The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-12-21

iail in ''lortics," which the North west
crn Democrat, has made so much ado
! abouts, contributes to this end. As
proof oftho salutary effect Of these high
fees, and assessing in "fcgtes." | will
simply say that the advertisement of the
tax sale of 1859 comprised less taan ha!f
tie number Of acres Of land that arers
odverfised IN 1853. Another year will
show = still greater gain; for especial
pains is taken by the county and town
| officers to inform non residents of the dis
I advantage, under tn, present law, of al
| loving their taxes to remain unpaid.
There was another point where you
differed with the majority in the Board
4 on the printing question, and that was in
regard to assessment rolls. You under
took to tie my hands as your crowd tied
! theu3 last year, with liability to the same
results. / confess | made little speech
on this question While the law Of
i 1859 requires the clerk to furnish the rolls
! and holds him responsible for them
thought it fair that the clerk should not be
trammeied. Last year the Board gave
the rolls by contract to particular office
and left me no discretion in the matter,
and the consequence was that tho rolls
were not ready in four weeks after they
were due. Some of the assessors in fact
| did not receive their rolls at all; and
those who did cot them, spent moro time
| than the rolls were worth running to the
county scst-to say nothing of shoe leath-
| or.
Every one OF the second sot ofrol!s had
be taken to pieces and bound over at the
expense Of the county, to make them suit
abe for permanent USE. Besides owing
to dc!aysin Il cir reminding. l had but
a lmitel time in the fall to copy and cor
rect the assessments paid fifty dollars
for assistance that | could have done
without if had got up the rolls myself;
and how many errors may be found in
them in consequence of thus being hard
| pushed for time do not know.
For these causes, yea, verify, made
little speech, and yon may sneer at the
clerks taking that liberty if YOU choose.
The Board saw it was right to leave the
clerk in q matter of this importance, and
acted accordingly; and hence another
reason for your "trip to Sparta" The
r,lIs will ccst probably al ont fifty dollars
and this item in the business of the
Board is all tie grouedyo have for say
ing the Board gave me "the entire con-
trol ofthc public purse
You say l seemed delighted with the
general proceedings Of the Board. 1
,0os, and took no pains to conceal it. |
have watchad you fellows from year to
year, and hnow your traps and schemes
! las GOV. Randall said Of Barstow) as veil
as if id made you, and, after the efforts
YOU made to form the character of the
COUNTY Board at the spring election, l
was delighted to see that the Board was
composed of men whom YOU could not
buy, Tighten or bamboozIe. l tell you
frankly, it is cause for delight, when q
county officer who is trying to do his du-
ty faithfully and fairly, observes such
indications as that Board gavs that the
|
Yoa can get up no quarrel between the
members of the Board and myself by
tauntjng them with being under my d.
rcction. In matters in which officers
have duty and interest mutually with
the Board, you may affect to see an i'm
propriety IN an officer furnishing inferma-
ton when desired; but your chagrin is
not to be wondered 81; for
No rogue Ger felt thchalter draw,
With good opinion "lthe law!'
A county officer sometimes has duties
to perform not expressly laid down in the
stnutes. If he detects a burglar making
preparations to operate eli the county
poperty, shield he say to himself that ;
mono Of my business-let him proceed !?
OF coure Mt! Neither did | feel indif-
ttrent when Your clique in the Board set
your traps aud covered them up SO fine.
saw that if sue ,essful YOU would bring
trouble upon the county that you would
be clad to hold the Republican members
of the Bo:ri responsible for. | realized
also that the county officers would come
in for the largest share Of the blame, and
thought it my proper privilege to help
spring your traps. With the exception
Of the assessment rolls and also the de-
faIcat,on matter lin which | was one of
the commissioners appointed by the
Board to make settlement.) made no
speeches Butt give you good notice
that whenever YOU proceed stealthiIy to
dig pits for county officers and the Rep
ublican party in this county to fall into,
you viii meet lions in your path. Take
a Il Mt from this, and net reasonably hear
after
Now let us look Mt some other matters
in the proceedings of the Board, PROV ncs
of the Board, proving what | stated in
the outset to be the Democratic policy
Your crowd labored nightly to have the
printing all done by contract, but there
was the fuel, lights and stationery for the
county officers that you never mentioned.
That was OF no account in your estima-
ton, although it makes quite as large al
item as the incidental printing will be
likely to amount to. 1t was left for q
Republican Supervisor to mention theidea
of economy in this branch of expenditure