Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-12-16
Iowa County Bonds.

people of Iowa county, aud in fact. a good
msny other people, that there is debt, or
rather claim against this county known
As the Iowa County Bonds. As this claim
appears to be pressing rather close just
now, it becomes our daty as public jour
nalist. to look the matter sqlarely in the
face, and if one course is more advisable
than another, to advise the people to pur-
sue that course. In the first place let MS
look back and glance over the history OF
these bonds from their issue to the pres
ant time.
Some fifteen years ago, before the Min
eral Point railroad was built. and after
that company was chartered, ain act was
passed authorizing the county Of Iowa to
issue bonds to the amount of $4,000,
with coupons attached. bearing interest at
the rate Of 8 per cent. per annum, to aid
the company to build and furnish the pro-
posed road. The act provided, that to Sc
cure these bonds against payment, or rath-
or to indemnify the county, the railroad
company were to issue like amount Of
bonds bearing like interest, which were
TO be secured by second mortgage on the
road. the first mortgage already having
been provided for. When the matter was
submitted to vote of the people Of the
county, it was found that the southern
part Of the county vas overwh .lningly in
favor of the issue Of the bonds, so much
so that voters were imported from three
adjoining counties, enabling some precincts
to poll nearly as many votes in favor Of
the issue OF the bonds as they had inhabi-
tants-men, women, and chill lren. while
the towns in the center and orthern part
of tho county were overwhelmingly against
it, to such an extent that in some towns
every vote cast was against the bonds, but
not to sHch an extent as to cause them to
poll illegal votes. The vote authorizing
the issue Of the bonds was thus considered
carried by small m,jority, but as proven
in court on the oaths of g. w. Bliss, W.
II. Curry. and Others, inspectors of cleo.
ton, would not have been carried had the
illegal voting not been done. As soon as
the vote was known it was generally be-
lieved that illegal votes had been poled in
the southern towns, and threats were made
Of contesting the election, and an effort
made to stay the issue Of the bonds until
the matter could be decided But here,
report says, bribery controlled the action
of the county officers, and the bonds were
issued in spite of the protest of great
many citizens, and majority Of the mem
bers of the county board. The railroad
bonds were deposited with the county for
On equal amount secured bya second mott
gage on the road.
The county bonds were taken east ano
thrown on the market, some bringing as
much as so cents on the dollar, others less.
From the first it was understood that the
railroad would attend to the paying of the
interest when due, and finally tn. princi-
pal, consequently, the county made no
preparations to pay anything. The bond
holders finally got tired Of being encum-
bered with what evidently appeared to be
bad paper, and concluded to try their luck
in the courts and see if they could get
anything They were more successful
than they had reason to expect for in ev-
cry instance they got the decision of the
court in their lavor; in fact, it is stoutly
affirmed in this county that the bond-hold
ers own old Judge Miller, body and soul,
and for some reason or other they have
always had the decisions as they wanted
them, and the United States District court
has now come down from it's usual lofty
position to assist petty bond-holder in COL
lect an unrighteous tax off the people.
The court has served mandamuses on
every officer of the county, town, city or
villages, from the county board to the
town treasurer, who has anything to do
with the levy or collection Of the taxes,
commanding them to levy, assess, and
collect and pay over to the bond-ha|ders
the amount of the judgments in their ia
vor in default of which they will be re-
qui"ed to present themselves before the
old Cyclops and answer for their contemp-
tuous neglect or refusal, and may be sub
jected to fine and Imprisonment. This
august court has further condoscended to
instruct us how this amount for the bond
tax shall be levied, assessed, and collected,
and instructs that it shall be appprtioned
with the state, county, and town taxes,
shall be in the same column with all gen.
eral taxes, shall he collected with them and
that no part of the tax can be paid with
out paying the whole levy. This is just
the pass we have come to in this county,
and it becomes very important question
just now, "What shall we do 2"
We have watched this bond matter for
years, and We believe we are pretty well
posted in regard to it; we know every
move that has been made aud its results,
and We know wherein and why the county
has failed to get justice. We know that
the debt is an unjust one, that it was new
Or given or accepted as bona tide. value
received obligation; that the bond-hoders.
the Shyocks of Wall street hought tha