Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-05-01
A GARD FROM Mr.. STEELE.

loClttlS "ilttSh " ~
misrepresenting me, and to mislead the
people of the county as to the duties OF
the county clerk. l shall here reply to
the article headed "County Clerk"
The writer labors hard to CONVINCE you
that the county clerk has little or no
responsibility. He says the clerk only
keeps a record of the county our pro-
ceedings, judgments, etc, and from
this he bases all of his argument. lie
states that l am robbing the county
Judges and Collector Gordon OF the
credit due them in lax and bond mat
tiers. So far from this being true,
have ever taken the part of the county
Judges who have made sacrifices, and
who have so nobly stood by the people
of the county in the bond troubles, and
l would be the last one to detract from
them any credit due. | can safely
say that, with one exception, the judges
have never hesitated to advise and con-
suit with me and other county officers
in matters of importance to the people,
and we have always acted harmonious
ly together for What we believed to be
the best interests Of the county, and L
believe that Judges Prather, Harrison,
LOckhart and Barnett, the judges who
have been through the most of the bond
troubles, will agree with me in what L
have Just said.
The laws of Missouri prescribe the
duties of each office, making them
separate and distinct, from anoth-
er, and the county clerk is required to
give bond for the performance of his
duties, while county judges are officers
of whom no bond is required. There are
many things connected with the county
clerks office separate and distinct from
the county court, and of which the
court has no control whatever. The
duties of the court are also defined by
the statutes. The Advance says that l
issue tai bills just as the circuit clerk
issues executions, etc, and that L am
robbing Collector Gordon of the credit
due him in the collection of railroad
taxes. Section 81 of an act in relation
to the collection of railroad taxes (Ses-
sion Acts, 1874, page 1860 is as fol-
lows:-''ImmediateIy upon the passage
of this act, it shall be the duty of the
clerk of every county in this state, in
which there is railroad property which
has been assessed and upon which the
taxes are still due and unpaid, to make
out and certify to the collector, or
treasurer, when acting as ex-oficio
collector of such county, a detailed
statement of all taxes and penalties due
upon such railroad property, and the
year, or years. for which the same are
due; and the collector, or treasurer,
when acting as eX-OfficiO collector, shall,
upon receipt of such statement, proceed
to collect such taxes and penalties i'll
the manner provided in section sixteen
of this act"
The fact is, that in April, 1875.
[, in compliance with this section, is
sued a tax bill against the Missouri
Pacific Railroad Company for the taxes
of 1873, without any order or action of
the county court and placed the tax bill
in the hands of DIR. Gordon, Collector,
who proceeded to collect the same,
honestly and fearlessly, and for which
course he was sued and a suit was COM
menced against me in the United States
court, by a petition which is printed
! elsewhere in the present issue OF this
paper. AS to the judgments against
the county on bonds, the county court
is required by law to make the levies
for taxes, and the clerks duties are also
defined by the law as to making the
tax books. In number of these cases
the court did make the ~levies, and were
thereby free from contempt of the U. 5.
court; the responsibility then fell upon
me, as county clerk, for the extension
of the axes. 1t is well known to the
people of this county that | took the
responsibility to keep the levies OF
Judgment taxes off the general tax
books, thereby preventing them from
becoming back taxes in the eyes of the
law. If these taxes had been placed
upon the back tax books they could
have been collected by law, as is wei
known. Tax bills were made and de
livered to the collector, and he die
with them what was best for the coun.
ty, and thereby the judgments were no
collected. | have, i'll a number of Ill
stances, been summoned to appear be
fore the U. S. our to show cause why
[ did not extend these axe on the ia,
books; the U. S. court, in one instance
ordered me to extend the taxes upol
Judgments against Lexington, Wash
lingtOn and Sni-a-bar townships, upol
the tax books of 1914, a mandamus wa
, issued requiring me to do so; this | re
fused to dO,and was arrested and takel
before Judge Krekel and fined for non
compliance with his order. The Ad
] vance would have you believe bat thu
3 county clerk has no part of responsi
! bility in these bond judgments. VIII
S is it then that all OF the recent man
1 damuses and demands are issue
against the clerk, as we'll as the count
judges?
t l have never claimed that the peopl,
; owed me anything for the services
;. have rendered them, but IN the othe
L hand have published, owe my ow
. signature, and have always SAID, tina
, the people OF Lafayette county ,throug
4 their Tax Payers Convention, haV
= managed and conducted the bon
troubles themselves, and that the couI
. ty officers were only the agents all
S servants of the people i'll carrying OF
!, their plans. 1t is true that my trienC
:, have made arguments in my favoI
e which | appreciate, but | have not al
S tempted at any time TO rob any offict
of the credit due hiAn, nor has al
: friend of mine intended to do anythiu
of the kind; neither should | be robbie
: ifany credit that is due to me. CertainI
: | will not be SO injured in the estimate
of the people of Lafayette county b
k articles whose WantOn malice is appa
ent on their face.
e feel grateful and indebted 10 yo,
a; the people of Lafayette county, for I'll
honors and trusts imposed upon IN
e and my only regret is,that | am unab
s to do more for you. There are OthC
e men who probably conId have don
more service for you, and who cOuI
@ now be of more benefit. Ii is for yo
to judge. The offices belong to ii
people, and you can bestOw them upc
whom you choose. Whether | hay
g been true or false to the trusts impose
upon me is for You to say. 1t is {
easy matter for anyone TO make IL
IS promises. In my humble Opini,
there is no office in which you are mo
interested than 1.-THE Office of cOunl
clerk. All of the finances of ii
n county, in the way OF vouchers, pa
y through his hands; he makes the sc
Elements with the county treasure
collector aud school districts, and
the custodian of the public school note
N and makes all proper credits and c
tries upon the same. The incumbe
of this office a be the means OF sa'
ing large sums Of money to the cOaut
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