The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-04-11
BLAME RIGHTLY PLACED.

In Mondays issue of the Times atten-
ton is called to the fact that Benton
county has an outstanding Indebtedness
of SIS, 200 and that her total delinquent
list now aggregates $54,327, all of which
Is unquestioably true. The article in
question is prefaced with the statement:
Laying aside the prohigate waste of
public funds in state affairs that is the
chief cause of high taxes, therei is another
the real taxpayer"
Although the foregoing reads we'll and
sounds nicely, it is grossly misleading.
For the year 1898 the total levy for Cor
wallis amounted to 26 mills, and for 1894
1t was 24H mills, apportioned as follows:
State purposes, 3 mills; county, s mills;
schools, as mills; city, 7 mills; school
district No. 9, special tax, mills. Thus
it is plain to be seen that the chief cause
for high taxes was not "the profigate
waste of public funds in state affairs" as
Is claimed by the Times. If the affairs
of taxpayers have been mismanaged it is
In Benton county where the fault lies and
here is where the remedy should be ap-
piled.
This being. true, let US see who are to
blame. The mayor, police judge, night
watchman, chief of police and treasurer,
of Corvallis are all democrats. There
are two justices of the peace in Corvallis
precinct, who are both democrats. The
sheriff for ten years past has been DEM
ocrat. A democrat has held the Office of
clerk for nearly year, and a democratic
recorder has been in Office for nearly
three years. The school clerk and two
members of the school board are demo-
Gratis. Prior to last July the county
school superintendent was a democrat.
One of the commissioners and the assess
or are also of the same political faith,
and right here is where the shoe pinches
This is part of the history which the
Times withheld. For years and years
this county has been assessed by demo-
Gratis, aud it is notorious fact that dur
ing much of that time, especially prior
to 1898, the rolls have been made up in
such careless, shp-shod manner that the
enforcement of collections was out of
the question. Prior to 1892 the de1in-
quentstaxes aggregated something like
$685. This vast sum was reduced by
the county court to $22, 66I, or about
three-fourths of the original amount.
Nearly all of this $780, 900 was thrown out
simply on account of imperfect deserip.
tions of the property assessed. The
Times well knows that the court has
refrained from issuing the sheriff a war
rant for the collection of delinquent
taxes, because of the incompetent work
of democratic assessors, which has made
their collection by legal means impracti-
cable. During the last three or four
years delinquents have been coaxed to
pay up, and many of them have done so,
but major portion of the tax remains
unpaid, and probably always will.
There is no disputing the fact, however,
that taxpayers should be given a certain
time in which to pay their taxes, and as
soon as such period elapsed, the delin-
'quent roll should be turned over to the
sheriff with instructions to force collec-
'tions. 1t is most unfair and unjust to
the prompt taxpayer to have the time ex-
tended to others from month to month
and from year to year. When taxes are
due they should be paid promptly, but
owing to the procedure of the past few
years, the willing taxpayer has Caught
on" until duns and even threats have no
effect upon him. "A system that encour.
ages and even pays a premium for tardi.
ness IN the payment of taxes, ought not
to be tolerated. If one is required tc
pay within certain period, none should
escape. Leniency and sentimenta1ity
ought not to effect our officials in the dis
charge of their duty. Taxes must be
paid, and should be paid promptly. Il
they are not so paid the burden of the
prompt taxpayer is increased.
Of course, the Times did not intend tc
leave the bars down in telling "Where
the trouble 1ies." Nevertheless, it did So
and must suffer the consequences As
nearly every official in both the city and
county is a democrat, and have been fo,
years past all charges of nismanagement
Or extravagances must be borne by the
party of which the Times is the mouth
piece. The unfortunate and costly ex
perience we have had with incompetent
democratic assessors will, no doubt, have
the beneficial effect of bringing about
q changed condition of affairs in 1896.
ONE of the most cheering signs of the
times is the growth of protection senti-
ment in the south. 1t foreshadows the
early and absolute Triumph of the pro-