The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-07

Fre1$5. E. T. La5e to the People Of
Mathews County. in Regard to Ex-
hibitiOn of old Tax-Receipts
by John ]. Burke
Port Haywood, Va.
Sept. 5th; 1911.
To the people Of Mathews:

my friends-one from New Point,
one from Milford Haven and one
from the Court House that or
Saturday afternoon last. before
number Of persons at Mathews
q. H., MIR. John ], Burke. Treas
nrer Of this County. was exhibit
ing two tax receipts. (Iooo and
1902 belonging to Mr.. Rozzie c
Minter. of Hudgins Post Office,
signed by me or my deputy and
pointing out what was supposed
to be an error Of one cent, as an
offset to the charges being made
OF irregularities in the tax-tIckets
OF Mr. Burke himself. (And thus
was set ahoat the rumor that
MIR. Burke is not the only Treas
urer who has made mistakes, for
bills have been found wrong Just
like his when MIR. Lane was Coun
~ Treasurer. y
| was very much surprised at
such unkind conduct and unfair
treatment on the part of Mr..
Burke--thus attempting to shield
himself behind me, and especially
SO in the light of his card publish
ed just two DAYS before, since he
was doing by me exactly what he
is beseeching the Taxpayers of
Mathews net to do by him. to-
wit stalking snap-judgement on HIM
condemning him without hear
ing and without first giving him
an opportunity to compare their
tax-bills with the books of record.
Immediately went to Mr..
Bprke's Office and asked that he
show me the two tax-bills il ques
ton. which he die, and then in
quired OF him what inference he
had attempted to draw thcretrom
to my detriment. He was both
courteous and frank, and assured
me that he had first compared the
two bills with the books in the
County Clerks Office and found
them to be exact copies thereof
and that the one cent discrep
ancy in the State tax ("eleven"
cents where it should have been
ten cents) was made by the then
Commissioner Of the Revenue.
and that he (Mr. Burke) so stated
10 each party to whom he showed
the bills on Saturday last; that
his onlv motive in useing the bills
AT all was that he and the Public
generally credited me with being
proverbially careful and accurate
IN all business matters and he wish
ed solely TO show that clerical er-
rors might occur even In the best
regulated Offices,
1t is not given me to read Mr..
Burke's heart or search his con
science / cannot therefore charge
that with malice aforethought he
purposed to place me in an utterly
false position before the Mathews
People (though that has been the
effect of h i s unfortunate act }
can only accept his explanation
OF his intent IN the matter and
that if was not his deSi5e to do me
ia wrong.
| Fortunately / strll have in my
possession all the books and pa
pers during my term of office (IS9G
P-Iqoo- IorI-Ioo2.( / have COM
pared them also with MIR. Mmter' s
bills and they are ABSOLUTELY
tCORRECT TO THE CENT SO
EfaS as the County Treasurer was
tconGerned.
T Now you will observe that had
Mr.. Burke when he took those
two tax bills Of MIR. Mmter's. sign
ed by me, TO the Clerks Office
detected that an error had beeN
! made by me. either clerically OF
otherwise. he might then have
| some semblance OF reason or JUS
LITIGATION for publicly exhibiting
them. but by his, own statement
to rae and BY the record in the
Clerks Office and by the. oficia
copy of the Commissioner of tha
Revenues books from which 7
as Treasurer transcribed the bills
and still hold IN nay possession
he found my bills ABSOLUTELY