Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-06-02
County Bonds.
To the Tax Payers of Iowa Comfy.


The undersigned, the Board OF Super
yisors of the county of Iowa, think it
proper to submit brief statement in re-
lation to the County Bond question.
1t is now more than three years sin ce
it was decided by the Supreme Conrt of
the United States that the defence inter-
posed IL behalf of the county to the suits
brou ght upon the coupons Of these bonds
were not tenable. Judgment for a large
amount has been rendered against the
county; writs of nlaRdaDaus have been
issued against the Supervisors to compel
the levying of taxes and writs Of attach
ment obtained, but no tax levy has been
put in any tax-roll of any town for col
lection. The amount which is now
claimed to be due upon these bonds is
enormous, being over 800, 900 1t was
so large that even Judge Miller could not
be persuaded By the attorney for the
bondholders to exact tax levy of more
than So, 600 year. 1t has been the
aim of every Board of Supervisors to con-
folm their official action to the wishes Of
their constituents, the people of the coun-
ty. Such is our desire and Intention
There is no doubt about what the popu-
lar viii is upon this subject. The great
majority of the people Of the county re-
CARDS the debt as Il monstrous fraud inn
posed upon them without their consent
fairly given, while all deem it a burden
which they are unable to bear. 1t is be-
ieved however, that they would with
great unaaImity acquiesce in a rea 5Onable
compromise; but so long as the credit
ors persist IN their present policy of ex-
acting every dollar of principle, interest
and cost, they Will with the same una
nimity, expect of every officer whose
agency may be in any way engoked in
the levying or collecting taxes to pay
these unrighteOus claims, that he will do
nothing To intlict such calamity upon
the people which he can possibly old.
while such is the feeling of the people
such will, without doubt, be the conduct
of the county and town officers upon
whom the law devolges any duty in rela-
Ii "a to the levying or collecting of taxes );
and If an attempt should be made to coll
lect such taxes, injunctious would be sued
out 10y the taxpayers, and if land should
finally be sold, tax-titles derived by such
a sale would be litigated. The bonds
holders, when they fully realize the diff
culties which b, Sc hem in tempting to
tHIOtCe Tue COiiGCLlBI Ol tHcSe UNJUST
claims, through the agency of the courts
and law officers, Will find there true in
terest will lie in just and equitable
compromise.
The recent decision of the Supreme
Court Of the State does not affect this
question ia the least That suit was
brought for the purpose of establish NJ a
claim of the county that the mort &c
upon the railroad, given to secure t, .
county for the bonds, was paramount t.
another mortgage given by the railroad
company to Conan Il Martin, and which
had been forecloSed in the United States
court. That question the supreme Court
has not decided, but refuse to decide
taking the ground that the county was
eStoppcd or precluded by the judgment
of ioreclos urc upon the Conan d Martin
mortgage rendered in the United States
court The payment Of the county bonds
and the collecting of judgments upon
them VIII involve all the difficulties and
embarra -ments which would have exist
ed If the supreme Court had affirmed the
decision Of Judge Mills or if the suit had
never been commenced Nothing has
been decided by that suit which places
the county in any worsh condition than
it was before, and the Supervisors can
see no reason to change the policy
adopted by them and their predecessors.
J. w REwEY,
H. {. Snow. Co. 3D. S'rs.
ARCH CAMPBFLL
DodLeyille. May p, 1869