Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

WIZ EO1OIldAI1 NCul " IllC II OIIl
when the government needed and
had to have their services. Yes L
have given preference to ex-sol-
diers in making recommendations
for appointment to Office when
other things were equal, and shall
continue to do so; because, first, Z
think it is fairly their due, because
it was promised to them during
war and second, nearly every
republican convention has promis-
ed it, and the republican party has
gone so far in this direction as to
pass a law, which is now in force,
in substance, declaring that ex-
union soldiers shall be given the
preference, other things being
equal, for every appointive office
that is to be filled, and l believe in
living up to that law in good
faith"
"Will you try to get a govern
ment building for any Of the
larger cities Of the district if the
general law for that purpose does
not pass ?"
would like very much to see
government building in every
town Of 5000 inhabitants, and if
such bill cannot pass, I think it
would be wisdom on the part of
the government to erect buildings
in such cities as Ashland, Chippe-
wa Falls, Wausau, Marinette and
Stevens Point; and perhaps in
Oconto, Hurley, Marshfeld, Wau-
sau, New London, Grand Rapids
and Merrill I know that in some
Of those places the government
now pays as high as $500 a year
rent for building for a postofice
alone. Eight hundred dollars is
equal to the interest at 8 per cent.
on over $4,000. The govern
ment could we'll afford to add
another $4,000 and put up a
building in towns the size Of those
l have mentioned, making $4,000
which would build building that
would answer very we'll for a
good many years, and thus fur
nish good facilities for handling
the mails and good accommoda-
tons to the people. Yes, there
are many ways in which mem
Der Of congress can make himself
useful to his district, but the field
IS SO large and the work, other
than that Of legislation, is so
great, that few members have the
endurance to work out to a sue
cessful accomplishment half that
they would like to. There is
actually more work than a man
can do to attend to the calls upon
him by his constituents without
even going inside the House of
Representatives at all. Yes, each
member ought to have a clerk,
and could if they only had the
courage to vote for a law to give
them one, but they are too cow
ardly to do it. The Senate, each
year, vote themselves a clerk and
put the amount necessary to
pay them into general appropri-
alton bill. The House members
could do the same thing, but they
are afraid their constituents will
blame them. The Senators, as a
rule, are rich and can afford to
hire their own clerks, but they
dou't, and they have them just the
same, while the members, who
have far greater need Of a clerk,
and are as a rule, poor and cannot
hire one, go 7olbE0ut bEem 'just
the same"
What about the sale of Indian
pine timber?"
I don't know what congress
will do about that and don't care
much. If I should undertake to
get bill through for its sale they
would say I was working to get
the timber for the lumbermen, and
if they don't they would say I
shirked my duty. The fact is the
Indian timber should be appraised
at its true cash value, as near as
human Judgment could arrive at