Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-01-06
FREE rRApE-.wooD MEASURING.

FREE TRADE---wooD MEASURING.
The people of Milwaukee for many DAYS past
have been having a great little excitement on the
principle of the Erie difficulty.
1t seems that the demand for fire-wood has been
greater than the supply, the same as it is in our
goodiy city of Kenosha and the sellers, though
nominaly offering wood at the same price as here
tofore, have lessened the quantity in load to
meet the exigency of the case Whereupon the
City in the hope of compelling people to put big
loads ON their wagons, passed an ordinance ap-
pointing Commissioner to measure fire-wood.
and making it Unable offence to sell without a
certificate of measurement from the Commission
er' The people who have heretofore sold wood
by the cord" or "load, just as they would hay.
straw, or manure, could see nothing but tyranny
i'll this, and rebelled. The City Press came to the
rescue, made great cry over the knavery of wood
sellers the necessity of protecting the poor, of the
justice and need of the ordinance and of the duty
of officers to see it enforced. Accordingly a poor
German has been prosecuted, tried, the jury dsa-
greed, tried again, and found guilty and the suit
has been appealed to the Circuit Court.
We expected to see the Sentinel, in this case, as
in all similar cases where it supposes itself affect
ed IN the same way, espouse the side of claw and
order but we are disappointed in seeing the Free
Democrat urge so strenuousy the righteousness of
the law.
Why not urge the enforcement of the bank law
which forbids the passing of small notes 1t may
not be the reason but the fact is before the ewes of
every printer, that was this law enforced, just now
there would be very few ones and tuos to pay for
subscription and advertising and those who might
have little money would not buy the paper which
urged such enforcement. Would these papers, if
they were wood choppers, drawers, and sellers,
feel about this ordinance just as they do now No
unjust reflections are intended by these questions,
but the subject should be looked at from all sides
The ordinance is violent oppression upon nat
ural right, and is considered by all outside OF
the influence of personal interest What right has
any power TO dictate to me how l shah sell my
potatoes, whether by the bushcl barrel, load, oil
acre As well this as wood, and as we'll straw
corn-staks, and brush fence If one desired &c
! purchase hundred loads of manure of another
how would it sound to propose law that it could
4
principle is precisely the same.
All such laws arc bad in that they confound
truth with ftlsehood, law with tyranny, and there
by weaken the force of all legal restraint. The
laborcr who chops his wood, takes it to town, and
sells it TO the first man who offers him so much fol
the load, and then is prosecuted, and made to pay
fine of double what he gets for it, and in de-
fault of his being able to do so, is committed to
JAIL can have no respect for law. lie hates it. in
stead and wants to fight and will even do a wrong
for revenge for the wrong done him. And as il
wcakcns his respect for law, SO it confounds the
judgement, and good law is despised because a
bad law is an oppression,
/ The law is an oppression and an evil in anotheI
way. 1t is rightful and democratic principle that
taxes should be assessed upon the property of the
country. But this law subverts all this. It's no.
torious that wood-choppers as general thing, rs
well us wood drawers and sellers, are po0r-among
the poorest of farmers and farm aborcrs. Yet the
City demands Of them tax of six or twelve cents
Oh every load of wood they bring to it, while the
richer man, who sells wheat, pork, beef, horses,
cattle, SC, is compelled to pay 10 such tax. 1t
is unequal, and instead of taxing property, taxes
persons, and those of the poorer class.
Besides all this, it will do no good, and will not
touch the evil desired to remedy. The large ma
jority viii evade the ordinance, and those who can
not, will raise their price p.