Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-10-24

may otOflldCLl
lead TO Psttere
consumption. ..aa
deputy sheriff nor tax collector, that
read substantially as follows; "ThC
County Court OF Marion County has
employed ME TO collect the delin'
quent taxes. The tax rolls show that
you owe s--for the years ls97-etc. ;
and winds up with the request TO W
to Frank Durbln and pay IL. 1t l.
rather remarkable that Mr.. Bingham
does not order them 20 pay the puollC
taxes over to hin. 10 case OF the
Oregon Pacific delinquent taxes he
had them paid over to himself
although the decree OF the court ran
TO Marion county, aud then took out
his own commission OF 10 per cent,
which he even over figured and
had 10 return several hundred dollars
to County Treasurer Minto. He has
grown more modest and now kindly
allows the citizen to pay his taxes Ia
the sheriff, who Is the only person
legally qualified to receive bublIc
money. His commission will come
out later.
But how does IL happen that Sc
long as there was Republican sheriff
the County Court never took the col
lection OF delinquent taxes out OF tile
hands OF the sheriff 4? How does II
happen so long as the district had a
Republican prosecuting attorney that
Official was the legal adviser Of the
county Is Republlcanlsm so bound
up in one man that there is nothing
expresses Its relation to the public but
"Binghamlsm ?" Are there not law
yers enough for both sides of cases
and to serve the public so but what
one must appear as universal legal
adviser for the publlcY
WHY NOT MAKE HIM UNIVERSAL AD-
MINIsTRAToR
Constituting lawyer Of Bingham's 4
stripe delinquent tax collector FOR
Marion county is more serious OUT
rage than would at tlrsJ appear. No
member OF the legal profession but
one making speciality OF grating the
public crib wants such petty collec.
tions as delinquent taxes and Blng-
ham only wants II for the power IL
gives him over citizens who have been
unable TO pay their taxes, and the
chance IL gives him 10 bring In his
bill against the people when the
favorable moment comes TO have IL
allowed. He has practlced these pur-
suits so long that he does not see the
lndellcacy and improprlety OF the
position In which IL places him. lie
virtually opens long running ac-
count with the county and charges
what he pleases. lie cut favor de.
linquents who are his friends, and
harrass taxpayers who do not worship
al his snrlne, Instead Of the
public Official, who Is under oath TO
treat all men alike To execute the law
without fear or favor, there Is here
substituted one who caters TO those In
power, plays the sycophant TO wealth
and the licksplttle To corporations,
and has about as much sympathy for
the poorer class Of taxpayers as Gen
eral WeYler had for the Cuban recon.
centradoes, He can extend his job
indefinitely with those delinquents he
likes aud can close out and give tips TO
his wealthy clients and enable them
To get desirable tax titles as he sees
1T. No such outrageous power oyer
citizens and property was ever placed
In the hands OF private citizen who
Is not under bonds. Indeed II looks as,
though he was appointed admlnlstIa.
tor over the whole community. We
do not believe his appointment ia
legal, aud an injunction suit ought Co.
be brought 10 put an end To the
whole business.
THIS community is not In mood 10
put up much further with the lntllc-
tlons OF BinghamIsm. The legal pro
fosslon Is restlye under the lmputa-
tlon that IL contains mem bers who
make IL their main business TO prey
on the public, who are continually
worming into positions 20 get the pub
lie at a disadvantage, where the tax
payer cannot help hilnself. No mat
ter how emphatlcally the taxpayers
repudiate such man at the polls, he
fasten shlmself on the body polite
lt some unlocked for point OF contact
where they have no protection. The
laws aud constitution afford no 70
lief against the cOmbinaJlCn of