Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-05-28
COUNTY BONDS.
To the Taxpayers of Iowa County

IO Cu0 1dA-I dy SIS VI AOWd SOuuCy.
The undersigned, the Board Of Superb
sors of the county of Iowa, think it
proper to submit brief statement in rela-
tionsto the County Bond question. a5g'
1t is now more than ten years since It
was decided by the Supreme Court of the
United States that the defence interposed
in behalf of the county to the suits brought
upon the coupons of these bonds were
not tenable. Judgment for large amount
has been rendered against the county
writs of maamdamus have been issued
against the Supervisors to compel the levy
ing of taxes, and writs of attachment OBJ
tanned, but no tax levy has yet been put
in any tax-roll of any town for collection
The amount which is now claimed to be
due upon these bonds is enormous, being
over $500, GOO. 1t was so large that even
Judge Miller could not be persuaded by the
attorney for the bondholders to exact a tax
levy of more than $4,000 year. IT has
been the aim of every Board of Supervisors
to conform their official action to the
wishes of their constituents, the people of
the county. Such is our desire and inten-
ton. There is no doubt about what the
popular will is upon this subject The
great majority Of the people of the county
regards the debt as monstrous fraud
imposed upon them without their consent
fairly given, while all deem it a burden
which they are unable to bear. 1t is be-
lieved, however, tAat they would with
great unanimity acquiesce in reasonable
compromise; but so long as the creditors
persist in their present policy of exacting
every dollar of principal, interest and cost,
they will, with the same unanimity, ex-
pect of every officer whose agency may
in any way be envoked IN the levying or
collecting taxes to pay these unrighteous
claims, that he will do nothing to infict
such a calamity upon the people which
he can possibly avoid. 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 devolves
any duty in relation to the levying or col
Letting of taxes; and if an attempt should
be made to collect such taxes, injunctions
would be sued out by the taxpayers, and
if land should finally be sold, tax-titles
derived by such a sale would be litigated
eternally. The bondholders, when they
fully realize the difficulties which beset
them in attempting to enforce the collec-
ton Of these unjust claims, through the
agency of the courts and law officers, will
find their true interest will lie in a just
and equitable compromise. al.| -a. d.
The recent decision of the Supreme
Court of the State does not affect this
question in the least. That suit was
brought for the purpose Of establishing
claim of the county that the mortgage
upon the railroad, given to secure the
county for the bonds, was paramount to
another mortgage given by the railroad
company to Conan & Martin, and which
had been foreclosed in the United States
court That question the Supreme Court
has no. decided, but refuse to decide
taking the ground that the comfy was
estopped or precluded by the judgment of
foreclosure upon the Conan & Martin
mortgage rendered in the United States
court. The payment of the county bonds
and the collecting of judgments upon
them will involve all the difficulties and
embarrassments which would have existed
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 worse condition than it
was before, and the Supervisors can see
no reason to change the policy adopted by
them and their predecessors.
+ y y. 5 Rswsr' Co. B., ,l- srs $.
ARCH. CAMPBELL,)
Dodgeville, May %, 1869.