Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-11-26
81 the NOVefuof
IL BEEEsz. Secretary Of State.
Tho Iowa County Railroad Bond
Trouble.


We learn from the Mineral Point
rapers that several memb ers of the
city council and county officers have
been seized by the United States
Mar.hal and taken before the . s.
District Judge at Milwaukee and fin
ed. some Of them 800 each The
other cases were continued, as we
suppose, dependent upon the future
conduct of the county authorities
whether they will be punished or
not.
Pretty nearly everybody else than
tho citizens Of Iowa County expected
scne such sudden vengeance from
the United States Court, the leaders
Of pablo opinion in that county
stoutly maintaining that the Federal
Court could not compel the county
TO pay judgments against it; and the
'ardincss and hesitation of the court
seemed to strengthen this opinion.
Several years ago the city, then
village, Of Mineral Point, the town
Of Waldwiok, and Iowa county issu-
I'd their bonds respectively TO the
Mineral Point railroad company in
exchange tor its stock or bonds.
The county gave the company $780,.
900, Mineral Point some $50, 900, and
'he town OF Waldwick about $4,000
"a bonds. The exact amounts we
ave not the means at hand of ascer.
aiming, but as near as we can learn
ne above is about the truth. These
sonds we're delivered to the railroad
company, sold by it to bona fde pur-
'hasers, and the money it is to be
hoped was used honestly in building
The railroad. This was as early as
In 1882, or thereabouts. In process
u time tho railroad stock in the pos
'ossion 4 tho city, town and county
cocaine utterly worthless. The coun-
ny bonds had found their way into
the hands Of Wall street brokers.
Ehoy became due. The county rec
fused TO pay alleging they we're pro-
cured by fraud Some of the bonds
we're sued in the District court Of the
United States at Milwaukee. An
expensive and tedious litigation fol-
lowed, and the county was beaten.
An appeal was taken to the Supreme
Court at Washington and judgment
were rendered against the county.
But tho next difficulty was to col.
'ect these judgments. the county or.
scles insisting that the county could
beat the creditors on the execution.
The Court ordered the county,
through its Treasurers to collect n
stsllments Of s25 900 yer year. The
county officials failed or refused to
collect the money, and now Judge
Drumn ond drags them over to Mil
waukee and Furnishes them for con,
tempt.
We never thought it was an act of
wisdom on the part of Iowa county
TO postpone, or attempt at such vast
outlay to stAve off the inevitable.
But still We regard it as a startling
assumption of power in United
States Judge TO siege and fine at his
discretion officers acting under State
avs. Such a course, if persevered
o, will Vacato all the offices in Iowa
county. In fact il would utterly
PROSTATE all State government, and
Congress ought to put an end to this
dangerous assumption of power. 1t
would be far better 70 authorize the
United States Marshal to levy upon
.nd sell all the real and personal
property in tho county to satisfy
'hese deots But the county, with.
oat mourning the foolish expense of
iurtheA litigation, ought to 90 to
work in earnest to pay OF its debt
on the beat terms 1t can, for 40 this
complexion IL must como at last"