USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History, government and geography of Carbon County, Pennsylvania > Part 8
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The old stone store building belonging to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, which stood where the present court house now stands, was used for the first meetings of the court, and a small building at the rear of this was used as a jail. These build- ings were given to the county by the Navigation Company in 1846; and were to be fitted up for use by the citizens of Mauch Chunk, but there was much delay in doing this. A disastrous fire occurred on July 15, 1849, and burned the buildings; but, it being daytime, all the records were saved. A brick building, which was completed in 1853, was erected in the same place. The present structure is Carbon County's third court house. It was begun in 1893 by County Commissioners Henry Miller, Daniel Cannon, and J. C. Sendel, and was finished in 1894 by Commissioners William B. Anthony, Hugh H. McBride, and M. T. Trexler. L. S. Jacoby, Allentown, was the architect and Herman Riebe, Lansford, the builder. The material is a peculiar kind of stone, native to this county, quarried at Rockport; the trimming is Hummelstown brownstone. When completed it cost only $121,000. It is the honest belief of many and the proud boast of some of its citizens, that in the erection of this appropriate, admirable, and costly building, not one dollar was spent for graft.
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
THE COUNTY PRISON.
This building is located on Broadway in Mauch Chunk. It is built of dressed sandstone, and was made to confine persons for a punishment, or to hold parties who are considered guilty of a crime until the time of their trial. It was completed in 1870. William Wagner, John Bowman, and F. B. Kleppinger were the commissioners who had charge of its erection. Henry Bowman was the builder and Edward Hovelland was the architect.
It will hold about seventy-five prisoners at one time. The Sheriff is paid forty-five cents a day for keeping each prisoner in his charge, but the County Commissioners furnish the equipment and furnishings of the building. The building was considered especially secure, but Martin Leskosky, who was one of the most noted prisoners that the jail ever held, escaped from it on two occasions.
THE CARE OF THE POOR.
The poor of the county were taken care of by the individual townships until 1855, when an act was passed allowing the elec- tion of Directors of the Poor, and the establishing of a House of Employment in Carbon County. As to whether this should be done, was left for the voters to decide. The voting for or against took place in October with the result that the Mauch Chunk Boroughs and Banks and Lausanne Townships voted for and the remaining districts against.
The boroughs and townships that voted in favor of the law bought the farm of D. J. Sanar, 109 acres, at $1,900; the farm of John Toomey, 109 acres, at $1,400, and of Jacob Cole, 106 acres, at $1,800. These farms were all located in what is now Lehigh Township. A small addition of land was made about ten years later when about ten more acres were bought from George Settler. Buildings were erected, and immediately used. In 1861 there were ninety-nine inmates in the home.
In 1862 it was proposed that the Poor Districts in Luzerne County, which had voted for the law just mentioned, should be united with those in Carbon County, which had voted in the same
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way. A meeting was held and as a result the Legislature was requested to pass an act allowing this. The required act was passed, and the whole was called the Middle Coal Field Poor District. This district embraced the townships of Banks, Lau- sanne, and Mauch Chunk and the boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk in Carbon County. To these were added Lansford, Weatherly, and Lehigh Township as they were organ- ized.
A hospital was built in 1871. The barn having been de- stroyed by fire, a new one was put into its place.
East Penn, Upper and Lower Towamensing, Penn Forest, Packer, Kidder, and Mahoning Townships, and East Side, Lehigh- ton, Weissport, and Parryville care for their indigent poor in the primitive methods of the colonial days. Two overseers are elected for a term of three years in each district. During the early years of the county's organization it was the custom of the overseers to receive bids and award the care and the keeping of the poor to the lowest bidder. Later day overseers are more humane, and public bids are no longer received. Lehighton has a reason- ably well conducted poor house.
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER II. THE FINANCIAL SIDE.
All persons are interested in the amount of tax they must pay. The story of the long and bitter war which has taken place in order that the representatives of the common people might have the right and privilege of levying and collecting taxes may not be related here. No story in history is more interesting or more important than the struggle between the rulers and the common people as to who should control the purse, and no other should be more studied or better understood. The management of the finances of the nation and the levying of taxes involve all the political questions upon which the progress of mankind depends.
The task of raising money to conduct the government in a just and satisfactory manner is a difficult one; and in no country has it been done with entire success. Our plan of taxing to us seems the best that has yet been tried, but even in this country this opinion is far from being unanimous.
Every tax should have certain qualities, if it is to merit being called good. Space will not permit a discussion as to whether the taxes levied in Carbon County have these qualities. The thoughtful student will think and read between the lines, and consult special books treating on the subject. A good tax should be levied so as ----
I. Not to be easily evaded.
2. To bear with proportionate hardship upon all.
3. To be easily and cheaply collected.
KINDS OF TAXES LEVIED.
