The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-03-10
An open Letter to
Patrick O'Brien.

a sUlrr Tie present NlfiuuEtihNhk ~ '''"F
it, owa business aud not TO meddle 10
The affairs 81 outside townships. we
lmvc repeatedly refused 70 give sphee ~
our columns TO PERSONS from other
townships Tor the purpose Of roasting
Others they differ with. The letter
whnh appears below il IN space pur
c.,nsed by the writer the same AZ any
advertiser our only interest % ne.
matter being 10 ect tbat no objection
able matter arpeafs inlt
Sla:--ln "A resent number 81 Your
pallor vun take 1t upon Anutsth y"
ctiiieise the township board ~ me
township al From BiNef N"pJnI
nbjcets 10 criticism bat wAeh sou
crIlItisc on Nmy subject you nhouli n'S,
state the snnlccl lnliiuly anu no'
seek bv Implication TO convey of I'm
part alneanpg that - not ""lf'h'e"
Nv the tIglGsaction.
OruinarilyI would treat your assaults
win that silent contempt that theA
deserve, as tie object you have IN view
- yell known to everybody, but sihc'
YOU see ut 60 pour the NidlS oil youi
wrath on another member ol the board
,yTo IN not 80 FAMILIAR WITH your
methods as myseli will endety'r u
nllpw that your statements AMI REASON
nlg ale not very consistent 10 say thr
lehSt You, personally are wen aWart
81 the object OF calling that meeting Dnl
for the b.neht Of others Who dp no
SNOW / will state the REASONS, when az
az follows;
Aan regular session 81 the circuit
court was TO convene on tebrunty l9th
.n,l as the township OF Iron Kr,r was
confronted with three suits then on tlit
calendar al that session u betAint
aDDnrent early IA the mouth that ~
would be necessary Tor lhs protection 81
tn TOWNSHIPS q le; an attorney -
nAndie those suits IA court. 10 lee i'h
"a attorney TO protect tie interests Oh the
lnwns.iip was the object OF calling tlial
IN cting IL the tow ship hoard az That
particular time and other biii, which
mad been previously haudcd 10 Inc
board wele brought up luf consider
alton. Tie three suits were aS loiloMr'
A maudanius suit, as injunction SUIT
and - suit against the cN-tchsuief an"
bOndsmen lne nandamus was CON
nrnred caily Inst summer DY Morrison
IL Willmms Tor the purpose ~ compel
ing Tie supervisor To- spfead about
500. 90 az township orders on the las
ioli. | hAdliIQuiCd into The Situ0tlon
81 the township ana hat been lnIOimlu
that there misht bt an proObhly WAS
betwccu $4,000 90 and Slo,DOO.OO
standing out against the township ~
,dl toWhShIp orders. | did not think
then and do not think now that the
iismts ul Morrison 4 Williams aie any
better than the rights al any othel
person Whatever. considered thrn
and consider nov that II the orders OF
MORRISON q Williams were allowed TO
b. placed on the tax roll that every
every person holding TOWNSHIP" orders
would apply for the same remedy with
the results Tint the township would be
called upon 10 pay it's entire indebted
ness ln ono year Nrll Knowing that
the taxpayers Oi Iron River tONuship
were unnblc 20 pay Il township tax OF
100000 OF SlJ, 10000 10 amy one
year ~ addition t. tn regular ttafly
tnArr HEY arc called upon To pay, | le-
sisted the mandamus suit and ~ order
TO resist the tie inaudamus. 'liecttycly
IL was necessary to employ AT attorney
aud M order tO employ an attorney u
WINS nee sSliy 70 lee hiin and ~ order
10 Zee hnn It WIS necessary TO issue hih
a township order since % Is NIL the town
ship hns Co give at liCseat, Ills brought
us TO the meeting al tie township board
anu =. ~ llslA ia VI Hh-'ff q" 80 49,
opposed TIA paNment vi aIy Zee what
ever, for I'M. "a ans other purpose.
Cons, qucntiy your pusrion must bc
that The taxpayers should bc compelled
10 pay this burden Ol $4,000 % OF
Sl5UOO.OO, this year or next ycli at
the latest You viii notice Patrick
that / refer To taxpayers not tax
dodg,rs ns tnNdOieets are not
troubled with taxes any year, they
always llud i way D 1t. 4 lie Injunction
suit was brought e. prulnbit inc town
ship board from paying any expenses
or Gusts in a suit then pending ng tiust
the toAnslnp treasurer amt about io hc
appealed from tie decision 81 the circuii
court to the supreme court. His suit
was originally brought on ~ tile
trct,sulc making ian cliolt 10 collect lie
pelronhly property tax Oi the Buckeye
Stavc Co As the toN n-hlp wussliuatcd,
thu extra expense 81 gettlug an opinion
from the supreme court WAS very little
about SO 90, aud as the question IN
VOlved II u great Importance TO the
township ut ihe present time and also
.ga ~ guide Tor The iulure u WIS deemed
,lc4irihle "a have IL settled iDr all tliuc.
! did not consider TINT tie injunction
proceedings were brought n gOud ilith
The three PERSONS VINO mnle the APP
pllcaiiOn lnr TOE ilhhtIiou Hii'-ti W "
thy we're p,ss scu ul SlO,uuU taxable
property which il more Than they
pretended TO ave when the assessment
WAS helng made. Assuming that the
rate OF p1r crntage W pub be tlicj same
next year ~ the present NeRr Their
burden OF the extra custs wO;'lsl 5c less
than saventy-liyc cents NOW, the
usual .fcn that an attorney requires
for handling a case in court Is $1,000 at
least 10 does not rycm reitsniahle
that shlewd, sagaciou- business men
would ply out $500 in cash Tor TIC
prospective saving az - ceui~, this -
not the Kind 81 business u.unllg done
10y those Same ncn ! rather took ct
tnat the Injunction WIS brought iur the
purpose ui heading uii the appeal -and
thereby preventing the township getting
the benefit oi a q cisiun rom the
supreme court.
Now Co Prevent the township from
paying ITS expenses o. Io prevent the