Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-23
They will be Thankful.

stead of requiring an apology from its
editor, as suggested by him, for quot
ing literally from the REPUBLICAN, as
to the $50, 900 tax levy the present
year, will undoubtedly feel more like
rendering thanks for his having fur
nished them with the information
given. They look in vain in the COL
umns Of that sheet for intelligence
such as was conveyed to them through
the medium of the extracts quoted
from the REPUBLICAN, and will ac-
cordingly be grateful for the facts,
Notwithstanding they come to them
second hand. The editor of that paper
is ever ready with his bucket Of white
wash, willing and anxious to render all
needful services in covering up the
official shortcomings Of his party
friends. AS specimen of his handi-
work in that direction witness the fol-
lowing:
The REPUBLICAN in referring TO the action
of the Common Council in loaning to he
Third Fifth, Sixth and Seventh wards
seventv-fve dollars each out of the City
! General Fund for ward purposes, has made
the statement that no taxes were levied in
some of these wards Tor ward improvements.
We are now in a position to pronounce the
statement untrue. The levy for ward pur-
poses in the Third ward is three mills, in
the Fifth six mills in the Sixth five mills
and in the Seventh 4 mile. Nailed again.
1t will be seen that the Democrat
now speaks Of the Councils "loaning"
S75 each to certain wards. Two or
three weeks ago it treated it as gift
outright, and defended it as an act of
simple justice to those wards which it
untruthfully ESQ far as some of the
wards are concerned) said are not
supplied with gas. 1t now finds it
convenient to abandon that argument,
and speaks of the transfer as "loan, :"
implying that the money will be re.
funded to the city treasury at some
future time. But it knows better
than this and will deceive no one with
such nonsense.
Its next mis-statement is that We
said "that no taxes were levied in some
of these wards for ward improvements il"
We have said nothing of the kind.
We did state with reference to the 9th
ward that the Council had levied no
tax there for ward purposes, which is
true. The 5 mills levy in that ward
6 mills for general purposes and 2
mills for the poor fund) is in pursu-
ance of the law of 1871, and was in
no way contingent upon the action of
the Council. That this was wise
provision of law is shown by the pro-
ceedings of the Board, which kindly
imposed no tax levy upon the ward
but went still further and donated it
$75. If the Council had possessed the
power to relieve the ward of the 5
mills which the Legislature had levied
it would, undoubtedly have done so,
and the ward would not have been
taxed locally at all. That the city is
to realize this pittance from taxation,
there, is due entirely to the action of
the Legislature, and in no sense to the
Council.
So much for the unfounded state
ments Of the Democrat. Whether
they are the result of the editors ig-
norance Of the question he is dis
cussing or are attributable to his desire
to wilfully mislead his readers, we will
not undertake to say. Certain it is
that all the "nailing" which has been
done is at his expense.