The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1879-09-11

| "A citizen III SciiUOl District NO. oi
Hersey township, complains that the
District has been bonded to the extent
of $40; and that all they have to show
for II Is a log house, lSx23, not u planed
board i'm it except the door frames and
window castings; the floor is Of loose
boards laid down; the benches are
1t needs considerable mOrtaring and
chinking to make 1t fit for winter
school. He says it will cost $50 to
make the room as comfortable as IL
should be; and that different parties
who worked on it brought In bills
amounting to over 500. eAs contrast 10
this he says that District No 3 put upa
handsome frame school house, with
belfry, porch, painted, patent seats,
finished inside and out in good style,
for $l45. He says, further, that Dis
trict No 4 house could have been built
for $50, and that even at that price he
doubts whether the job would be ac-
cepted by II competent school board.
If the facts are as he states them, there
Is strong appearance of fraud, that
needs Investigation. The sum of 500
Is certainly twice as much as house
such as he has described Is worth. But
there may be another side to the story.
Complaint is also made that II citizen
who owns and pays taxes on house
that is on the land of another was not
allowed to. vote at recent school
meeting on a question of money. 1t
looks amazingly like case of bulldoz-
ing. There Is, also, a fear that the
manner of voting in regard to the bond
W AS not done properly; and that the
recent election of new officer was not
legal. We understand that the mat
ter will be investigated.-Ou Outline.
Why, J. F., don't be surprised if it
turns out us your informant states.
TO the everlasting shame of many of
our new communities, it must be con-
fessed that operations of the kind por-
trayed in, the above are far too COM
mon. And the fault rests in great
measure with public opinion. There's
too much indifference to the petty evils
that exist, and the effect is extremely
demoralizing. Every job that is passed
by without investigation and punish
ment of the perpetrators, becomes an
occasion of encouragement and sugges-
ton to others for doing likewise. The
practice begets a disposition ofshiftless-
ness and laziness; growing desire to
obtain something for nothing, which,
if not checked by moral suasion or legal
restraint, can only lead to u confirmed
habit of direct thieving. This fact may
be laughed at by many; but ridicule
never will alter the truth. The only
result of these frauds is to make the |
poor poorer; while the rich are power |
ful enough to take care of themselves.
To illustrate this point clearly, we
have no need to go beyond the very |
school district we ourselves reside in.
In the not very distant past, when the
bulldozers had full and complete con-
troll here; when it was attaining to the
very essence of unpopularity to advo-
cate economy and common honesty |
in the conduct of public affairs; when
the school fund was being studiously
and Systematically plundered by COLI
verting 1t into use on the highways,
or into the pockets of the thieves upon
the public; the total tax upon the aus
sessed valuation-as shown by receipts
belonging to tile writer-was from four
to five per cent. From two-fifths to
one-half the levy was "schOol tax"
1t has been stated that about 81 800 has
been voted for buildings alone. And
during all this time nothing but COM
mon school has been maintained; and |
the house would he dear at $500. There
were poor men In this district who paid
school tax greater than their entire \
tax should have been. They were-dis-
tressed in providing this tax money.
To put it in plain, truthful English lam
guage, they were robbed and made 50
much poorer.
Taken in the aggregate, hundreds of
dollars are yearly hlched from the epock-
cts of comparatively poor men through
the minor frauds; while the damage 10
the growth and prosperity of this new
country, from tile same source, cannot
be estimated. We might fill columns
with showing the evil effects of these
poor, perpetrated under solemn oaths
To obey the laws and thus guard the
public interests; but it is, we trust, un-
necessary. 1t requires no. great deal
of reflection by any candid, intelligent
mind to convince of its blighting, de-
influence. We have opposed
and shall oppose these crimes, and we
would be only too glad to give free
space to those who condemn so valiant
~ behind our back our denunciation, for
the purpose of enabling them to prove
to the public why it is better to uphold
for positions OF public trust those who
are notorious for recklessness and dis
honesty.