The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-10-29
An imps,ans Amendment.
To the Editor # the Journal Of Com

! To the Editor IF the Journal Of Com
/ merce:
WArERTowN, Wis, Oct, II, "A.
! The Legislature of 1922, by JOINT res
o utious of Senate aud Assembly, approved
( CT the following, AS an amendment TO our
State Constitu;iob, which chapter 81 oi
the laws of 1874, submits to a vote of the
electors at the ensuing November elections,
to Wit:
mo county, city, town, village, school
di ,trict, O. other municipal corporation,
s,,aIl be allowed TO become indebted in any
manner or for any pu. pose, to any amount.
including existing indebtedness IN the
aggregate, exceeding five percentum on the
vulue Of taxable property therein, to be
a>crI Ia ned BY the last assessment Tor stas se
ans county taxes Trevious to the incurrlng
Of such Indebtedness. Any county, city,
town. village, school district, or other
municipal Corporations incarring any in
debtedness as aforesaid, stall, at or before
doing 50, provide for the collection of a
direct annual tax sufficient to pay aud dis
charge the interest on such debt, it falls
due, and discharge tie principal thereof
s.tbiu twenty years from the time of con-
tracing the same"
This proposed nmendmen. is copied from
the present Constitution of the State of
Illinois, into which 1t was Incorporated
upon the recommendation Of Judge Davis
Of the Supreme Court Of the Cniej States,
by whom II was drafted.
Its adoption by our State would seem to
the public Welfare and the protection { {
the rights Of private property. The enor-
iDou, railroad d Tt Of towns, counties,
cit es and villages are eld valid by the
courts under the taxing power of the State,
which, without the proposed const,tu ionai
check, Is un nlimited, where the purpose Is
public, u. The courts hold bands, gwen IL
aid of tnilroad cunstructIC: 10 be.
No man IN Wisconsin Las any security
tor the prote cti1u OF his estate or earnings
uuder this Unlimited dsbt creating aud tax
ing power, except III the conservative
forces existing IN the cornmuaisy aro und
him. OiLen have these been Quad insult
hclent. E,.tire Communities, misied as 70
the profits vi railroad investments, or AS To
the safety OF loans of credit 10 secure their
cuns,Iuction, have been reused from their
delusi"n to find THAI the irre-f 'nslble
majority bad contracted debfs ~Licn could
be paid only by general and sweeping
cnitScation Of priYnt proT erty, and those
who manage public ;fairs, to hnd that
thew have nut even the choice Of evils, TO
escape the Disgrace u! rerud!a;ion ty Il
vain attempt 10 e,,foree tie legaiiz-d rob
b,ry Of the tax PAYERS
The common form Of mupir' pal bonds
and conpnus tie courts hold to be CONNER
cial paper, and if they import upon their
face IL ,mpmnce with /! t terms of the
law unJcr which they purrort 10 be Issued.
and the signatures are no t"rSr rice, tnat
the people have no defense to proven;
ind s,nt nts upon them III favor "i ticse
Hhu have Ithcu tI.,uI ~ the usual course
of business, even th ,uIh the sole purpose
for whiuh tarir issue S.,s au.horiz. @! has
been defeated
In other words, ali that is essential to
the validity Of such u bpnl Is the legality
of tie ,orm aud the eenIiness Of the
~isnatnrrs, althou-h ev ry recital IN 1T Is
false, and every other provision of the Ia"
has been violated ia it's Issue. The g'gan-
&c frauds which have been, and may be,
thus prrpetruted, by aid Of the law Irer
chant, must strongly impressed me with
the necessity Of this amendment, when l
presented IL for the apI royal Of the Legs
lature. Aud rs the people now have an
eppuI tunity to tortif7 their vested rights,
trust they will not let it pass unimi iroTed.
What is PROPOSED Is simply to place
reasonable limitations upon this power Of
taking and pledging private property for
anv pubic purpose whatever, SO that debts
hereafter contracted under it will be paid,
and really aid in the construction of public
improvements, instead Of going to build
the fortunes of sharpers and swindlers, and
expressing men WIG should be pyc ctected
p,, ,lf,t.-.l