Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-10-23

est views.
But l deny the right of local party
committee TO bindthe members oftheil
party in any action not Of a political
nature. Elections for town officers
I have no political significance and
there is no improperly in the PEG
pie meeting together irrespective OF
party, and selecting their candidates
for local Offices. The HERALD has al
rays adriSed this course, and all those
who are now engaged in bounding
me for this alleged offence, have
practiccd it many times. MOI The
fault lay not in being thus nomina-
ted, but in being elected on both oc-
casions by handsome majority
with every possible vote polled
against me. And not in that exactly
/ but IN the assessment rI.ich followed.
as we shall soon see.
One charge more and bid adieu
to the Resolution | am accused OF
inducing copperAcadS" to attend a
certain Republican caucus. In an
swer to this | have to say-;f | did
so it was ignorantly done, and there
! fore could not constitute an offence.
I Upon careful review of all my acts
in this connection, ! can find no pos
sible chance to reproach myself, un-
less IN the case of q soldier who was
a brave and faithful member Of my
own Co. in the 81 Regt. and who
] has since the occasion referred to, very
much to my surprise, accepted nom
ination upon the Democratic County
! ticket. | had never talked with him
upon political matters to any great
extent but had taken it for granted
that he was Republican. We we're
both very much enlisted in securing
delegation from our town in favor
OF the nomination of a Radical Re.
/ publican, who had been faithful Of
ticer during the war, for the office of
Sheriff, and against 3 civilian of the
place OF very questionable politics
who desired the same Office The
soldierso offending attended said ecu
Gus on his own account, and we there
/ did what we could for our brother
soldier, but we were beaten out of
sight BY the friends of the other par
j ty. That caucus sent to Lancaster
delegation composed wholly OF
bounty voting civilians. 1t seemed
hard and ungrateful, but we acqui-
escad in the decision OF the majority,
without l. murmur
Having finished nay answer to all
the charges arrayed against me, now
retort by saying that the resolution
is a cowardly one, inasmuch as it
fails to set forth the real ground of
complaint. This is we'll known here,
and the motives Of all the hostile par
ties are fully understood. The real
difficulty is, in the Just and impartial
manner in which | attempted to as
Sess the town in '65 and So The
assts had been performed for several
years either by incompetent persons
or those in the interest of the veal,
thy and very much to the prejudice
OF the poor and conscientious and
this state Of things was sought to
be perpetuated by the parties thus
benefited. Besides the Roll had
become flied with errors OF all kinds
and needed a thorough revision. Ny
asst had been very favorable and it
is now proven that my increased
tax under my own asst amounted
in '65 to as much, or more than the
compensation | received for my SER
vices as Assessor 1t is no pleasant
task to combat at every step the self
interest of men, aud the duties of a
/ town assessor "0Jc nothng bit a
/ battle and q march" This is no field
I fer the ambitious and none but fools
will enter it for the honor or profit
it may afford. Daring the past two
years | have in face OF every obsta,
Gle succeeded in raising our aggre gate
assessment nearly 100 per cent. or
about $1,000 600, and this is put main.
/ Is upon those who are most able but
least willing to bear it. These Uerg
men organized this conspiracy against
| me- They may, some Of them, be
indebted to my clcmcncy for not
presenting them to the Grand Jury.
| but We cancel the debt.
The only painful reflection connec-
ted with this affair, is that growing
out Of the fact, that many of those OF
/ the poorer class in whose interest and
for whose benefit have thus brought
down upon myself the abuse of the
wealthy, are now turning in with
tho common enemy, to rend me
/ but we have been too long victim
Of ingratitude, to lay this display
of it much to he art.
Before closing | must be INDUCED
I in a brief statement Of my political
antccedcnts: my frstvote givcni nmy
native place, in Conn, some 24 years
/ ago was one Of II in poll OF about
600-for Francis Gillett the Lib
] erty candidate for Governor; and !
have endeavored to vote consistently
with that proud ballot from that
! day to this. ] should have voted
for B'rney FOR President in II had
not at the very time Of election been
in his company on my way to his
home in Mich. / came into Wis
in the spring of 10 while it was
in a Territorial condition. Nv first
characteristic vote, where | resided
!! in Walworth Co, was solitary ono
/ for Charles Duri<ee. Liberty party
! candidate for delegate to Conores,