St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-19
RICE LAKE ITEMS.
Correspondence OF the Globe.

Correspondence OF the Globe.
RICE LAKE, Wis, Feb. 16. Last night,
for the first timein two years. the Red Cedar
river, below the dam, was frozen over, which
would indicate its being the coolest night of
the season, although the thermometer this
morning indicated several degrees warmer
than many days in January, which month
furnished US with sixteen successive days
with the mercury 29o below.
Judge Taylor, associate justice Of the SUI
preme court, from the Western district of
this state, whose term OF Office expires next
January, will undoubtedly be replaced by
another man, aud the Hon. L. NJ. Villas Of
Eau Claire is strongly advocated for the
position. The fact of his being one Of the
most able legal practitioners in the state
should place him in favor with the people Of
the western district to any other man, as he
certainly is to those of this portion Of the
state where he is familiar. Should he be
elected he can be relied upon as possessing
qualifications enabling him to render supreme
court decisions which could be accepted as
unbiased and constitutional.
Printed copies OF the city charter for Ri ce
Lake have been circulated for consideration
among the people, and'i a very few days
we are To have the verdict as 10 It's accepta-
bleness by vote from the people. 1t may
be fa llacy upon our part, yet we cannot
err in expressing our view which is, that au )
place such us Rice Lake is, with Il population
not exceeding twelve hundred inhab-
tants, and which in the near
future must in part rely upon its surround
ing agricultural resources for its maiute-
nance AS q Furnishing business center,
should wish 10 dispose of its relationship by
Incorporating for several years. The taxes
levied may have been colossal owing per-
baps, to the amounts expended upon high
WAYS and bridges, benefting only scantily
populated section, the valued property OF
which was not taxable for oDe-haf the
amount required to deIray that expense, and
whose uudevelUped lands were not subject 10
taxation, as belonging to railroad corpora
tiOns, but which in the past three years have
all been purchased by actual settlers and are
being rapidly developed, increasing in yalua-
ton ut such a rate that percentage OF taxa
ton which would be quite agreeable would
enable them to provide for their expen 1itures
without being an encum brance to the proposed
city. We do not think that the per cent. OF
taxation under city form OF government
couiu De Reduced Al u greater rate lldu IL mas
been under the present system, which has
been per cent. 10 the past three years, aud
If any better provisions be made taxes must
necessarily be higher, under any system.
The charter is before them in its full mean
ing for con shleration, and every voter and
taxpayer should intelhgently cOudense its
pecuIarites to u concise understanding,
and then when the time comes, deposit his
ballot whether Rice Lake shall remain for a
few years longer portion OF the town Of
Stanfo,d, or be made a city with a population
of l,200 inhabitants, With charter sus-
pended over il constituting thirty-niue
ledgersize pages Of printed matter.
Can 1t be that the statement which Mr. Ed
munds made after announcing the electoral
vote, ''and which has made him the uufay-
ored to many who once idolzed him" can be
the beginning. Of adding himself to that ar
ray Of self-destroyed politicians, ''sucn as
Coukliug. Pstt. Dorsey, Elkins and Blaine,
who once led the grand old party, hut who
now constitute ,he 2. o. p. IS the greatly op-
pressed pluuderers, fallen by their selfish
ness.