Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-09-30
II LOOKS BAD.
The Taylor Officials Refuse TO Al
low the Books TO be
Examined.
4 Little Light Needed on This
Treasury Agent Business,

1t is notorious, says The Madison
Joa-nai, that for some time past pub
Tic attention has been called to the
management Of the affairs of the Treas
ury agents business, and also to the mat
ter of the ST Croix and Superior Land
Grant it was known and commented
upon very generally III the papers Of
the State that the Treasury Agency Of
DR.. Ebert was scandal and an outrage
upon the people And there were very.
suspicious circumstances, Indicating
that countless and hungry hord of
agents were preying upon the land
grant 1t was thought to be matter
requiring investigation, SO that the
people might know what their masters
were doing in matters of so much pub
lie interest.
On Wednesday last, Col Roberts
Moateith, for several years a clerk in
the Office Of secretary Of State, under
Mr.. Breese, applied to Mr. Cadwaila-
der, the assistant secretary, for permits
sion to examine the records In the mat
ter of the Treasury agency, which,
strange to say, was refused on the
tlimsey pretense that 10 one but the
Governor could have access to the rec
ords Of that office Even if such was
the law, which we claim, however, is
rot, under the practice established and
carried out BY successive Republican
administrations, any citizen of the
State, for any purpose whatever. is en-
titled to an inspection Of the records
of any Office in the State Capitol, dur
ing business hours.
BY this high-handed course do these
model Beformers hope to screen them
selves and their acts from the public
gaze? Is there something behind the
scenery that viii not hear the
light Of day! Do they expect by play
ing the bluff game TO stihe investiga-
tion If SO let them understand at
once that their attempt is certain to
prove d miserable failure, and to recoil
upon their beads with terrible force.
Never before in the history Of our
State Government has greater out
rage been committed upon the rights
OF the people, upon the rights of Que
and all Of the sorereins Of this Common
wealth. It is an usurpation by the ser
want, upon the rights and privileges
Of the masters, and public opinion,
with its irresistible power, will compel
them to open wide the portals Of the
Secretary Of States Office, and let in
the sunlight OF investigation
We hope that this article will open
the eyes of the occupants Of that Office,
and that finding discretion the better
part Of valor, they will reconsider their
action
Gen Monteith's letter is as follows:
MADISON, Sept. Il, 1875.-EditoyS
State Journal; On Wednesday, the
9Th inst, [ appliedat the Office of sec
reta,y Of State to examine some Of the
records there I desired especially to
know the amount of money collected
by the Treasury Agent since May /,
1875, and also the plumber and names
of the agents employed, and the
amount expended for their salaries, in
protecting the timber on the St. Croix
and Lake Superior Railroad Land
Grant, subject on which it would be
well fer the public to be informed at
the present time.
Being conversont with the business
Of the Office, [ told Mr. CadgaIlder,
assistant secretary of state. that I
could find what [ wanted without any
assistance, He told me to 90 ahead.
I took the daily record kept there,
and was about to proceed on the Treas
ury agents business, when Mr.. Cad
wallader came up to me and asked me
what information | wanted [ told
him I was looking up the Treasury
Agents business. He Immediately
told me that [ could not do it; that
the records Of that Office were not open
to the public; that no person but the
Governor had right 20 inspect them,
and he took the book from me-
I told him that [ did not know
what the lar was on the subject, but
knew it had always been the practice
under Republican administration,
to allow any respectable citizen to ex-
anime any record or paper in the offices
and that myself had spent days asSis-
ting in examinations for the benefit OF
parties desiring information
[ was not only debarred from exam
ming the records myself, but was re-
fused the information IN any manner
from that Office.
I send you his statment Of facts,
that the public may know what to ex-
peet from their servants, especially In
the Office of the Secretary Of State.
Very respectfully,
ROBERT MoNFEITH.