Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-09-18
FOR the GRAFT County Herald.
Takes and Taxation.

sum OF S0,SS3,O9. ana they are general
" Of the same character of those before re-
Eerrcd to. Thus it will be seen that the
specific appropriations made last winter a.
mount TO Sl76,768,37. That is the sum
total Of the incidental expenses of our State
Government, Bear in mind that this does
not embrace the fixed appropriations for
paying the salary of our Governor, Judges,
Legislature, Except the extra allowance
giyen to certain members of the latter no.
norable body J and Administrative officers.
All Of these officers are paid pursuant to
The provisions Of the Constitution and GER
tain acts of the Legislature to carry into
effect these provisions. So if you wish
to get at the expenses Of our State Co
yerenment for the past year, add to the re-
gular, proper and necessary expense
whatever they may be--the above sum of
sl76,76S, and you will have them. Isup-
rose the regular expenses of the Govern
a0ent i.,e., what was paid to the Legisla-
ture for per diem, mileage Of members, to
the @sdges, Executive and Administrative
officers, will not fall short Of $4,000. Now
sir, Venture the assertion that ifall unneces-
sary Offices were abolished and the State go
r-Ternment economically NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Z tered, that its entire expenses wo'd notexceed
100000. That would be ample to keep
up our State government. But, of course,
the army Of hungry, idle, loafng politi-
clans, who now look to the public treasury
for support, would have to procure a living
in some other manner. Our taxes would
be reduced to something near what they
should be. There could be no such squan-
dcmng Of money as there was last winter
And sir, let me observe, that if we could
only arouse the people to the vital necessi-
tv of selecting honest, upright men for Of
flee, we would soon be relieved from ma
ny of the burthens and evils under which
we now labor. We have the means Of re-
dress and correction in our own hands,
VIII we use them? Time will determine.
But, sir, let us look into this pamphlet Of
laws. On page 10 You will find So, $685.
50 appropriated for postage of members of
the Senate and Assembly, from January
10Th to March 18th. The Legislature con-
tinucd its session nearly a month longer,
and probably run up the postage bill to
$4,000. The principal part Of this was
paid out for postage on trash that the
members sent home to their constituents.
say it is trash, and it deserves nc better
name. have never been to the Legisla-
ture, but think l understand how this
thing is smoothed over and made to
appear very plausible and fair In the
first place a large number of newspapers
are voted for each member And why {?
in order to keep them well posted up on
the news Of the day? Perhaps that may
be the reason, but it hardly occurs to US
when eccting our member that we are 60
ing to send him to Madison to read the
papers. It may be, 1t as sad, in support
of this newspaper abuse, that they are dis
trbuted among the people to give them
information Of what is doing in the Legis-
tire. All, yes how these chaps love the
dear people. But do they not know that
most Of us take our own papers and pay
Tor them! And if any of us happen to be
so very poor that we can't afford to take
some cheap paper, do our names appear
upon the list of the favored ones? 1t is
not difficult to answer that question. And
those Of us that do get these papers are
none the wiser for them. They answer
one purpose, that is all to show that we
are not forgotten by our member, who has
been absent from us month or so. I
submit however, whether this amount of
postage, and probably double $4,000, paid
ior the papers themselves, does not render
these membranes rather dear. Suppose
we suggest to our members whom we may
choose to send to Madison next winter, that
We are willing to dispense with these little
tavors If BY so doing, we can save ourselves
$4,000 taxes. You will give us all the
official reports worth printing and all the
proceedings of the Legislature worth read
ING, won't YOU? You see [ am in earnest
Tor retrenchment and reform. don't want
the State to pay for newspapers, or cleo
toneering documents, or anything Of that
sort. That it does do it now, and that
too, to the amount of several thousand dol
lars, can't be successfully denied. So down
with this abuse And | don't desire to
see any more such appropriations as this
$500 to Gen. VIM. r. Smith for compiling
documentary history of Wisconsin. If the
Legislature thinks Gen. VIM. r. Smith
should receive $500, or any sum from the
State as a pension, let it be given accor
dinghy Let the title to the act tell that
!: is for pension and nothing else. But
this employing man at the expense o.
the State, to write its history, is one of the
most transparent humbugs of the day.
know that he has ostensibly been thus en-
ployed for some time, but that don't make
it right, 1t is gross misapplication o
public funds, to characterize it by no stron
ger term. 1t should be stopped at once
The experiment, [ think, originated here
of employing man to write history O
tee State, at its expense, and the success;
attending it thus far, will not recommend
livery strongly to other States. l have
read Observation-Disclosures employed
usually to write the history of prince, but
they are only found in royal governments
and in Wisconsin. suggest we dispense
with ours. If we do not, want a Poe
Laureate. If we are really going into the
imitation of kingly governments, let us be
respectable, and 90 the whole figure.