The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-08-09

iy and ia accordance With law. But
that b not enough. The law win not
permit him 70 rexp personal advan,
t = g. from y e ss, sa!S!af :s sr.sps 4
had no right, While they continued 81
ofIics, to place thennselVsS In I poslfion
where their own Interests womb b hos
tile to these OF the public" q - ~ ~, Y, =,
Now, / agree with Mr.. Baker that
it is not pleasant that articles Of
this kind should be circulated 7. in
the newspapers to be seen by men
who desire to locate in Lake county.
But Lake county acquired repu-
tation before these articles began
to appear, and it was because Of
thatreputation that the articles have
como sat. An Old sore can best be
cured By going to the bottom Of it
and giving it thorough ventilation.
Before ! had written any letters
upon this subject I was told that .
gentleman At Reed City inquiring
for farming land was referred to
Lake county and refused to 60 there
to leok at land, because, hs said he
had children to bring up, and he
would net take them into . county
with such . reputation. Ihave new
in my possession letter which L
received from . citizen Of Lake
county saying that he would be
obliged to move away. I make
some extracts from his letter, emit
ting names:
1--WE don't like to stay here, be-
cause there are so many township
robbers here. Formerly there was
money enough in the town, but now
the debt is double. The money
from highway and school taxes is
all gone. - - They made SO
many debts that we cannot live here;
but the officers have plenty ofrnop-
~ in their pockets. y = = y
There is no fairness about them,
| and / wish I had never moved int
the town."
Now, when things have reached
q point which makes it necessary
for citizens who settle there with
the intention of making it their
home, to 60 away for such reasons,
it strikes me it is time for those
who desire the welfare Of the coun-
ty to look about them and zee wheth.
err things are not geing wrong.
Before Michigan was admitted
into the Union, Congress passed an
Act prescribing the conditions Of
admission (being the Act Of june
%, 1856, and one Of those condi-
tons was that the State should pro-
vide by an ordinance (irrevocable
without the consent of the United
States), among other things, "Tha,
in no case shall non resident pro,
prietors be taxed higher than resi-
DENTS" a .r
In accordance with this Act OIL
Congress, by an ordinance approved
July Is, 1886, the State accepted
Of the conditions Of said Act and
expressly stipulated "That in nc
case shall nonresident preprietors
be taxed higher than residents. .
Yet it has been done in violation
Of that provision, and such things
have been done in Lake county.
The Supreme Court say on thi'
question ia Mich. r. 174), "Any
intentional favoritism even though
fren motives Of public interest, i
without express authority of Law
will render void the tax proceed
ings." H eo1 49,
I Was much pleased with tn,
frankness ola certain supervisor
to whom complaint was made tina
he had assessed the Railway lands
higher than the lands of residents
His reply was: ayes, but I coult
not have been elected supervisor
unless ! would agree to do So
"But," / replied, "did yeu not know
that you was violating the law ant
rendering the tax invalid?" He an
swered, eyes, but We thought per
haps no attention would be paid t
it," / do not name the township
nor the supervisor, because in tina
township since then we have beer
treated fairly and have ne fnrthe
cause to complain and no reason t.
fear that we shall have hereafter.
1t is said by some that they de
sire to have nonresident lands rs
sessed high and taxed high SO us t.
force the owners to lumber them Of
and thus make business. It occur
to me that this is very shert-sight
ed policy, very much like that o
the man in the fable whe killed tn,
goose that laid him but one COLDER
egg day, supposing he would max
;~~adsete pro6t hv ~ Whar th.