Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-10-28
A Second DANIEL Come to Judgment.
From the Bay City Tribune.

An article appeared IN yesterdays
Call headed "Hatch Totally Incapable"
which was evidently written by the "le-
gal editor" and which is such tissue Of
falsehOOds wilfully penned for the, sole
purpose of deceiving that we may well
call particular attention thereto.
The article says that Mr.. Hatch was
one of the members of the tax commits
sion and authors of the new tax law;
that judicial proceeding is provided
for in this law, but that instead OF pro-
viding flor personal service Of process
| by the sheriff, it provides for bringing
parties into court by publication, and
that no one ever heard of bringing any
but nOn-residents into court in this man
ner; and besides, that Mr.. Hatch could
not give the circuit court jurisdiction to
"wrangle about tax of ten cents"
when the constitution declares that its
jurisdiction shall in no case be exercis-
| ed unless at least one hundred dollars
be in controversy; that the law is a
"QnixOtic" adventure in legislation, and
| will cost the state vast amount OF
money.
Oh, Andrew Chesterfield You, pro-
| Tossing to be a disciple of Blackstone
and yet do not know that the statutes
of this state have always provided for
bringing resident as welllas nonresident
defendants into court by publication;
and that frequently this method is re-
sorted to and is nothing new in practice.
You would have all the delinquent tax
payers brought in by the sheriff You
would have the sheriff trotting all over
| the county and the state, so that his
| travelling fees at 10 cents per mile and
| service fees besides, would make him
rich at the expense of the tax payers
Let us see, Andrew, how you would
legislate in the interests of the people!
You would send the sheriff to Detroit to
serve papers upon tax payer and here
would be the sheriffs bill for such SER
vices:
| To serving papers .................. .$ 70
To ITO miles travel at 10 cents per
| mile. ..........t.... ................... III w
Total. .......................... .$1l rs
this would he the bill:
To 300 miles travel at 10 cents per mile. 30 90
| Total. $U 10
Or if the taxpayer resided in one of
the northern townships of this county
this would be the bill:
I0serving process. .;,....$ 70
| TOTAL ..................yo 10
While under the tax law of which Mr..
Hatch was lone of the authors" the er-
penSe could not IN any case erceed thirty
| cents.
| What a statesman you would make
and how you would legislate in the in
terests of the dear people! You would
give the sheriff from JaUe to thirty dol
lars for doing what Mr.. Hatch says can
be as we'll done for thirty cents.
Why, Andre,u If you were in Congress
for two years you would bankrupt the
nation.
And now let us look at your state
ment: "The circuit court wrangling
about a tax of 10 cents when the con-
stitutiOn declares that its jurisdiction
shall in no case be exercised unless at
least 800 be In controversy" 1t Is to
be regretted that your Indifference as to
| the truth of your statements should be
carried into Journalism. You should al
ways be candid when you undertake to
write newspaper articles.
The fact is the constitution declares no
such thing and you kneW it did not.
Why then, did you say that it did?
Are you, or is your organ wilfully false
| inestatement about man your superior
in every respect?
You; aspiring to represent the people
of this district in Congress, resOrting to
such methods! Shame on you'll
The constitution expressly gives to
the legislature, the power to prescribe
the jurisdiction. of circuit courts. I'm
der this power the legislature has fire.
uuently given the circuit court jurisdic-
ton where the amount in chancery was
far under one hundred dollars. The
beech and vessel law is an instance.
Hundreds of suits were commenced in
the circuit court Of this county where
the amount claimed was but few dol
lars, and you, yourself, both brought and
defended such actions, as the records
will show.
The fact is that you cannot success
fully assail Mr.. Hatch so long as you
confne yourself to the truth. The ac-
tion Of MIR. Hatch and his associates, in
drafting this tax law, shows statesman
ship of the highest order of ability-as
q careful examination of tits provisions
will prove; and its passage by a legisla-
ture at first hostile to the revision,
shows the influence and ability of its
authors in open debate, converting as
they did, what at first was an opposition
majority into warm advocates of the
scheme.
No. Andrew! The tax commissioners
are too strong even for you to attack.
Judge Moore, q leading Democrat and a
lawyer of acknowledged ability, was the
chairman of that commission and voted
and worked for the passage of the bill;
there were other able lawyers, members
of the commission and members of the
senate and house, who also voted for 1t,
and their opinions and votes are entitled