Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-08-25

An item regarding the pretended" or
ganization of Big Stone county. which ap-
peared in recent issue Of this paper, has
called out n whole column of vituperation
from the Star, which goes for the TRIBUNE,
the Stevens county officials and everybody
in general, in maudlin manner, and sim
ply because of mention being made in these
columns of the fact that the legality of the
act organizing Rig Stone county was to be
matter of judicial inquiry. We don't
know who inspired the article. but judging
from the ear marks, we would naturally
infer that the prophet Balaam had descend
ed into Ortonville and stabbed his historic
ass in the sanctum of the Star, hence the
discordant bray to which we refer. First
the Star asserts that the Stevens county
officials are "sore" at being deprived Of
the erich pap" they have been sucking
from that county. That such an assertion
is the sheerest bosh and without particle
of foundation, is evident to any one who
will examine the records. In the first
place the total tax collected from Big
Stone, by Stevens county, was 5000. of
this amount $3,505.96 was a county tax.
Now of this latter amount-the collections
of three years and over. 1884 40 was
paid to residents of Big Stone county, the
balance, $1,171 .46 being received by the
Stevens county officials as fees, such rs
auditors and trcasurers salary, fees Of
clerk of court and sheriff, and for printing
etc. This divided among the five named
parties would give to each the insignificant
sum of fraction of over $500 for their
services for each year. However the larg.
er part of the expense was incurred
through litigation. and was sheriffs and
clerks fees, as it is notorious that
the Ortons, Jacksons, Ewes, Parkers,
Mathews, Hurleys. ct al were eternally at
war with each other, of this the court rec.
ords give abundant proof, and nine-tenths
of the county tax was swallowed up in the
costs of their lawsuits. But there is an.
other fact which is proven by the same in
controvertable authority, namely: that the
county of Stevens has sustained pecuni.
airy loss by being so unfortunate as to have
such lawless yet litigation loving com.
munity attached to it for judicial purposes,
as the records show that the sum paid for
court expenses by this county prior to re-
ceiving any taxes from that county,
was 81, 034 66. This large sum the
20 ~ Stxv y,oA
to pay and never have got cent in
return, and If we deduct the amount re-
ceived by our officials as fees, $136.S0 is
the rich pap'Ig that has been sucked.
The assinine idiocy Of the article to which
we refer, is further apparent when it is
charged that the illegal assessment was
inspired by the officers of Stevens county,
when the records of the proceedings Of the
enacting board show that the assessment
was adopted upon the recommendation Of
Big Stone county officials. Now rs the
Star sees gouge it cannot but lay it right
where it belongs, not on Stevens but on the
officials of their own county. In speaking
of gouging, the reckless inconsistency of
the Star is alas too evident, for although
its contemporary was duly designated as
the official paper by the only competent
authority, yet its managers had the sublime
cheek to make double publication of the
tax-list without the least shadow OF any le-
gal right, and then present bill for the
same amounting to nearly 500. Their
solicitude lest the county should be
''gouged" is hence so hypocritical, and
their brazen impudence in charging upon
innocent parties abroad, the commission
of crimes committed by the members OF
their own ring, is SO glaringly apparent In
the face Of their own attempted steal, that
there is no fair or candid minded individ-
ual but will agree with us when We natur.