The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-01

Astounding Assertion of the News
aud COurier"..-Did the Different
County TreaSurers pay Taxes in
Bills Of the Bank Of the State ?.--
Jud~e Kcrshaw Ruled that 1t was
Unlaw full 10 DO So.
On Monday of last week tho Nc,os ana
Courier published reply to our questions
about the bills of the bank of theState: Ihat
reply was made up chiefly OF expressions sion o "l
per, and the repitition OF stale facts In REFER
ence 10 this county.
on last Friday the Ncus and Conricr con-
tanned the following: . .
"rhe Jbbe,iUc Press and Banner says that
they have not been answered as to what be-
came of the bills of the Bank OF inc Statc
which were rendered for taxes in ether coun-
ties besides Abbeville. If the Press ana Ban.
,,er has not been answered upon this point IL
is because the reply to their inquiries was not
read, for it was distinctly stated in thls cor
respondence that these bills hao neeh reSe,s, "
ed from the different counties 3y tne stats
treasurer and had been cancelled ana storeu
away III the trcasnrer's ofhce.
II will be observed that the above state
these bills had been received from The differ,
sent counties by the State treasurer, ana
stored away in the treasurer's office"
The bills of which the Ne10s and Courier
speak were no doubt funded at fifty cents on
the dollar, as was other Indebtedness OF the
The question was: "Whether the different
of the Bank of the State which were tender,
ed In 1878 for county and school taxes, anu
the amounts of bills so received, ana oasn s,a
the different, treasnrers accounted 10 Inc
county and schools for the same"
1t will not be hard for any reader TO see tnat
the Ne,ps and Courier's reply does not come
within range of the question.
| The Columbia & Greenville railroad was re
ouircd by Judge Kershaw to take up the bills
SO rendered for taxes, and to pay good money
to the County Treasurcrs Now, as we know
that the order was carried out as to Aobeville
comfy. the presumption is that ~ was carried en
why such sould have. been the case
If these bills then are In the hands OF
State Treasurer they ;ban got tbrougS tasEe
the hands of the County Trcasurers along the
Columbia Greenville road. II the Ne,Ds ana
| Cou,ic,'s statement be true then there Is some
thing radically and fearfully wrong some
where. ,,u ~,
| II has been we'll known In Abbeville ior
| months that the Comptroler-GeneraP Office
was worthless in so far as concerned Inc III
terests of this people in the matter OF the
simple question, not with q view 10 expos,
| ing the short .comings of the treasurers III
any of the counties, but to ascertain ii " was
the custom of the Comptroller General to
| take whatever statement q county treasurer
might otter, and then give him receipt III
full.
To show that the books OF the ComPtroiier
office have not been properly kept as
| to Abbeville County: General Stoney, under
date of Sept. 9th, 1887, says: THE conclnsi1n
is then, that the money was not paid by the
Railroad" 81 will write to the railroad an.
thorities to see whether such payment was
ever made to-" the treasurer OF Abbevllie.
When Auditor Jones went to examine INC
Comptrollers Office In reference TO me matter
nothing satisfactory could be found.
But General Werner did all IN his power 10
aid Mr. Jones, first, by instructing his cnlel
clerk to find ali the settlement sheets, so as 10
ascertain what they might show In the mat
ter. When this failed TO glue tuctdny 10 me same
1t was General Werner who maze the sue-
geston that Mr.. Jones should look over Inc
accounts and returns Of the Receiver, Gener-
al Conner, and he said u those papers conta Oe
found, that the receipt itself should be there.
And this was not all that General werner
did, for he requested his chief clerk 10 go WIN
Mr.. Jones, and introduce him TO MIR. Seioles'
the Master.
Upon the suggestion of Mr.. Sebles that Mr..
John Miller could give valuable information,
the chief clerk in the Comptro!ler's otnce
then went with Mr.. Jones to MIR. Millers
house, and 1t was he who found the receipt
not in the Comptroller Generals once
not in the Treasurer's office, not in the Mas
ter's office, but in an old box OF somebody's
papers that was found in the Clerks office.
or course General Werner is not to blame In
this matter. The settlement occurred years
before his term of office. Wv
We make no reflections on anybody. we
are only discussing n system CT book keeping
which seems unique.