West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-11-16
AN ABLE ARTICLE FROM SHERIFF
SHAW ON COUNTY FINANCES.

EDIToR ARGUS -
am glad to know that the Jour
nal has at last defined its position
on the interest question, which has
for some time been privately dis
cussed by tho tax payers OF orr
county. ! was not at all surprised
at the Journals editorial Of last
week. Indeed, / anticipated the
Journals position, while I knew
that it was in sympathy and was
controlled to some extent by men
who have never as yet failed to leg
islate for their own interest, as
against the masses, / did not be-
lieve that the Journal, the expo
nent of Republican principles,
would lend itself to class of men
who for years have planned and
accomplished measures that have
made them rich to the great detri-
ment OF the masses. / want to say
right here, and above my own sig
nature, for cunning design nothing
could eclipse that old order OF the
County Court requiring the Sheriff
to endorse orders before they were
due and saying to him, "Wo the
tax payers will pay this interest
until January Goth of each year.
but you, Mr.. Sheriff, must pay it
after that date" | challenge the
editor of the Journal, though a law.
yer he may be, to show within the
lids OF the Code OF West Virginia
one single sentence authorizing any
County Court to charge the Sheriff
with interest on and after the goth
Of January. l challenge him also
to produce law authorizing the
County Court to even contract
debt unless so voted by the people
Paying interest is evidence of debt.
Now let us see what q county
order is. 1t looks to a man up O
tree to be contract, such as any
farmer or mechanic would make
with a laborer, setting forth that
he would pay him for his labor at
a certain time out Of certain fund
say from the proceeds of the sale
of u COW or horse. That money
cannot be due until that time comes.
So with county order allowed to
A. B.; allowed by special appropri-
alton passed on the 14th day of
July, 1898, after deducting there
from the amount Of all State,
county and other taxes and levies
in the Sheriff's hands for collection
against said payee. Now what does
the Court base that order on Is it
not based upon the itemized prop
erty Ct every tax payer in the coun-
ty as returned by the Assessor to
the Court.
Now is it not true that there is
evidence of debt upon the tax payer
from the very date that the Asses
ser returns his books to the Court,
and upon that evidence the Court
makes out their orders directing the
Sheriff to pay them, when after he
makes up bis tax bills and is pre-
pared to deduct the parties tax from
the order? The order is not due
until that time, and the law does
not require Sheriff to endorse
them until they are due. Will the
editor Of the Journal kindly point
out the penalty attached if Sheriff
refuses to endorse before they are
due? The penalty comes in after
they fall due, and not before. The
Journal failed to tell the good peo-
pie of Preston that their sister
counties did not pay interest on
county orders. 1t failed as well to
tell them that the said counties did
not charge their Sheriffs with inter
est on county orders. II failed to
tell them that Lee Shaw, Sheriff of
Il
Preston county, did not intend to
pay interest on county orders. II
failed also to tell them that there
was no law to compel him to do so.
The Journal failed to tell the peo-
pie that there is now outstanding
$40, 900 in interest bearing orders,
dating back to A. Staley Shaw's
time. am familiar with one order
payable to Smith Crane OF 5000,
with $40 Of interest accrued on it,.
It failed to tell the people how they
could get money to pay their pres
ent taxes when $40, 900 that should