Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-04

MONOPOLY HAS WON A WATER
LOO.

Had thunderbolt struck the dome
and riyen the capitol to its foundation
yesterday, it would not have created
more surprise, in some quarters, than
did the message of Governor. Taylor
surrendering the grant to tn, Central
road.
But the mere announcement, which
was at first so astounding, is succeeded
by disgust and contempt, on. reading
the fimsy official excuses presented,
backed up by wishy washy editorials,
pleading the baby act. Why does the
Governor, or any of bis echos. suppose
that public act Of this character and
magnitude, which effects the vital in
terests of hundreds Of thousands''of peo-
pie in Wisconsin, is to be passed over
glibly, and that it will only be talked
about in soft phrases, pleasant to the
executive ear Did he not know, aud
did not his advisers know, that be had
Embossed the whirlwind? Let them
listen to the coming wrath of the peo-
pie in the thickly settled counties
about Oshkosh. Fond du Lac, Ripon,
Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Berlin, Mon
tello, Portage and Madison, as we'll as
from other portions of Wisconsin.
This central and northeastern section
has demanded, through its representa-
tives, the fulfll.nent Of the sacred OBJ
legations of this company to build
line of road To START FROM POR-
TAGE CITY. That is the solemn
condition in the original law, end that
is what the people ask the executive
to enforce. That is the point. The
road must start from Portage The
representatives OF the people have pro-
tested against their gigantic grab OF
all the land WITHOUT the therefor was
rendered according to the terms Of the
act. They objected to the release of
the company from it solemn obligations
TO build from Portage, It was the
first business Of the governor to see
that the statute was complied with in
this respect for he is sworn to execute
the laws. He cannot sniff the duty to
the Secretary of the Interior, Or sthe
attorney general Of the United States,
or any other outsider He, VIM. r.
TAYLOR, is the executive Of Wisconsin,
and the law Of the state says that the
road must begin at Portage There is
no lodging this, 1t is plain case,
and Governor Washburn left it per-
tectly easy for him to get the opinion
Of the supreme court Never was an
executive in better position to silence
the opportunities of company and TO
get the highest judicial authority
Yet at this time of all others, when he
should have been firm, he surrenders
everything. The people are without
a remedy. The road north will not
now built from Portage. Not a rod
will be built. The rights ofthe people
have been frittered away. and the re-
form governor is responsible. 1t is a
Waterloo defeat of his people Mono
poly has triumphed. Dane county
a'one is injured hundreds of thous-
ands of 90 as by this act The
northeast is forced to seek a round
about way to the capital The demand
Of the vast Fox River valley fouted !;
the law is interpreted against the in
terest of the people in favor Of a lDonop-
oly.
Nothing like this was ever known
in the state before. Governor Ran
dali refused a certificate Governor
Washburn and the late attorney general
decided against issuing the certificate.
We believe the supreme court and
Legislature would have decided against
it, had an opportunity been offered,
and We have no doubt that the people
would cast an overwhelming majority
against this proposition to surrender
the magnificent land grant to the com
pany, before they had completed the
road from Portage to Stevens Point,
according to law.
1t was not necessary for the governor
to decide the point now. It was prcba-
bly, done because Of the amendment: to
the bill in the assembly, the day be
fore, prohibiting the issuing of certific
ates, except on certain conditions.
This frightened the company, and they
pushed matters
A gentleman who is reformer a d
claims to know the law, ridicules the
governors idea that the lands at the
north end can be saved. He says this
company is entitled to these lands un
der the law when they build south. So
the executive has let all the horses out
out and now backs up against the door
ofthe empty stable and calls Justify for