Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-08

From the Wisconsin State Journal
The school FHnd---M enstroHs Falsebsods of
the C0ppaFheais.


HE sehooI EHnd... MenstFous faiseheods of
the CoppeFheads.
The home organ Of e. l. palmer. the Mil
Waukee Aelos, is resorting to the most mon
strous falsehoods in order to defend his course
IN voting against the law for investing the
school fund in the bonds of the State
That measure was intended to accomplish
two objects: lst, to secure a more safe in
Festment OF the school fund I'd, to replenish
the general fund, and enable the State TO pay
promptiytand regularly the aid which it had
pledged TO volunteers
1t was opposed by Fl. L. PALMER and his
associates for two reasons, each intensely and
WlckedlY partizan in its nature. He was al
ready, at that time, laying his plans to secure
the object of his ambition, the possession of
the gubernatorial chair. If by any means he
could succeed in leaving the State Treasury
ID condition that the State would be unable
to meet Its obligations to soldiers families.
an important point to him and his schemes
would be gained. The Republicans having
the State administration in their hands would
be held responsible for the failure, and the
popular Indignation which would be provoked
would enure to the benefit of the Democracy.
This was one of his reasons for opposing the
measure in question. The other was equally
partiZan and shameful. The old system of loan
ing out the School Fund in small sums to pri-
vate individuals, had been found, in the DAYS
when the Democracy bore sway in Wisconsin,
a potent engine of popular corruption.
1t was freely employed for this purpose.
and with such effect, that not until four wears
after the Republican party had majority in
the State to elect Governor and members
Of Congress could it succeed in wrest-
ing the control of the School fund from the
possession Of Democratic Commissioners. In
the election of 1857, that fund was notori-
ously used to elect Democratic Secretary of
State, an Attorney General and Bank Comp
troller. 1t was the Malakoff of the DemOc-
racy, almost impregnable to popular assault
The first board of Republican School Land
Commissioners recommended a change of the
system, as it was found that large amounts of
the fund had been hopelessly lost upon loans
that were insufficiently secured, and urged
the investment in State bonds as in every re-
spect the safest and most conducive to the
public interests But when at length bill
was introduced for that purpose, in 1862, Fl.
L. PALMER, leading the Democracy of the
House, and hopeful of Democratic victory
at the next State election-no provisions hay
ing then been made for taking the vote OF
| our soldiers-opposedi it with the utmost vehe
mence of which he was capable. Confident
of regairing the control of the State Govern
| ment, he was not willing that the enginery
| found so potent in the past for perpetuating
| his party in power should be broken in pieces
Now his organ, rushing to his defense, at
| tempts to cloak the perfdy of his course IN
der a cloud of falsehoods 1t assails the
credit Of the State, by asserting that our
bonds are not worth fifty cents on the dollar
1t says the children are practically robbed
of every dollar put into the treasury" by
| that measure, 1t says that inasmuch as the
| law does not provide that the sum thus loaned
from the school fund shall be expended fol
! soldiers families, that therefore the pretenst
| that it would be so used was a mere trick tt
| get hold of the money that it might be
| squandered on wet-nurses and partlzans O
| the Administration, and to afford those who
| had purchased the bonds at a small price, al
| opportunity to get their full nominal value a
the expense Of the taxpayers Of the State"
1t is sufficient to say, IN reply to this swarm
| of falsehoods, that no bonds of the Stat,
| have been sold at less than par, and that The
| official records of the State show that thu
money procured from the school fund princi
| pal has been used to pay money due yolun
| teers' families. But for the purpose O
|
to the desperate resort Of assailing the credi
| of the State, and asserting that the bond
which she has pledged her faith to redeem
are not worth over fifty cents on the dollar !
| We ask the people to judge whether tn
| school fund principal is not safely invested
| in State bonds as when loaned out by poIiti
clans all over the State, upon securitie
which it is impossible that the commissioner
should personally examine, and for the yalu
of which they must depend upon some coun
try justice and the oaths Of persons wit
whom they are utterly unacquainted? Is
likely that the State will ever refuse to pa
the interest on its bonds, especially when tina
| interest is to be distributed through the Stat
for the benefit Of its public schools No on
but a copperhead politician would have tn
| effrontery to hint at such thing And We
| this is precisely what the State must do in or
| der to verify the assertion of the Ncw8. I
is so absurd an argument that we should no
| consider it worthy Of notice but for the pei
| sistent manner in which we have heard /
| employed by PALMER and his disciples in til
! Legislature and elsewhere.