Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-10-28
SOME STRAIGHT TIPS.
To the Fall River Countv yo.ers:-

10 the Fall River County Vo.ers:-.
The opposition to the republican
party i'll this county seem to be trying
to make capital against ID. G. Grippen
and w. III. Stanley, at present respec.
lively county commissioner and county
auditor, because ATTACHMENTS have been
made of taxes, because interest upon
taxes has been abatedan in some cases
a part of the tax itself. Examination
of the records will show that the small
Ter property owner of the county have
enjoyed this abatement as we'll US the
larger, that the nla from the country
has been benefited as we'll as the man
from town. In most of the cases, it
can be easily seen that the abatement
is right and just and proper. In the
first place Mir. Stanley takes no part in
the action of the county commission
ers. Gully in Il clerical capacity. The
records will also show that the county
commissioners voted for these meas
ures regardlesa of politics-the demo.
cratic members voting for them as we'll
as the republican members. The state
ment of Mr.. Grippen, which will be
found elsewhere in these colu mns
explains tho cause of many
OF these ATTACHMENTS. Another
cause is found in the fact that
the taxes having accumulated upon a
piece of property for years and having
become more than the value of the
property, it a good business meth
DDS to cut the tax down to where the
owners would pay up rather than
abandon the land. But in some cases
a person who is unacquainted with the
facts might think too great a reduc-
ton had been made or that a bad pre-
cedent had been set. DO you, Mr..
Voter, want to know the inside facts!
We will tell you. You Shall know the
circumstances. When counties are
young aud officials + inexperienced,
mistakes are apt to occur. In the ear.
ly history of this county mistakes did
occur in the assessment and levy of
taxes. even as far as up TO the year
lS94, mistakes which rendered the tax
III some years partially and in some
years wholly void and Liable to be set
aside. Lawyers in the county knew of
this. One lawyer hunted up all the
facts and induced several property
owne-s OF the county 10 fight against
the collection of the tax and succeeded
in securing the decisions of the courts
20 the effect th.s the tax in certain
years was partially invalid and in 9th.
els was all invalid. lie took these cas-.
e' OH II coatigens fec. That is, if he
lost the casc, he charged nothing: il be
won he rot half ORA certain share OF
WHAT he saved To his client. That is, il
lie beat Il tax f i aoliar. his client was
TO pay him fifty cents. For every two
dollars that Fall River. county lost be
cause OF suit. his lswyel gained one
Now. other property owners who had
no. begun suit came TO the board o!
comfy commissioners and said to
item i'll substance, iii you will cut oul
tax II Two, ii you will abate to us the
interest on our tax and part of tho tax
itself. we will pay the fax right up tc
date. bui if yon will not do this, then
We will ga to this lawyer and he will
bring suit 10 beat the tax aud you will
get nothing What would you have
done, Nj. Voter, il you had been one
oil The commissioners or had been adj
visi..g the commissioners? You would
have done just what was done, know
ing that the courts would back Up the
suit, you would have done the best you
could for the county under the cir
cumstances and taken what you could
get. Half a loaf is better than none.
But this is not all. This lawyer has