Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-24

| drawn upon the treasury when there were
70 funds to meet them--and a floating debt
for large amount has been created which
must be provided for hereafter How
much this debt is, no man knows and none
ever will know so long as Patrick Devy is
city clerk. Before this information can be
obtained, the city must have clerk who,
besides being ordinarily intelligent, must
| have some aptitude for keeping records and
accounts so that they can be understood
Such one trust we will have soon after
the election in April.
Now, then, gentlemen, l have detaine 4
you long enough. | only want to say in
| conclusion that you have inaugurated an
important movement. You must not spare
any efforts which are calculated to pro-
mote success. The vagabonds and scala
wags who have impoverished the treasury
= the villains and towards who, without
provocatlon, assail peaceful citizens with
murderouS intent-the rowdies and ru1ians
who disturb and break up public meetings
such as tLis--the spirit of lawlessness, of
anarchy and of rebellion against the laws
of the land and the peace and good orde r
of socety--the men whose only arguments
| are bludgeons and who find fault with and
| oppose all plans suggested by others for
the settlement of our city debt, while TAX
! ing good care at the same time to suggest
no plan themselves-the disorganizers who
| for three years have disseminated through
the Union League all manner Of lies about
the best men in Watertown, and misrepre-
| scented their acts and motives--,he deceitful
and mercenary demagogues who are using
| the honest but deluded members of the
Tao 70 fo;c ~ off nd
| uate their power for mischief-all these
must be put down and upon you and Others
like you devolves the responsibility of see-
ing that it is done: Gentlemen, that you
will do this thing | do not entertain the
slightest doubt. The determination sx-
pressed in your conference.-the vigor
with which you have opened this campaign
and the unanimity with which the better
class OF people have taken hold Of this work,
all 60 to prove that victory is sure to
perch upon our banners; and tax-ridden,
oppressed and outraged community freed
from the rule of corrupt, imbecile and law
less officials.
The minutes of the last meeting were
read and approved. t....-....
The committee on address presented its
report, the same being read by VIM. L. Nor
ris, Esq, and was adopted.
THE ADDRESS
To the People Of the City Of Watertown:
Residents Of the Same city, and all alike,
in proportion to our means, equally con-
csrned in it's present prosperity and future
growth, it may be fairly assumed that we
all have an identity of interest in the sue
cess of any just and equitable policy Of
compromise that may be practicable, to
relieve ourselves of the complicated EN-.
barrassments growing out of our Railroad
Bonded debt, which has been source of
contention for many years, without any
such satisfactory result as is NEST desirable.
In calmly considering this question, it is
useless to revive the barren discussions and
distracting animosities arising out of the
origin of these bonds We must occupy
the legal position in which the decisions of
the courts from the lowest to the highest
to which we could appeal, have placed US.
That position is that these outstanding
bonds, no matter how procured, are valid
claims against the city. This being the
case beyond dispute the vital point for
US is to ascertain, how we1can best and SOON
est get rid of them. To keep up constant and
II Iltatl1S lOCdi quaIISl, eAtcuOlDS through
years to come as it has through years past,
involves heavy costs. weakening div-
sons and false accusations among neighbors
without leading to anything beneficial, for
ward off the day of settlement as we may,
it will eventually come upon US in some
shape and will have to be met. Is it not
better to voluntarily try to grapple with the
problem while we can, instead of idly wait
-
without delay?
With this formidable peril clearly in
view, on a candid survey OF our real situa-
ton, can prudence and sagacity arrive at
any other conclusion than that it is wiser,
on the whole, to speedily arrive at some
tually satisfactory agree among our
selves, and cheerfully work together in
carrying out a policy that will terminate
forever this long controversy between our
selves and our creditors, as it is now evil
dent they never will surrender without
some sort Of compensation tor the bonds
they have bought and hold against our
city. 1t may be taken for granted that
every tax payer, whether large or small,
sincerely seek to procure these bonds, or
the judgments already obtained, On the
| most favorable terms, and at as low price
as possible, regarding the manner In which
| they were purchased, and their triflng
| cost to the present owners. The most
feasible way to bring this about would
seem to be fairness and harmony among
ourselves in the consistent pursuit of some
line of action, which will furnish sound
basis for both parties to this conflict 10
| stand on and make commencement
The difference of opinion whether the
bonds should be taken up in the mass or
in the detail, might be reconciled by de
Gliding what we will do, and what we will
not do, whether all are offered at once,
or separately, as they can be found and
bought at our own rates. Against the
proposal of waiting until the bulk OF the
bonds can be got together, is The fact that
no city has ever been able to do this nor
does it now appear as practicable. Hence
to insist on this condition as indispensable,
is virtually to put an insurmountable OBJ
stacle IN onr way, without any correspond
! ing advantage to ourselves. IL favor of
the project of accepting the bonds as they
come along, is the experience that this is
/ ii, "A hot !