The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-02-01
COMMUNICATIONS.

Town OF MANfTuwoC, Jan. 29th, 70.
| ED. TRIBUNE The article which |
wrote some weeks ago, for the purpose
of enlightening a tax payer in Manito-
voc Rapids, as to why their town was so
highly valued by the Board of Super7is-
ors, has attracted more attention than it
merited, and subjected nue. to the severe
est criticism.
The first attack came from the north
| west, though sharp, was not 50 violent,
the Committeeman openly avowed that
he asked the Board for instructions, that
be was unwillingly made member fthe
committee. The condition of things in
his case, appears to be about this: He
did not approve of the report of the com
mittee, would not sign it until they so
far reduced the valuation of his town,
that he clearly saw that the town named
after that great American Philosop her
and Statesman, would be less In its share
of the County and State tax, than in
1870, when he signed the report His
thoughts undoubte1 lily were: my town is
all right, go ahead gentlemen, fix it to
suit yourselves. AS he was not one of the
working men of the committee, got his
town all right. received his ST. extra,
per diem for the whole session, for night
aoorh;; we are willing to let him go.
The next attack was published last
week in the Pilot 1t seems to be from
the great gun of the North, which on
account of its immense calibre and ca
pacity has made some noise. But as its
aim was not directed to any of my strong
positions, its fire has been harmless.
The writer gives his article over the
noble signature Of Truth. He accuses
me of same thing which the tax payers
of Manitowoc Rapids accused the whole
County Board, 'of even more than
malice" He finds me in error about
the casting vote of Mr.. Donovan. l
wrote from memory. I thought then and
think now. Mr.. Stohls resolution, if car
ried, would have brought the whole mat
ter again before the Board, and I knew
then, as [ tailed the vote, and know
now, that the vote Of Donovan decided
the matter and there was no further chance
to bring it before the Board.
| have not now, nor have ever had,
any desire to injure Mr. Donovan. But
when. a tax payer from Manitowoc
Rapids accuses the whole County Board
Of malice, towards that town, l wished
him to understand, their own Chairman
had some responsibilities in the matter
But these are all small matters and
have no particular bearing upon the great
question at issue. Whether Danforth
was appointed on the End day of the
first session, or the End day of the last
session is not material.
IF, as Mr. Truth states, Mr.. A. Witt
mann was one of the indcfatigable work
ers and permitted the city to come into
the list far beyond its just proportion,
his tax paying constituents when they
elect him again, Lad better send in re-
quest that the Chairman should not ap-
point him on the Committee of ASSESS
nent.
| repeat these are all minor matters,
neither proving nor disproving an unjust
and unequal assessment. There was a
generous telling expressed by all the
members of the Board, that in view of a
great coming RR. tax, in view of the
tax arising from Fuessenich' defalcations,
ssessmen and valuation of the property
of the County, and to that end voted for
the 9th man on the committee, knowing
him to be well acquainted with the south
west part Of the county and that his
knowledge would aid much in bringing
about fair assessment.
That the committee labored to clear
their own towns, as much as, possible
from the overpending tax, is evident to
any person who will give the matter fair
investigation.
This Truth" does not deny. He fur
nishes US with some statistics from our
County Clerk, for which | thank him ;
from these statistics l propose to gather
some facts, proving my statements. They
all know very we'll that anything emana-
ting from the Office of the County Clerk
of Manitowoc County, is reliable, that
he in person is the literal ful6llment of
that passage of Holy Writ, which says !:
Il am the way and the Truth
There was time however, when his
record of the proceedings may have been
little mixed. | mean he time when he
left the Board of Supervisors to deal out
to the Board of Canvassors his knowl-
edge of Jurisprudence in large doses,
and a report was gently and quickly cir
culated, that he resorted to a spiritual
influence before bis legal arguments pro-
duced conviction. Esa-u.t
But no one calls in question his stats
tics or his records. His certificate of the
valuation of 1870 and 1871 and of the
State and County taxes of 1870 and 1871,
is herewith submitted: ,7aes
g 81 = Fl