Evening journal., 1891-05-30
instituted in the Five Commissioners

instituted In the Five Commissioners
law.
This was scheme of county govern
ment that substantially met the best
opinion Of the county, and remedied the
glaring defects in the management of
the finances Of the county under laws up
TO that time existing. There was
an absolute concensus Of opinion among
all thoughtful men Of beth parties, that
the collection of taxes should be guarded
against prostitution for partisan pur-
poses, and the disbursement Of public
money, protected by responsible super
vision and scrutiny. These ends have
been confessedly attained IN the Five
Commissioners law recently passed by
the Legislature. 1t was the part of good
citizenship to havs promoted and carried
into effect its wholesome provisions.
The opinion of Mr.. Bradford. on the
contrary, is an ingenious and deliberate
attempt to bring the law into odium, and
nullify its operation. He has quib-
bled where he ought to have reasoned
broadly and made hair drawn distinctions
for the purpose Of defeating by this the
expressed intention Of the law, and II
appears to us as partisan advantage at
the expense Of the tax payers of the
county.
The Office Of collector by the law as it
existed up TO the time Of the passage Of
the Five Commissioners bill, continued
/ a.. -. q .,n,w ,,,d chat Aarv, - nf3.a bod
expired for Collectors Dougherty aud
Mckee In February, 1891. After that
date they were no longer collectors, and
other collectors had been appointed by
the Levy Court to succeed them The
terms Of Office of these latter collectors
were expressly brought to an end by the
Legislature and the Office Of collector was
abolished; but the Office of collector held
by Messrs. Dougherty and Mckee had
ended In February last, and the power
that they had under the law TO collect
taxes for one year thereafter could not
be attached to them as collectors, but as
individuals. The power of a collector
under the old law to eollest taxes after
his term OF office had expired and after
he had ceased by law to be collector. was
not touched or affected and could not be
by the action of the Legislature in
abolishing the office Of collector because
that office had ceased to exist, so farss they
were concerned, before the Legislature
passed the law referred to. The power to
collect taxes after the collector is out Of
Office is nowhere expressly given uuder
the old law, but results from the implira
tion in that provision OF the law which
says: Neither the collector or bis
executors or administrators shall collect
any taxes after two years from the date
Of the duplicate. 1t is the
implication of the power TO
receive taxes that were due to him as a
collector after he has ceased to be col
lector, and that implication still remains,
not withstanding anything contained
In the Five Commissioners law. Common
sense win not sustain the position taken
by the Levy Court under Mr.. Bradford s
Instructions.
We say nothing now about the out
rage upon the rights OF the sursties Of
these collectors resulting from this
opinion. They were entitled to the pro
lection OF Mr.. Bradford and the Levy
Court. and should not have been made a
partisan football.
It would seem that gentlemen and men
who. in their relations in life are steady,
sober and correct. are mad with politics
and are prostituting their intellects and
characters to partisan ends.