Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-06-27

have no voica i'm the matter. This, no
doubt, would suit the ring, but it would
not please a heavily burdened taXpay-
er, or the sheriff Il presume) to take
his Office into their charge. But while
they have started out to run the coun-
ty, it will not do to let any officer
stand in their way. This 10 per cent.
business is very nice to those who get
the money, but a little unpleasant to
the taxpayer, who, this year, has to
rake and scrape' to get sufficient
means together in order to pay his
taxes. It would not suit him if he
owed 800 and was so unfortunate as
to be delinquent for a few days, to be
| called upon and forced to pay an attor-
ney's commission of $40 i'll addition to
his tax. And what has the attorney done
to merit this fee? l am informed that
the county furnishes all the necessary
blanks for suits, and all he has to do is
to insert the description of the land
and the owners name. Not one i'll
fifty of these cases ever go to trial. l
am in favor of everybody being made
to pay his just taxes, but l am not in
favor of loading them down with ad-
ditional and Unnecessary attorney
fees to make his taxes so burdensome
that he cannot pay them.
There was over $4,000 of back
taxes turned over to Collector Harri-
son when he came into Office, and
many of the best farmers in the county
find their lands OH this list, from the
fact that money matters are very close,
and they were unable to raise the
means. A ten per cent fee OF this
$40 900, or even half that sum would
be q very good attorneys fee these
hard times. Two members of the
county court are farmers and know the
condition of land owners this year
(and from the present prospect of crops
it will be no better next Year,, and |
think are correct in their views Ill
offering to approve the contract COllec-
tor Harrison has made with Graves e
| Aull whenever the fees are made D per
| cent. instead of 10 per cent. as the
court, by law, have the auth lrity to fix
| the fee. But IN order that there might
be no delay the court at its last session,
l am told, agreed to allow Z per cent.
attorney fees.
l believe the people will approve and
commend the county court i'll their
course, insuring that only reasonable
demands are exacted from the over
burdened taxpayers. 1t is said that
while Col. Rathbun was the attorney
for the collector he made some seven or
eight thousand dollars out of the Office,
and he only received 5 per cent. for
all years except 1876 and back; for 1876
and back he received 10 per cent. on
account of so many errors i'll descrip-
tons, etc.
Mr.. Editor, it is no argument to use
vile personalities and to introduce
things that have nothing to do with
the matter at issue into a question of
vatal Importance to every taxpayer of
our county. No doubt the court has
carefully looked into and considered
as t what should be the proper fees
for the attorney. And these men who
are attempting to throw fire brands and
poison the minds of the people, may
discover sooner or later, that they can-
not turn the world upside down, set
the Missouri river on fire at its present
high stage o run Lafayette county to
suit their individual interests.
TAX PAYER.