The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-11-01


action In regard to sub-letting u job In
his township. How much sympathy
does it show for ''poor settlers?" Read
the following extract from Mr.. Bakers
own confession; and see how much re-
gard for the ''poer settler" you can find
in It! "Mr. Smith came to
me representing that his family was
starving, and If / would give him work
II would keep him off from the town.
Iprcferred to give him job by him.
self, rather than have him In camp.
He could not take the job.and todit for
his pay one, tVo and thrcc years, as 4
hadto. He offered to do the job for
$50, If / would advance him $50 worth
of supplies; and offered to secure me
with chattcl mortgage on all his
goods and chatteis. / let him the job,
and advanced him the fifty dollars, out
Of pare philanthropy; and did not take
any sccurity-in fact, the security he
offered Idid not cossisk- sufficient for
One-haTMe fifty dollars. =" Mr..
Smith went on and worked upon his
job; asked the Com'r to accept 1t; which
the Com'r refused to do, upon the
grounds that the requirements of the
contract had not been complied. with"
lie further tells about Mr.. Smith 'go-
ing OIL and finishing or doing tile work
over again, and stating i'm substance
that hc could not afford to cut the road
out twice for one hundred and fifty dol
lars" &c.
Now mark the points In Mr.. Bakers
statement. Mr.. Smith and family
were very destitute; and Mr. Bakers
"pure philanthropy" 1t Is reasonable
to suppose, saved the town from sup
porting them. 1t seems, however,
that Mr.. Baker was SO "forehantled"
that he could advance supplies, and
"wait one, two and three years" for his
pay. 1t looks as though the "philan-
thrspy" was Of that kind which pays
the philanthrOpist far better tkan the
object of his "good will" for If Mr.. Ba-
kcr was In such good circumstances,
and Mr.. Smith so destitute, lie Bakery
could reasonably have changed the af-
fair by giving Smith the amount COM
ing to him Baker,, and then have
himself doiie the work and receive the
pay smith did. If Mr.. Baker really
Q ilsidercd the job worth the amoant
he bid IL Off for, how much "phil;il-
thropy" did he show by having the
work performed by poor man for less
than half that sum: Why didn't lie
pay Mr.. Smith all he considered the
work worth? Ii Smith received all
the work was worth, didn't the town
ship.pay pretty high interest on the
amount "advanced" by Baker; and
didn't 1t prove an expensive way of
keeping Smith "off the town." In the
light Of Bakers own statements; whose
support is likely to cost Eden town.
ship most-lSaker's, or Smiths.
Take the case of Eden township, and
i'm ,ginc, If you can, what different
any citizen would receive ut
the hands of either Baker, Page or
Chick. What assurance have the pcO-
pie that they are looking after their
Where Is there one who can
tell us that Mr.. Page pays any taxes?
What Is his occupation? Go into ELK
and look over the road jobs
let while Page was clai:Ming to act us
Highway Commission look at the
work performed, and then at the fig
ures allowed for il. Ieu will uRdoubt-
edly hear It claimed by parties inter
csted, that the whole thing was done
but mt the same time you
will find contracts awarded ut figures
which cause Bakers affair to sink into
insignificance. Read the
journal of the Supervisors, ut It's scs-
sion i'm May last, and SEQ where Chick
asked for and received ply for miles
travel, when his residence was within
stones throw of the hall. Read the
of the proceedings Of Super
visors in this paper. Note ajoint pre-
nmble and resolution, published last
week offered for the purchase Of the
half lot and the building thereon, be-
longing to Chick. Observe who were
the parties moving, primarily, In the
increase of the salaries of the Prosecut-
ing Attorney and Judge Of Probate;
the purchase of a stove for a lawyers |
office 1.-THE law makes no provision for |
air Office for the Prosecuting |
Attorney; and does not even require |
him to hold his office at the County |
5cat); and the purchase of half lot In |
for enc hundred and fifty dol |
lars, when there is little or no sale of |
property here Mt much less figures, and |
when the county is In possession Of a
whole block, in every way suitable for
Is wants.
We do not wonder the authors of
he above quoted preamble feel wroth
about the exposure produced In the |
STAR In the past. 1t certainly seems |
Is though 1t would cause the blush
If shame to mantle the cheeks Of an
ron statue. 1t Is fast approaching the
line when the cloak of I've thought
ve were working within the law" will
,e thrown aside, and any manner of
awlessness be committed without re-
,traint. And how much benefit 10 the
people at large derive from the man.
.gcInent of such men? Just about rs
much rs Smith did. Examine closely,
md you will see that nearly every dol
ar Of the plumber goes ints the hands
II the ring masters or their tools. The
,cople who are honest enough to favor
adherence te the meaning and intent
II law are cast out of the ceunsels Of
he rings, and get no share Of proceeds,
wen II they would accept 1t; but the |
,ad effects of bankrupt treasury and |
oss OF character of the community |
.est more heavily upon the honest than