in the county are very
heavy as the records of the county
court show for the present year
How that is, | know not. The court
! ought to know after the trustee make,
his round over the county for the ur
pose of collecting the the taxes The
/ balance Of The job is turned over IL
! the constahles of the several districtt
I fox collection. OF course they are al