The taxes levied in the county are the following:
I. A Property Tax. This is a tax which is levied upon all property, real estate and personal, which people may possess.
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Much valuable property is held in the shape of bonds, mortgages, building loan shares, and the like. These are readily kept hidden and the tax is then paid only upon the discoverable property. This places the premium upon dishonesty, for the larger the amount of "undiscoverable" property the less the tax. Under the present law the assessments are made in the fall of the year. Each person is given a blank form by the assessor upon which he is requested, under oath, to state the amount of all the bonds, mortgages, and money on interest which he may have. These blanks are later used by the assessor to make up his report.
Property other than personal is called real estate. In order that tax may be levied upon it, its value must be determined. This is done every third year when the assessor makes his assess- ment. In theory, the assessment is supposed to rate real estate at its full value, but in reality, it is seldom rated for higher than two-thirds of its value. Until recently in this county it had in some instances hardly been more than one-fifth.
2. The Occupation Tax. In theory, this is supposed to be levied upon the incomes of parties who are taxed. An assessed valuation is based upon each occupation. Seven grades of such occupations are used varying from $40 to $400. All lawyers are assessed at the same valuation, so are the doctors, though the income of some are many times that of the others.
3. A Collateral Inheritance Tax. This tax is collected by the state on sums of money inherited by persons who are not members of the immediate family of the deceased person whose estate is being divided.
4. A Dog Tax. A tax of fifty cents or a dollar is levied on each dog that is assessed. In many communities not nearly all are assessed; for many of them have no owner when the assessor is making his assessment.
5. The Mercantile Tax. The mercantile tax is levied upon the business done by all engaged in business. The mercantile appraiser is supposed to require each merchant to fill out a blank form in which he states, under oath, the volume of business transacted by himself during the year. The estimate on the volume is always very low. The following is a receipt given by the mercantile appraiser :
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Volume of business transacted during the previous year $5,000.00
1 mill tax on volume of business. 5.00
Annual tax . 2.00
Fee of mercantile appraiser
50
Fee of county treasurer
.25
Amount of license.
8.25
HENRY P. HONTZ, Mercantile Appraiser.
6. Liquor Licenses. The tax derived from the liquor licenses brings into the county treasury more funds than any other tax. The licenses are the same throughout the state. In boroughs it is $200 and in townships it is $100 for each license. Twenty-five per cent. of these fees go to the state, fifteen per cent. to the county, and sixty per cent. to the township for the support of the schools. Various state licenses are issued. Brewers, distillers, auctioneers, circuses, and theatrical troupes are required to pay licenses. A tax is collected on the capital stock of cor- porations, insurance companies, and the like. A tax of three dollars on each automobile goes to the county.
LEVYING THE TAXES.
An estimate of the probable expenditures for the year is made yearly by the state, by the county, by the school directors, supervisors, and the poor directors. As each of these parties know how much is to be collected and about what is to be raised by a property tax, each fixes its own rate of taxation. This is usually expressed by mills on each dollar's worth of property. These mills are then added. A tax duplicate is made out on which is indicated the amount of each kind of tax that the various individuals must pay.
COLLECTING THE TAXES.
The tax rates of the state, county, and township are usually added together, the amount to be paid by each person computed, and sent to the tax collector in one statement and collected in one sum. In this county one collector collects all the taxes. He
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turns over to the county treasurer all the state and county taxes, and to the local bodies their share of the tax collected.
In order to encourage prompt payment a rebate of five per cent. is allowed on all taxes paid within two months after the tax duplicate is received by the assessor. The full amount of the tax is required for all amounts collected between September and January, and a penalty of five per cent. is paid on all taxes paid after January Ist.
Real estate on which the taxes are not paid will be ordered sold at public auction, the county officers deducting the amount of taxes and the cost of the sale, turning over the balance to the former owner of the property. A certain amount of time is allowed the former owner in which he may redeem his property by paying the amount of tax and the cost of the sale.
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER III. PARTY, POLITICS, NOMINATIONS, AND ELECTIONS.
