Description
Frauds Upon the State Revenue. - - It has been nearly a year, since we published a statement to the effect that Boone and some other counties were defrauding the State of her revenue, by a system of dishonest assessment. Our remarks were founded upon the fact, that real estate, in those counties, was assessed at a ridiculous price, when compared to its actual value, er selling price. Our remarks fell dead at the time - no paper ever copied them, or said anything in regard to the subject. Perhaps the parties accused were too unrespectable to have imputation cast upon them.
We have now the facts and figures - furnished us in the Auditor’s report for 1853 and ’54 - by which, we are enabled to nail down our charge. It will be conceded that there is no variation in the value of negroes, in any of the counties north of the Missouri River.
A negro might be sold to the highest bidder, in all of these counties, and there would be but a very slight variation in the price he would bring. In fact a negro is as much worth the same in Calloway, Boone, Howard and Chariton, as one dollar is worth another.
No man in his senses will pretend that the negroes in Chariton, Carroll, Platte, and Buchanan, were assessed too high; yet they average $400 and upwards. In some of the counties, in the table here published, they do not average $250.
Had the slaves in Callaway been properly valued, the state revenue, from that county, would have been increased $3,270; the revenue from Boone would have been increased $2,639. In the assessment of real estate outrages equally gross, but not so easily detected, have been perpetrated.
There is no remedy, for this evil, save that of public opinion. Counties should be as careful to preserve their “honor bright,” as individual members of the community. We hope no county wishes to come into disrepute, as a dishonest member of our state confederacy. To such then, we would say, look well to your assessments.
The following table has been made up from the Auditor’s Report, for 1853 and ’54, and is strictly correct. It shows the average assessed value of negroes, in 14 counties, on the north side of the river, for the past two years:
COUNTIES VALUE IN ’53. VALUE IN ’54.
Warren $267.00 $245.00
Montgomery 312.00 232.00
Callaway 205.00 214.00
Boone 250.00 296.00
Howard 365.00 376.00
Chariton 430.00 469.00
Carroll 335.00 400.00
Ray 420.00 300.00
Clay 361.00 380.00
Platte 446.00
Buchanan 385.00 467.00
Andrew 316.00 340.00
Holt 321.00 433.00
Atchison 480.00 372.00Date(s) of Creation
2/23/1855
