Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-03-27
The EXECUTIVE AUTOGRAPH
1t VIII Not be Found Em5elliShing
the Veterans Home
Bill.
Cogent Reasons Civ en- by the Cover
nor for Withholding His Ap-
proval of the Measure.
Bill Made Special Order for
Thursday Morning.
Proceedings.

/ II. Crooker offered PRAYER,
Veterans aome Bill Vetoed.
A message was received from the gov
ernor which contained veto of the bill
appropriating $50, 500 to the veterans
home at Waupaca. 1t is as follows:
herewith return bill No. -. S, enti.
| tied An act to toappropriate to the Wiscon.
SIN Veterans home at Waupaca a sum OF
money herein named. without nv nm.
| proyai in its present form.
While heartily IN accord with the legis-
iature and the people of the state. as TO the
wisdom or approprIatIng such a sum to
| the veterans home as may he needed to
make the inmates comfortable. there are
some serious objections to this bill; which
will point out. and feel that you will
agree WIth me-
The bill appropriateS to the Wis ,onsin
veterans home at Waupaca the sum of
S50, 800. The association is a private cor
poration, organized for the very IaudabIe
purpose of establishing and maintaining a
home for destitute soldiers. sailors and
marines, their wives and wild pws, Yesid .ng
IN this state, who cannot be admitted TO
tie national homes for disabled volunteers,
and to secure to them in their old age and
Etrmlty the comforts and care to which
their service to the country in its days of
danger entities them.
The corporation is nominaIlv, at ,east
established under the auspices of the
military order of the Grand Army
Grand Army of the Republic. 1t is under
stood that considerable assistance to It's
maintenance has been contributed by pri-
vate persons. The state appropriated
fifty thousand dollars two years ago for
the purpose of erecting and equipping
buildings; and by a permanent appropria-
ton, made in 1887. the state PAYS
three dollars per week per capita to-
wards the support of each inmate. The
ouJect Of the association is highly
aommendabIe. 1t is III / sense a public
object. for 1t is to provide for a class of
persons IN their old age and keIplessness.
whom the state is Under peculiar and
special obligations to care for. ii is a
private corporation Ostensibly, and vet the
public are to provide IN large part for
Its maintenance. 1t Is not a state institu-
ton to be under state control, yet it is
state institution to be under Stute support.
The state Is expected to provide chiefly for
the expenditures for building, but the
state, the principal contributor, is ctudi-
Ously denied all supervision or control.
The mode and direction of expenditure.
the objects of the bounty, the power of
visitation and watchfuIness for tie inter
ests of the state and of the bene6ciaries Of
It's generosity. are committed to private
persons. The people. through the chosen
agents of their sovereignty, are deemed
worthy to give but not to watcL II
guard.
1t is true that the bill makes some show
of securing the state against misapplica-
ton of the money. 1t Is provided that
the treasurer of the home shall give
bond, but the obligation 10 be given is, in
view of the context Of the bill, useless
formallty. 1t may guard against the per-
-onaI defdicalon of the treasurer but ii
does not secure faithful application.
such as the state should he guaranteed,
[sectiyn Of the bill making the ap-
priation is quoted.
The entire discretion as to the expendi-
ture Is given by the last clause of this sec
ton to two members of the board of trus-
tees. Tney may certify such improve
ments and articles as they see fit, and
the treasurer must pay out accordingly
This is wide discretion loosely conferred
upon only part Cf the board of trustees.
A more etfectual absolution from response
bility it is not easy to conceive. and deem
this loose and improvident Iegis-
ation. For any other object,
however worthy, such a bill coud not be
passed. No other body Of men, however
distinguished fer public service or priva te
merit could successfully ask of any Iegis-
lature such a large gift with such ILL.,
guarded disposal of the money given. 1t
is not to be tolerated In our system that
moneys taken from the people by the pro
cesSes Of taxation shall be committed,
without check or guard as to the dispens-
ing, to individual caprice or discretion.
The bestOwal Of public money to private
persons to be expended through private
agency, even for purposes incidentally
beneficial to the public, has ever been re-
garded as a dangerous stretch of legisla-
tive power, of doubtful constitutionaIity.
and unwlse and mischiev0us in precedent;
d departure from sound principles of gov
erhment. When moneys are thus to be
applied and especially when a private
charity is to be administered at public
cost, it is at least the duty of the legisIa-
ture to throw about such expendi-
IdlC CFEl HdltGtl tlul u anu every
guaranty which the law can af-
ford, that the benefaction of the state
shall he faithfully applied to the true pur-
pose of the bestowaI. 1t is not enough
that the managers ara deemed honest,
high-minded men. The state has no right
to give away the peoples money and abdi-
cate all discretion in its expenditure
There Is duty of careful supervision and
q
owed to the wives and widows, for whom
this home is maintained. as to the tax
payers who must bear the burden. II is
peculiarly for the interest Of those for
whom this home Is designed that there
should De no laxity permitted, no discre-
tiOn loosely conferred, no responsibility
tolerated The Jealousy, of the people
should not be aroused r gainst the institu-
tion nor suspicion cast on those who con-
duct 1t. They ought not to shake public
confidence by demanding that the state
simply give and leave the rest 10 them
SIch claim Of exemption from responsible
ity and reasonable supervision Is very sure
soon to chill the generous impulses of a
commonwealth, ever willing to give wisely
| and safely for every Just object Of Its
care.
luE teidiulC VI 1909 uldtAE du AplHO-
| priaticn of $50 900 for the home. 1t was
in a sense conditional. The act tehap
264, laws of 1889, provided thai the &C
ceptance by the home of the money ap-
propriated should vest the title of the
real estate of the home in the state OF Wis
| e0nsin, subject to the right Of the home to
have the use and enjoyment and posses
sion Of sold real estate ds a home for sol
diers, ETC. as long as said home shall use
said real estate for sneh purposes; ard said
Wisconsin veterans home shall convey
said real estate to the state of Wisconsin
by good and sufficient warranty deed, In
! accordance with the spirit an2 interest Of
this act within one year.
The deed, executed az a pretended COM
plianee with this act, falls short Of satis-
tying either the intent or spirit. L con-
veys the property to the state subject to a
mortgage, which it expressly provides
that the state shall pay. The corporation
also executes not a 'tgOod and sufficient
warranty deed, but a conveyance clog
ged with the following conditions:
Here is recited the condition that the
city of Waupaea shall have an interest 70
the amount Of $500 in the properly IL it
Is no longer usedfor some charitable pur-
pose1
The clear title that the state was to have
is at the outset sought 10 be encountered