In each locality there are men who believe in the same prin- ciples of conducting the government and who favor the election of men of their party to the various offices. This has been true from the beginning of the government of the United States. Hardly had the first election of Washington taken place, before differences of opinion arose as to the methods of raising revenue, of conducting banks, and interpreting the constitution. The men who believed in a liberal interpretation of the constitution and a strong central government at Washington were soon organ- ized into a political party called Federalists, and the men who upheld the strict construction of the constitution and strong state governments were Anti-federalists. Washington, Adams, and Hamilton were the leaders of the former; Jefferson, Madison, and Jackson of the latter. The question of interpreting the constitution and the tariff was the one that had the greatest effect in shaping the history of political parties in the United States. The history of the origin and development of political parties in the United States is beyond the scope of this book; but it is something about which no citizen can afford to be igno- rant. In a government of the people, for the people, and by the people, a great majority, at least, of these people, must know and understand such government; must be filled with noble ideals as to its purposes; and must insist upon having it administered by honest representatives if that government is permanently to endure.
After the origin of national parties, owing to differences of opinion on great national questions, it took but little time till party lines were drawn in the county. After the parties were organized each maintained its organization continuously, though each was most active at times of election. Each party maintains
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a national, state, county, township, or borough committee. These committees care for the interests of their party in their respective localities, and usually consist of those who are most active, intelligent, and serviceable in enhancing the interests of the party.
The advantages of such government are numerous, though the three following are usually given :
I. The party not in office watches the party in office very keenly and so keeps the party in power from injurious legislation.
2. The party not in power keeps up the discussion of the political questions so that the public in general is kept well in- formed.
3. Party organization enables voters to act together for carrying out any policy, or for electing any candidate who may mutually be agreed upon.
A candidate who is the nominee of his party usually expects the votes of all the members of his party. Party feeling is usually so strong that this actually takes place with a great majority of voters. In cases where one party has a considerable majority, to receive its nomination, is about equivalent to an election. The political leaders think that it is safe to consider that at least sixty per cent. of the voters will never change their ticket so as to vote for the opposite party. It is, however, very apparent, that the party in power will refrain from unwise or corrupt party practices only when there is a reverse of these conditions. When sixty per cent. of the voters may not be considered as blindly following the leader and will vote intelli- gently and independently for the best interests of their locality, corruption and injurious practices will be reduced to a minimum. An overwhelming majority in either party is not likely to enhance the best interests of the governed.
WHO MAY VOTE.
Voters must be registered on a list which the assistant assessors are required to prepare at least sixty days previous to the election.
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
A voter in Pennsylvania must be a male citizen of the State, twenty-one years old, and also:
I. He must have been a citizen of the United States at least one month before the election.
2. He must have resided in the State one year before the election, unless having been born in the State, or formerly a voter there. If he has returned after being a citizen elsewhere, he must reside in the State but six months in order to vote.
3. He must have resided in his election district at least two months before election.
4. If twenty-two or more years old, he must have paid a State or county tax within the past two years, and at least a month before the election.
Many young men "vote on age." This is possible only when they are between twenty-one and twenty-two years of age. Under these circumstances paying tax is not necessary.
NOMINATIONS AND PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
By a recent Act of the Assembly the February election has been abolished and all officers in the future will be elected in the November elections. All nominations, therefore, are made at the spring primary, which is held on the first Saturday in June.
Nominating consists in selecting a candidate of the party for a particular office. Such nominations may occur in three ways: By the "Crawford County System," by the "Convention System," or by filing the nomination papers. The regular party usually uses the first or the second of these methods of nomina- ting, while the third is used by independent voters or those desirous of organizing a new party.
The Crawford County system is so named because it was organized in that county. According to this system there is a preliminary or primary election at which all the voters have a right to be present. At this election each voter votes for the person whom he desires for each local or county office that is to be filled. The person who receives the highest number of votes for the particular office is then a nominee for the party at the regular election.
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In the convention system there is a primary election to fill the local offices of the township or borough, and then delegates are elected at the primaries who are to attend the county conven- tions and nominate the candidates for the county offices.
By the use of nomination papers a specified number of voters sign papers asking for the nomination of some person or persons who are not the nominees of either of the regular parties. In the case of a county, township, or borough office, if such a paper is signed by two per cent. of the total vote cast at the last election for any officer of the same district, the County Commissioners are required to place such names on the ticket. All such nominations for county offices must be filed with the County Commissioners not less than twenty-one days before the election.
County conventions are composed of the delegates elected at the primary elections throughout the county. The delegates (1) nominate the delegate for all county offices, (2) they elect the delegates who attend the State convention of the party, and (3) they elect all members who serve on the County Committee during the year. They also nominate candidates for the Congress at Washington, and nominate the candidates for County Judge when one is to be elected.
BALLOTS AND ELECTIONS.
