Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-03-12
Respectfully,
Albert Smith
Communication.
Editor, Reporter and Farmer:

Editor, Reporter and Farmer:
Please accord me a little space in
which to answer an unwarranted attack
in the Webster World maue on me by
one, Lars Boland. say presumably"
because the article bears his name but
when say that believe the article to
have been written by some one else,
speak advisedly because / have known
the gentlemen several years.
He says that "took him aside" to
tell him that the high taxes of 1907 were
chargeable to the Crawford administrl-
ton and then tells you that / lied and
says they are not higher. What rot?
Having personal acquaintance with
Mr.. Bolland and knowing his socialistic
tendencies, and knowing that no amount
of facts or argument however good and
sound, could change his ideas on fanny
assume that would take him confiden-
TALLY aside and try to argue the matter
with him. The Creator himself might
reasonably hesitate before he undertook
such a task. have had the pleasure of
discussing at divers times with Mr..
Bolland nearly all topics from politics to
religion aud know that he is not amen
able to reason, in short, he can not be
fair in an argument. Knowing from
experience what kind of man / had o
deal with, it is an insult to what little
intelligence / possess to think that
would try to change his views in any
respect
The truth of the matter is this. Mr..
Bollard came down to pay his taxes. /
made out his receipts and took his
money. He then began to roar about
the high taxes and asked me why his
taxes were higher this year than last
year. / told him that the increase in
taxes in Day countg this year over 1906
was about 22,000, and that of this
amount sl5 900 was state taxes, 81 600
was county taxes and the rest local taxes
in the different townships, cities and
school districts, and that of the $4,000
increase in state taxes, 81, ZOO was for
Irvine plant. / did not "take him aside"
to tell him this but talked to him over
the counter and through the grating
and told him only because he asked me,
and told him the truth for which he
very promptly got angry and very likely
reported the matter to one of the Craw-
fordites in Webster and was told what
course to pursue. Should / have told
him that the taxes were no higher than
last year or should have told him that
it was due to the mild winter we are
having, or should / have told him the
stalwarts were responsible for it?
Either of these statements would have
been falsehood.
He then rushes into print with an
article prepared for him on the same
lines along which Howard Hudson was
coached trying to prove that 1907 was
lower than 1905 and 1908 don't sup
pose he could find his receipts for 1904
and 1906 nor guess what they would be
for 1908 II he will dig up all his
receipts and have little figuring done
for him he will zee where he comes out.
He has been mlsled by someone when
he calls me a liar because / have not
lied to any person on the tax PROPOSE
ton. do not want to be harsh with
Mr.. Bollond and apply the same epithet
to him that he did to me because,
firstly. his statements on that PROPOSE.
ton carry no weight even among his
neighbors who know him thoroughly;
secondly. because 1t is altogether too
apparent that this article emanated
from insurgent headquarters and while
lit may have his signature even that is
problematical; and thirdly, it is not
gentlemanly.
A. g. Panlsen,
Deputy County Treasurer.