The Breckenridge news., 1905-11-01
Breckenridge County, From 1883 to 1904 CompaedA
Impartial Statement
FACTS AND FIGURES FOR THE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER

with V. b. Burton Admr. Burton
was dead and could net make the
affidavit This being the situation,
the court allowed 50, $50 instead Of
delinquent list. Morris Eskridge then
notified the court and the sheriff that
he would fight such a settlement as
long as he was county attorney. The
next and last settlement while he was
county attorney was made by J. ..
Cunningham with f. p Payne. Morris
Fskridge insisted on delinquent list
as required by law. A spirited dis
cussion arose and resulted in the court
flowing 81, 500 TO the sheriff instead
of so, $50. This was the result of the
| fight made by Morris Eskridge and
resulted In saving to the people $3.50,
and was the last sett'' ment passed on
by the Republicans The Republican
court was the first to attack the jump
settlement system. + rom this beginning
and from this fight made by Norris
Eskridge the jump settlement plan
was broken up. The judge, magistra-
tes, sheriff, jailer and the records of
the court will corroborate this.
Penalties and The Railroad District
Tax,
The Democrat makes two more
complaints against the Republican
officials and claims that the present
administration has saved the people in
the way of penalties 81, 900, and the
railroad tax district 81, 1853.
In regard to the 81, 600 penalties
A fter the death of V. b. Burton. 5. A.
Pate and V. B. Burtons administra-
tor were sued to recover penalties
alleged 70 have been collected by
them These suits have never been de
cided, the pleadings have not been
made up, and no one can tell what the
judgment Of the court will be- For
twenty years the Democratic court
suffered the same character of settle
ments to he made by Democratic
sheriffs and no attention paid to it,
Let the people withhold their Judg y
ment in this matter until the court
settles it, for the question is now In
court The suits will show the amount
sued for is under 81, 600.
In regard to the 81. l5S railroad tax
district matter, the commission to be
allowed the sheriff in special railroad
tax district, was settled by the court
OF appeals sometime before the first
settlement of railroad taxes was made
under the present administration and
it has simply obeyed the decision
of higher court
! The Democrat writes long state
ment concerning the railroad tax and
the sheriff commission. 1t says the
sheriff collected 10 per cent. commis-
sion when he should have collected
only per cent The charter fer the
railroad, under which this tax was
/ untaH hog tbia plar1Gn. A an1nol fov
sufficient to pay the semi annual
lnstallments of interest on such bonds,
and the principal when it shall be-
come due. shall be collected and paid
ont by the officers of such county, city,
or town, as provided In the case of
other county, city or town tax. The
tirst railroad tax settlement was made
under Democratic court by Dem
ocratIc commissioner while a Demo
cratic county attorney was the advisor
of the court, and the money paid over
! to a Democratic receiver. Now, IL
this 10 per cent. commission was
Illegal why did these men not bring
suit to correct it2 The precedent of
10 per cent. commission was set by
the Democrats There were Judges
and lawyers all over the state that
held that the 10 per cent. commission
was legal and they -eossinued 60 DO,
so until the decision of the Court OF
Appeals in 1902.
The railroad tax comm ssion was
settled by the court of appeals on the
Gath day of January, 1902, In the
case OF Little VS.. Straw, ETC.. which
went up from Marshall county, KY
In this case it was decided that the
commission due the sheriff for collect
ing taxes, in special district. was
only per cent. This decision is re-
ported in SO s. W. Report, page 1884,
The first settlement made by the pres
ent administration concerning this
railroad tax, was made some time
after this decision of the court of
appeals, and was made in conformity
with that decision, and it could have
been made no other way, after said
decision, without going contrary to
the opinion OF the highest tribunal in !.
the state. The saving OF this COM
mission to the people of breckenridge
county was not due to the acts of, the
present administration but to the
deci sion referred to.
We have endeavored in this paper
to present fs cts to the people that are
supported by the records OF the county.
Under Republican Iule the people were
not robbed or swindlcd. They got
value received for their taxes. The
public roads, the public property
were In better condition than they
have been since.
The candidates are before you. You
know their character, standing and
ability. The question is who will
best serve the people, the next four
years 1t is for the people TO
decide. Are the candidates put forth
by the Republicans, Mr.. Mitchell,
Mr.. EskIidge, Mr. Kincheloe, Mr..
Ball, Mr.. Shseran, Mr. Hall, Mr..
Cannon, MIR. Basham, Mr.. Anderson, -
pledged TO robbery before they take
their seatsY" Are the friends of these
men the worst element of the county1
Let the people decide. published by
authority of the Republican County
Committee.