The ballots are prepared by the County Commissioners. Until recent years the preparing of the ballots was left to the parties, but owing to the amount of illegal voting that was con- stantly taking place, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed what is known as the Baker Ballot Law. This is a modification of a system which was first used in Australia, and is therefore called the Australian Ballot System. The ballots are all prepared by the same parties, and the names of all the candidates appear on one ballot sheet. To have the names of its candidates appear on this ballot, a party must have polled at the last election at least two per cent. of the highest number of votes cast for any State office. By filing proper nominating papers persons may have their names printed upon the ballots. Blank spaces, also, are
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
left on the ballots on which the voter may write the name of any person for whom he may wish to vote.
The Commissioners must also furnish ballots for each party to be used at the primary elections. The ballots for this purpose must all be printed upon white paper of uniform size and appear- ance. Upon each party's ballot must be printed in alphabetical order the names of all the candidates for office in the party.
In the same column of the regular election ticket are printed the names of all the candidates for the same office. The county bears the expense of their preparation, and they must be placed into the hands of the election officers of each voting district on the day before the election. Extreme caution must be exercised that they are properly sealed; for it is considered a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $1,000 or one year's imprisonment, for any one except an election officer to have one of the regular ballots outside of the voting room, either before or after the election.
More ballots must be sent to each polling place than the known number of voters, to be sure to have enough on hand to replace such as may be spoiled by imperfect marking.
THE ELECTION.
All officers are now elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.
In each election district each year there is elected a Judge of Election and two Inspectors. One of the inspectors must belong to each of the two leading political parties. Each inspector appoints a clerk from his own party. These constitute the election officers. They are sworn to conduct the election fairly, secretly, and honestly, and may be punished if they neglect or fail to do so. The judge, inspectors and clerk each receive $3.50 a day for their services on election day.
Each party usually has watchers at the election. These may challenge voters whom they think are unqualified to vote. The inspectors have the power to decide upon the qualifications of such persons, and in case they disagree the judge may decide the question.
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HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND GEOGRAPHY
The rooms in which the election is held must have a ballot box and a table around which the officers may sit. There must be present the ballots, the lists of registered voters, and in various parts of the room "Cards of Instruction," as well as cards contain- ing directions as how to proceed in preparing and casting the ballots. Separated from the remainder of the room by a rail, there are from three to eighteen booths, screened so as to hide the upper part of each voter's person, that no one is able to see how he marks his ballot.
The voting places must be open from 7.00 A. M. to 7.00 P. M. During any time between these hours as the voter presents him- self, his name is called out so that the clerks may hear it, and if his name is on the lists, the clerks check it off, and one of the inspectors gives him a ballot. If his name is not on the lists, he may with the permission of the election officers take an oath that he is entitled to vote. He takes the ballot to one of the booths where he places a cross (X) after the name of the man for whom he wishes to vote, or if he wishes to vote a straight party ticket he may make the cross (X) in the square opposite the name of his party. He then folds his ballot so that no one can see how he has voted and puts it into the ballot box.
When the voting stops the officers must spend all their time inspecting and counting the votes until the task is completed. Ballots improperly marked are not counted. The results are usually announced to such voters as may be waiting for informa- tion, or indicated on a specimen ballot, and the full returns are then filed in the office of the Prothonotary of the county. The report is taken by the judge of election.
After the election, the ballots and a record of their count is put into the ballot box, and this is then given to the Justice of the Peace for safe-keeping until the next election.
Specimen ballots of both the primary and regular elections may be procured of the election officers after the elections. They will gladly give them to the teachers for the asking. Not only should teachers show and explain these ballots to the pupils of the school, but regular elections may be held with them in the upper grades to the immense pleasure and profit of the teacher and pupils.
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OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER IV. TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH GOVERNMENT.
The township is the smallest division in the rural districts of the county. Boroughs are often less in area. Both these political divisions are made to secure local government. Every acre of ground in the county is either under township or borough government, as well as under the government of the county, of the State, and of the United States. It is the government of the borough and the township with which as citizens of Carbon County we come into closest touch, and this should receive our best and first thought and support.
These smallest areas for governmental purposes vary in size, shape, and population. In the early history of the county may be traced the origin of the various townships and boroughs, as well as the source of the names which have been given to them. A new township may be created by dividing an old one when, after having received an order from the Court of Quarter Sessions, its citizens vote for such division, or when a petition is presented to the same court requesting such division. Such a petition must, however, be signed by the owners of twenty-five per cent. of the assessed valuation of the property within the proposed new township.
Townships and boroughs are political units, and as such they can own, buy, and sell property; borrow money; levy taxes and collect them; sue and be sued in courts of law. They are what is called municipal corporations. Townships are divided into first and second class; those being first class which have a population of 250 inhabitants to the square mile.
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