The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-08-20
AN UNJUST RAISE.
A Spencer Brook Correspondent
Takes the Isanti County Com
misSiOners to Task for
Raising ID. M. ClOugh's
Assessments.

Raising ID. nj. ClOugh'S
Assessment.
SPENCER Brook, Aug. 5, 1891.
EDITOR UNION: The action of
the board Of county commissioners
Of Isanti county, in raising Hon.
D. NJ. Clough's assessment On per-
sonal property $1,000 is ssverly
criticized by the people Of this
vicinity. In the first place, the
town assessor, Benjamin MeKen-
zie, assessed Mr.. Clough's, live
stock about 40 per cent. higher
than that Of any other resident of
the town. The town board of re-
view made some slight alterations,
raised the assessors figures on Mr..
Clough's cattle, and now our
county fathers have added 81, 900
on top Of that. Mr.. Clough has
spent a great deal OF money in this
town during the past 10 months in
improving the old homestead to
which he is deeply attached; he
has given employment to a good
many men and he has made an ex-
| cellent market for feed stuff. Last
winter, here in Spencer Brook, we
paid more than Princeton prices
for feed stuff. Why? Because
Clough's ranch furnished a home
market for every surplus bushel of
corn, oats and rye raised in this
vicinity. To be sure, Mr.. Clough
has invested heavily in blooded
cattle, horses, etc., but no sane
man thinks for a moment that
these animals are a source of pro-
fit to Mr.. Clough at present, nor
will they be profitable for years to
come. At the same time the
blooded animals will be of immense
benefit to the farmers of Spencer
Brook and Isanti county. The
man that introduces blooded bull
or a thoroughbred horse into a
community is public benefactor,
and his enterprise should be appre-
ciated; he should not be taxed to
death because Of his public-spirit-
edness. Last spring I was talking
with Mr.. Clough about our lack of
good stallion here, and told him
we were too poor to invest in
La good horse. He immedi-
ately answered, II will send up a
good horse, and the farmers can
have the use of him for a nominal
consideration" Mr.. Clough was
as good as his word, and the horse
was sent. In my opinion, it
would be good public policy to
exempt that horse from taxation
altogether for a couple of years.
I believe in taxing rich and poor
alike, but I do not believe in heap
ing outrageously high taxes on an
individual who is doing more to
promote the material interests of
Isanti county than any other ten
men within it's boundaries, more
especially when he does not reap
one cent of benefits sinking
money in fact. MI. Clough has
repeatedly informed me that he
did not expect to make any money
out of his farm; he would be per-
fectly satisfied if in the course Of
a few years he could make
it self-sustaining. But there is
not much inducement for a man to
squander his money for the benefit
of others in a county where enter
prise and public-spirit is not ap-
preciated. In your county, I will
venture the assertion that, the own
ers of blooded cattle are better ap-
preciated.
This letter is not written for the
purpose Of engendering any hard
feeling or creating any discussion.
We, in the western portion of
Isanti county, are pleased to have
Mr.. Clough identified with our
material interests. We know he
has helped us great deal, and we
want him to continue to help us,
but ] know the man too well to
know that he will not submit to
any ininstica in tha matter IF tax