Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-06
Fire Boortte Question.

See. 1891. The tax list when completed Shall
be kept by the County Clerk as the property OF
the county The clerk shall also prepare du-
plicate the tax list of his county aud deliver
the same to the county treasurer on or before
the 1st day of November following the date of
the levy for the current year
See. 1899. "Whenever any taxes are paid to
the county treasurer the treasurer shall make
out duplicate receipts for the same, which du-
plicate receipts shall correspond in number,
date. amount. and in every respect shall be pre-
else copies of each other, one of which shall be
delivered to the person paying such taxes, and
the other shall within one month be filed by the
treasurer with the county clerk. etc.
Sec. 1901, sit shall he the duty of the county
clerk OH receiving ANY duplicate tax receiptfr
the treasurer FoRTHwITH to examine the same
and compare it with the tax list in his possession
and see if the total amount of taxes and the sew
eral amounts of the different funds aie correctly
entered and set forth in such receipt, and liz
ease it shall appear1hat the treasurer has not
collected the full amount OF taxes and interest
Which according to the tax list and the terms
of the receipt he should have collected, then
the county clerk shall forthwith charge the
treasurer with the amount such receipt falls
short of tie true amount, and the treasurer
shall be liable on his official bond to account
for and pay over the same.''
Sec. 1905, "Whenever the treasurer receives
any money, warrants, OF orders on account of
Licenses. fines or any other account, except
taxes charged OH the tax duplicate, he shall
make out and deliver to the person paying the
same. duplicate receipts, one of which receipts
said person Shall forthwith deposit with the
county clerk in order that the treasurer may
be charged with the amount thereof. The
treasurer shall then entertlle same lii his cash
book, as in the case of money received for taxes
but in a separate and distinct series of numbers
OF receipts issued therefor: and noperson shall
receive such license or lie discharged from OBJ
legation by reason of such fine or account until
he shall have so delivered such duplicate re-
ceipt TO the county clerk
Sec. 1907, 1.-The county clerk is required to
keep a duplicate of the treasurer's cash book.
and to enter therein all duplicate receipts by
him received from the treasurer i'll the same
toenter the same"
Sec. 1905, provides that all errors in assess
mcnt shall be reported to the comfy clerk.
Many deductions Of interest to the
people Of Jerauld county may be drawn
from the foregoing. Let me recapitu-
late. | have asserted that the county
finances have been conducted by as
unscrupulous a gang as ever infested
New York or Chicago. Tweed and
his pals stole some milliors from the
Taxpayers Of New York. Upwards of
(S6O00?) has been stolen from the tax
payers OF .Jerauld, how much, Oh!
most puissant board of county COM
missloners which is a greater per
cent than Tweed eXtorted from New
York. The county and its manage
ment is byword and reproach all
over this territory. 1t is come to that
condition, that residents when away
from home don't like to say what
county they are from. l hear men
casting about for chance'to sell farms
and getaway. ! never heard that I'M
til the last years developments. and
the reason given is that they do not
know where or when taxation is to be
reduced. The mortgage Of debt is
rapidly aggregatlng, and no enc knows
its limits or its future possibilities.
A feeling of insecurity and alarm
possesses the public mind. ] have
asserted that it was a general belief
that the abscond!ng treasurer was not
alone responsible. AS evidence that
this is a general feeling, 1 will say
that / have heard that opinion ex-
pressed by scores of taxpayers and
| have not met with single one who
has expressed any other opinion; and
others who have taken pains to find
out the thoughts of the people report
the same thing. l submitted TIE
question to the Franklin township
voters at the last election: about
twenty five were present and not a
dissenting voice, and they asserted IN
addition that they believed some of
the stolen money was now being used
to speculate in county warrants and
was being loaned at 8 percent a month.
1t was further asserted as a belief
that Mr. Williams was made a scape
goat, and that when he was driven
into the wilderness that the sins of
others were heaped upon his back.
Some one.in the county has put the
matter very nicely by saying that
4 Williams, like Jesus of Nazareth, was
crucified between two Cor more) thieves.
1t seems passing strange that so uni
versal belief should exist without
some foundation. a careful examina.
ton Of the sections of law quoted Ct
quoted the new code but the old con.
tains the same provisions, no changes
having been made of any importance
since 1850 will disclose the fact, that
it the county clerk does his duty
faithfully, as the statute provides, that
not dollar of money can come into
the treasurer's hands without his. Nhe
Clerks knowledge. This, entirely in.
dependent Of anything the treasurer
might do. The treasurer is to be
| CHARGED with the antira amount Of