Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-03
Communicated

! al, ana " hitting IS. The Si4eboyr3n Eall
| Road Company, the Court LAYS down the
law, that all public taxation, must be for
1 public purposes; that taxation in aid of
! private individuals or corporations mere
| ly, for whatever object except incascs Of
! public charity, Is unconstitutional, and
/ cannot be enforced even if authorized
| By act of legislature.
| THIS, as far as it goes, is good doe
| trine and sound law and it is a pity
| that 1t was not promulgated many wears
| ago. If 1t ha1 been SO promulgated
much mischeieous legislation, and much
| oppression In the way Of taxation would
/ have been ayerted IL unfortunately
/ comes to late too relieve Iowa County
| from the terrible incubus which rests
| upon it; but comes better late than
/ never. y great amount of good viii
| flow from it The Legislature, which had
1 become wholly abandoned 10 the behests
/ OF those, who, whether legitimately or
not, assumed 20 speak for and give di>
/ rectIOn To the construction Of works Of
/ internal Improvement wi1Ain the State
must, under stress Of these decisions. at
/ once retrace its stems 1t can authorize
no more bonuses TO be given to railroads
/ or other corporations; and much that it
| has already done in this way, must be
rendered nugatorY, or become unsettled
! 1t Is true, that in these decisions the
/ Court ailrms the right of counties, and
I lesser political organiza ions, to bHild
! wholly or subscribe any amount of stock
/ in railroads built within their limits, If
so authorized by law; and the location
/ and other conditions are such as to in
! sure fair measure of equality in the
resulting advantages. TO all Of the mem
1 bers OF the body so taxed bat as this
latter qualifying clause permits every
case of such proposed tax TO be traversed
upon injunction, and perpetua ly enjoin-
ed Tor local inequalities and general in
justice, 1t has an Important bearing upon
the right so conferred. Manifestly then.
no tax could be collected to build. or
pay for stock IN any railroad which
should cut only corner of the county.
town, or other municipal body imposing
tax for such purpose In such ease
remote or al ersely effected part Of the
county or town, could enjoin the collection
of the tax
This restriction upon the general grant
of power, viii, if resorted to IN cases of
manifest injustice, prove tolerable safe
guard against the oppressive acts Of ma
jorIties in matters Of this nature; but,
we regret that the court did not see It's
way clear to complete divorce Of the
State and all subdivisions of it from
works Of internal Improvement, other
than TO give them the necessary legal vital
itv, and fall protection before the law
We are not organized into political
bodies for speculative purposes, or busi-
ness ventures of any kind and all the
varied channels of business, including
the development Of tie vast resourc, Of
the state, may be safely left to be built
and carried on by private capital and
corporated power. Capital is no idle ele-
ment Of state. Unjust and viii gravitate
IN the direction of apparent profit. To
tempt to force it, or to inyeigle it by
false lights into doubtful ventures or adj
verse MARGINS, is worse than folly. 1t
is suicide. 1t is no reIiefto the unoffend>
ing who are scourged, to assure them
that it is done in the name of public
prosperity, and by Il majority of the peo-
pie
Arbitrary and oppressive acts as be-
tween Il government and its subjects, or
as between majority and minority of
any people. are not difficult of concep-
ton. nor difficult Of execution; but in
their remote consequences they may be
terrible Sow the wind, you reap the
whirlwind. Scatter dragon teeth, there
springs up a crop Of armed men. What
ever may have been eugrafted upon the
Legislature or the law Of the day, foreign
to the true purposes of government is an
excresence; and usage, even proscriptive,
does not change It's character. Ne de-
sire to see all the departments of gov
eminent administered IN their purity
aad simplicity.