Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-12-20

by writing the Auditor-General. In
fact, the list in this county has been
in the hands Of number of the tax
title spectators in this city for many
months, and the most desirable de-
scriptions have been taken.
The very manner of the publica
ton of the list clearly shows that the
object was to benefit needy party tools
more than to expose in a business-like
economical way, the list of lands held
by the State from tax sales to persons
likely to desire them for an invest.
ment. Take for instance this county
where the paper selected for this ben.
eft was the Banter. 1t is the least
desirable medium for such an adver.
tisement of any paper in the county
1t is printed in the Dutch language
and very few of its readers have mon
ey to invest in tax titles and n law
suit. There was not one single thing
to commend that paper to the Audi
tor-General for the publication of that
list, save only that it was a hungry
Republican organ.
But if there was IN honest object
in making the list of lands public,
why was such publication awarded to
favorite newspapers at the enormous
price of 40 cents description? We
know that under the law number
of newspapers promised to publish
the list at % cents a description in
their several counties. These offers
have been ignored, and the extra price
arbitrarily given out Of the State
Treasury to party fayorites. We say,
this cost of advertising comes out of
the State, and is not returned upon
the sale of the land. The law says:
"The cost of publication shall not exceed
forty cents description, and shall be paid
from the proceeds of the sale of the lands,
on the warrant of the Auditor-General, on
proof satisfactory to him that the publica-
ton has been properly made
1t must be noticed that the cost of
this publication is not added to the
investment the State already has in
the lands, but is paid out of the pro-
ceeds of the sale and is an additional
expense to the State without any re-
turn.
There can be no proper character
ization of this law but to call it a
steal, an enormous and shameful Re-
publican steal amounting to at least
100000 Think of it, taxpayers, just
at this time when your State taxes are
due, when wheat is 80 cents bushel,
when wages are low, when labor is in
greater supply than the demand
think Of an obscure, unimportant,
starving party organ in each county
drawing from the taxes in the State
Treasury sums ranging from $500 to
81, 800 for publishing a list of land
that in fair competition with all pa
pers could have been published for
less than half that cost, and in fact
that need not have been published at
all.
If this was an ordinary sale of
lands for taxes, where the cost of pub
LEGATION would attach to the land, the
case would be different. But this is a
publication Of list of land the State
already has exposed for sale and
knocked down to itself, which land it
offers "to any person." upon applica-
ton therefor at the office of the Au-
ditor-General, and upon paying the
State Treasurer, on the certificate of
the Auditor General, the total amount
of the original taxes levied upon such
land for all the years for which the
same has been sold to the State for
the payment of taxes, and for which
the State now holds said lands, with
interest at seven per cent. from the
date Of the return and without other
charge" AS the law subsequently
states the cost of this publication for
which we are speaking is paid out of
the proceeds of the sale" and is not
added to the price of the lands as the
same stands to the State at tax sale.
For this outrageous job, this bare
faced steal, the taxpayers of the State
should determine to administer last
ing rebuke to the Republicans who
have been ruling Michigan with a
high hand under the assurance that
"any Republican could carry Michi-
gam" They supposed themselves as
Stealing in castle, cock sure" but
the last election has given them
warning that their career is nearly
run. Gov. Begole is the forerunner
of an entire change and q needed re-
form.