The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-06-23
A GARD.

EDITOR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. prl-
mary election Will soon be upon us,aiio
as two gentlemen now asking honhliia
ton, one Tor the office oi treasurer, ana
the other for collector, one OF winch Il
the present collector, and the othcr MS
deputy, we propose to submit to the
democratic voters of the county the
record of these gentlemen, anu ihel
let the voters say whether that record
ia II iaithful.onc and in compliance witt
the law. That the voter of the county
may know what il impcratively requlr'
ed and demanded of the collector III
regard to paying owe To the treasurer
the venue collected by him, we mrs.
give the law
Sec 6,7S0 revised statues 1917, read.
as Enthusiastically Statements and
Payments-Every county collector and
| ex-officio county collector, except IL
the city OF st. Louis, ShdH on or be tore
| the 9th day of each month file with the
county clerk n detailed statement veri-
fed by affidavit, of all stale, county,
school, road and municipal taxes and
of all licenses by him collected during
the preceding month, and ShaH on Oh
before the 10Th day OF the month pay
| the same, less his commissions, into the
state and county treasures, respective
ly. 1t shall be the duty OF the county
clerk, and he is hereby required to for
ward Immediately "A certified copy o
such detailed statement to the state
auditor, who shall keep All account OF
the state taxes with the collector"
Sec. $751;, revised statutes, 1879,
reads as follows:-"Penallies tor fail
ure to make monthly statements and
payments-If any county collector Of
ex-officio county collector, shall fail OIL
refuse to pay the taxes and licenses
| into the state and county treasures at
provided in the preceding section, he
shall forfeit his commissions thereon
and in addition thereto, shall pay the
penalty of 10 per cent on the amount
thereof. And it shall be the duty o.
the state auditor to issue a distres.
warrant for such state taxes and penal
ties within thirty days as provided by
law. 1t shall be the duty of the prose
cutting attorney to proceed within
thirty days to collect such county,
school, road aud municipal taxes by
suit on the official bond of such de-
faulting collector"
The above is the statute law of the
state relating TO the duties of collector
in making his monthly payments of the
revenue collected by him, and for wise
purposes this la is mandatory in its
character and provisions. This being
the katO, now let us examine the tactS
and in SO doing, we will commenct
with the collections of revenue for tn,
month of December, 1885. According
TO the statement of The collector, pub,
lished III the lntelligencer of January
%. 1856, the amount of revenue collec
ted in the month of December, 1885
was 1914 "a. This amount, less tn,
revenue due the state and less the col
l~ectOr's commissions, should have been
paid to Our county treasurer on or be.
fore the 18th day of January, 1886, bu
it was not so paid. We can only fine
the sum of 81, l03 95 paid to our treas
urer Ill the month OF January, 1886
and this entire amount was a part o
the school taxes. AS to why the re
mainder of this large noun of taxes
vas not paid to the treasurer Oh or be
fore the 10Th day of January, 1856, OF
at least sometime during Tie monte o,
january, 1886, we can only refer TIM
voter To the collector and his deput,
for I'LL answer. We find that the col
lector paid the treasurer on the l5tl
day OF February, 1886, the sum o
$5,119 "a, but we are left in the darl
as to what month this last named sun
belonged to-. IL must be remembered
that tho large amoun collected il
December, 1885, is not yet accounted
tor, unless it be accounted iOr in til,
quarterly settlement made by the col
lectOr on the 9th day OF March, 1856
at which time he paid TO the treasure.
the sum of S57 500 81. Now il TIT
taxes collected in the month of Decem
Der, 1855, and January, 1886, are in
Guided in the sum of $57 800 SO pait
to the treasurer on the 9th day o
March, 1886, we want to know of the
collector why and by what authority IN,
was holding this large amount of money
in his hands tor nearly two month";
after he should have paid the anne t
the treasurer. Ii vas the duty of The
collector, under the law, to pay TIM
December, 1855, collections to the
treasurer on or before the 10Th day o
January, 1856. We find this was no
done.
1t was the duty of the collector L
pay the January, 1886, collections t
the treasurer on or before the 10Th da,
Of February, 1886. We find this wa
not done.
IN the Intelligencer of date February
Iith, 1888, the collector reported hi
collections for the month of December
1887, at the sum OF $ll4,206 81 Thi
amount, less the state tax, S23, 273 O6
aud less collectors commissions, shoul(
have been paid TO our treasurer OH o
before the 10Th day of January, 1885
but not one dollar of this large amour
OF money Vas paid to the treasure
until the 9Th day of February, 1885
We want To know why, and with VIVA
authority, the collector held this larg
amount of money in his hands 10
nearly one month after he should hav
paid the anne into the county treasury
The collector made no payment Or SCI
tlement in the month OF January, 1885
but held the money, and made tn
payments and settlements in one, i
the month of February, 1855, as abov
stated, for which action he had II
authority.
We also find from the records thu
the annual settlement required to b
made by the collector for the year ent
ing February 2Sth. 1897, was not mad
until April 4th, 1887, and the annul
settlement of 1888, which ended Eel
ruary 2Sth, 1885, was not made unit
April 4th, 1888.
: We could, II necessary, show "A gre,
l many other errors in settlements al
, defaults In the payments at the tin
! required by law, but we think enoug
> has been shown to put the voters q
guard. And now the question arise
"WhO is responsible for these acts, al
D for this condition of a~ffairs2 We III
hesitslingly say that both James v
. Harrison, collector, and John {
Worthington, the deputy, are respon.
) bic for this irregular and daugerOl
I way of doing state and county bushes
j MIR. Harrison has been the co~llector-il
law, but Mr.. Worthington has bee
e and is now, the collertor-in-faCt. nj
WOrthingIon has been the deputy
5 Mr.. Harrison and has made all Tie st
Elements, and If he is not legally,
l morally bound, and is to be held I
: spOnsible for the errors and defaul
herein complained OF; and if Mr.. lia
rison should be elected treasurer al
5 Mr.. Worthlngton collector, We IN;
expect the same, if not u worse, co
dition Of affairs III regard Il our I,
and revenue matters, TO say nOthil
of the fact tina Mr.. Harrison wants
hold both offices for some two montl
Another reason why the deputy in Il
particular case should be held rcspo
4 .ihIn IAL. Nm nIIa of Nm nLiLLcinnl