The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-09-14
Maudlin Virtue.

"These same Republican retrenchers
have increased the cost of advertising the
delinquent tax list to $l,0O per quarter
section or 81, for every block of sixteen
lots; the Democrat offered to do it for
one ftih less; but Shanghnis must be
supported by the taxpayers.
Oh! shame where is thy blush. Dem
ocrdt.
Did YOU not know, Bro. Wise, that
there is such thing as being too gratut-
Gus and unnecessarily mean. Don't YOU
think you have overstepped the proper
| boundary in the article from which the
above is extracted. True, the rate of .d
vertising has been increased from 10 to
25cts description, whether that descri p
ton be of 40 acres or sing le village los
Now how came the price of this and 9th
er legal advertising to be raised. About
year ago there was State Convention
| Of Publishers and Editors at Madison, at
which the greater part of the fraternity,
both Democrats and Republicans were
present. That Convention resolved usoa
io,ousiy that the price fixed for legal
| printing was unjustly low, and a commit
tee was appointed to attend the next SEES
sion of the legislature and strive to pro-
cure the passage Of an act, increasing the
price # such printing. The Legislature
very wisely passed such an act, and it was
approved by all the State Press, as an act
of simple justice to printers, but you, be-
cause you did not get the tax list to pub
l.sh, must sheer at "Republican retrench-
ers.n Does not such conduct very close
" resemble that of the half frozen snake
we read of in the fable, who being warm
ed by the good farmers fire, very meanly
| poisoned the hand that cherished him.
| But Bro. Wise there is lower depth
of editorial depravity than this, revealed
in that brief extract we have quoted.
You remember there was a Convention
If the editors of the St. Croix Valley nj
Hudson, last Spring. don't you! You
| know we met at the Star office and had -
good time, and you gave an address at the
Court House, full of commandments and
| noble sentiments. You remember too,
among other business transacted at that
Convention, rates of advertising were fix
ed, and we al agreed to faithfully abide
by them. You knew what the legal price
was for publishing the delinquent tax list,
and you in common with the rsst of us,
| pledged your honor as man and editor
to do no legal ! rinting for less than legal
rates. Yet you say, ''the Democrat Of
fee offered te>do it for one fin less," and
YOU tell the truth in that sentence, surely.
| Before the tax list left the Treasurer's
hands you offered to publish it for five cts
| a description less than legal rates. What
| does This mean when put beside your
agreement at Hudson? As you are
lawyer YOU can frame the answer.
| Now solemnly and sorrowfully Mr..
| Wise, who would have thought that you
would not only have violated your pledg
ed honor, but boastingly published that vi
Chattanooga, whom we thought to be tho
! soul of honor-you, the apostle and
prophet of Progress-you. whose great
soul has been as restless under its weight
of virtuous philanthropy as tabled ENcEI-
ADUs was under the weight of Ktna,-
you, who long for the reign of truth and
virtue as winter pinched and halfstarved
cattle long for grass-who, we say would
have thought it.
No wonder you ask-"Oh! shame
where is thy blush"
We would not be unfriendly, Mr.. Wise
If when we visit your city of Prescott to-
morrow to attend the County Fair, you
shall extend to us your dexter hand, our
digits shall receive it with cordial grasp.
II, further, you should invite us, (as we
! hope you WILLY TO take friendly glass of
lager, or some other mi Il and temperate
LIQUID, we shall not refuse, but shall &C.
ouiesce with the very sweetest resignation
| But still, Bro. Wise, TIE conviction for
ces itself upon our mind. that if that Mil
Tennium for which You are watching and
working, should suddenly dawn upon us.
you would find yourself as unfit to rejoice
in its triumphs and enjoy is g'o.ies, as
the sluggish oyster is to share in the ex-