Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-10-30
TAXPAYERS MEETING.
What vas Said about our City Lndebt-
edness-Highly Interesting Speeches
from, Messrs Orion, Beckmam, Rich.
ards, Andrews and Moore.

The adjourned meeting of taxpayers, held
on the evening of Monday the 18th inst, was
largely attended by those interested in the f.
crowded at an early hour, and at q quarter
before eight o'clock, Mayor Mulberger called
the meeting to order q
The question being upon the adoption o f the
resolutions offered By Hon. T. Prentis., after
Ar. Beckman had addressed the audience in
German, Judge Orion being called for came
forward and made an eloquent speech, of which
We have only space to give brief synopsis ..
HOW THE BONDS ARE TO BE PAID n
He said he saw before him writ of mandanp-
as issued from the United Sta tes Circuit Court,
and served this afternoon on the Aldermen Of
our city. The writ was not IS summary as IS
usual, but it leniently gives us the privilege
of collecting the Wilmont judgment along wi th
our other city taxes. The speaker then re-
ferred to the experience of Madison in the
building of railroads and the payment Of their
bonds. He had been opposed from the first to
the granting of municipal aid to railroads,
believing it unconstitutional He believed the
roads would have been built if the farm mort
gagors cities and towns had not subscribed a
dollar. But we could not now retrace our
steps. r. ..c53gA iaa53a5a s-. s&s
The railroad. have pa.s.d through our county,
waking up the quiet villages along their route,
starting the country into life and prosperity
their beneficial effec 5 had been felt everywhere
Orr city had extended its borders until with
our manufactures and water power, our rich
and productive country, and our excellent rail-
road facilities, it had become one Of the leading
cities of the State. Let as, do the railroads
justice. i N....s l-.-...f, I'D Rrss ssE .s..&.e
p is said that the debt was dishonesty in
Cured, but how can it be avoided? If the
courts say we must pay, as law abiding citizens
we must do so. 1t was a question of pay aud
how. In this country we had no king no SOW
sereign, but law, and the decision of the cour is
must be respected. The question at issue was :
How can we psyf 1t is stated our debt which
Amounts. to $3.50, 900, can be taken up for not
to exceed ! Z 900. Let al organization of our
citizens go into market and buy up the bonds
and hold them subject TO the city's order.
When this incubus of debt is lifted from our
city, 500 per cent win be added to the value of
every mans property. In Madison the citizens
sent to New York and bought the city
bonds, brought them home and in great meas
ure relieved tn city, The plan worked well
there and he believed it would here. The
taxes would bear heavier on the poor man than
on the rich. The small taxpayer must pay
from his labor, the rich pays from his surplus
The poor man has right to say as much on
the subj ct AS one who owns half the city.
{Cheers.) ta =" a..' o.
REPUTATION
Mr.. Andrews said it WAS formerly agreed to
pay no more than ten cents on the dollar for
the bonds, now men .alk OF paying more than
IS cents and if the resolutions are adopted the
bonds will be worth so cents, or more. He
would like to know how it would be in regard
to the judgments already obtained. We had
of our wealthy citizens, who received a bonus
from the railroads for cheering US on. The y
wer. now doing the game for the bondholders.
He would repudiate every cent. (Cheers.) Not
dim. would be paid by his, saying so. We
won't pay if they do issue n,dndonsm. Will
you? fGries of no. no And voice says, l
will 60 to jail frsts) .----~ .r...-...-,
Mr.. Richards said he thought he saw lion
in the resol utious. He feared that after the
first meeting few hands would control the 1880
citation. The small share holders would know
in Jerusalem. (Cheers.l The bondholders. OF
the association would reoaFe 10 per cent. which
was good interest, and they would not want
he bonds paid. There would be 10 per cen.
and their trouble. {Cheers.) How much pay
for trouble; He would make the railroads p ,
and do as they agreed. He would not coun-
tenance crime in high places. What Others
call d mobs, he called revolutions. All rev L
been fathered by mobs He could soon trouble
the railroad company out OF $4,000 and moi
hurt man, woman or child He would circu-
late hand bills, telling travellers on the railroads
there might be danger if they came this way
There must be a revolution in regard to rail
road matters. The iron. must be taken from
the peoples neck We must elect to the legis-
lature, men who do not ask to 90, and who will
not take railroad pass.
Mr.. Thomas Moore presented the resolution
which appears in another column, and which
was adopted without dissenting voice, Mr.
Moore then said he believed the resolution was
the foundation stone on which we should build.
He could not find words to express bis indigna-