Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-04-02
For the Advertiser.
Whose Fault Is 1t?

hGSS6os AO1AS@sS,s hSSAAAS~J
fault, and I ask the question Who is
it2 Letua see. On the 18th day of
octoberslss4. I paid my tax and took
a.receipt. said receipt signed by Jas.
Mitchell. About the lst of March,
I had word sent me by Capt. John
Butler that he had an execution
against me for taxes. Knowing / had
paid them, and had receipts, I gave
myself no trouble, thinking probably
the Captain only meant to joke me a
little: but not 80, On the 18th a
young gentleman came to see me, to
inform me that I had not paid my
taxes, Well, must say this did not
make me feel any better; and to con.
vince the young gentleman that I had
paid my taxes, l showed him my re-
ceipts; and sure enough I had paid
them, and my receipts were signed
by James Mitchell.
On the same plantation, and with
the same result, came an execution
against a colored man; and one against
renter on an adjoining place. When
the man who owns the land paid his
own tax, he paid the taxes of his rent
ers, with the exception of an old COL
ored man; and the reason he did not
pay his was because neither the said
colored mans name nor property
could be found on the Treasurer g
book. 1t seems, however, that after
awhile, with spectacles on, he found
the old mans name, and out he sends
an execution; and instead of one dol
lar and: few cents, the old fellow
had TO pay something over three dol
lars. Now. Messrs. Editors, there is
a loose screw somewhere. Every body
ought to pay their taxes, but after
they hay, paid them. they should GER
tainly be let alone, forit is not pleas
ant to have executions sent outagainst
one, even if the said executions are
worthless papers.
So much for the executions against
men who have paid taxes. But what
about il il one should happen to lose
or misplace his receipt and have 10
pay the second time? Where does
the money go? For, if I understand
Alright, there are so many dollars tax
toibe raid by Edgefeld County, and
any overplus must go into somebody s
pocket. III sm not mistaken, on the
tax book there il little piece Of pa
per called, i believe, O stub, lnst TO
the right or left of where the receipt
is torn from, on which is the tax pay
ers name and the amount of his tax,
and date Of payment. Now, Mess:s.
Editors, maybe there was my mistake.
I forgot to tell the Treasurer to fill
up that little stub. Or does he have
it to do without being told? If he
does, the fault is not mine; and if,
when I go to pay my tax, my name
cannot be found on the books, is it
right to add penalty Why not
add the name, take the money, and il
| the government does not need it, why
Etreat your friends on it, or do as you
please with It.
But there is still another question
| I wish 10 ask. Is it right for the men
who hsswtes5 false executions, tG
lose their time and get no pay for it?
It does seem to as big an ignoramus
as I am that they ought to have pay
for every mile they may have neces-
sarily ridden, whether the executions
are any account or not. They do not
know the good from the bad ones,
and must see all against whom they
may have executions. So it is plain
ly NOT the fault Of the man who has
the executions placed in his hands.
A few years back. no one thought
strange, or expected anything better,
but times have changed somehow or
other, and We look for better things
from our public men. But for fear |
have already trespassed too much up
on your space, which perhaps might
have been filled with something OF
more Importance, will say: Mr..
Treasurer, fill up those stubs, and let
the horses rest when the ground is
too wet to plough, and not have Ger.
tain men with a pocket full Of useless
papers riding around over the coun'
try for naught, and certain others
every few days hunting their tax re-
ceipts. See to it that everybody pays
their taxes; and that all who pay,
get receipts. And by all means, fill
up those stubs.
Respectfully submitted.
SHANGHAI.