Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-01-13
WHAT A SLIGHT INVESTIGATION
SHOWS.

90
During the past week we have re-
ceived many words OF communication
for our stand in favor of the taxpayers
and against the boodlers. These COM
mendations, in many instances, took a
more substantial form than mere
words, and we have received several
additions to our subscription list as
well as numerous offers of assistance in
our efforts to throw some light on this
subject. We, in common with other
citizens and Taxpayers, have known
for long time that the affairs of the
town and county were being carried on
in very loose manner and that there
was a big drain somewhere, and this
week, in compliance with the request
of large number of our patrons, we
began an investigation to see If we
could find the source of that drain. So
far we have not been able to go farther
than what is shown on the surface.
But this has been SUI cient to show
that both our town and county affairs
are controlled by ring, patterned az
ter and fully as corrupt, as the one
presided over by Richard Croker, the
Tammany Boss. This ring as COM
pletely dominates the affairs of the
county as ever did the Tweed ring in
it's palmiest days, those of New York.
Under the domination of this ring,
no scheme, however bad, and no arti-
fee, however small, is too corrupt or
too little to be used in wringing money
from the county and Taxpayers. Bills
are padded, the salaries are looked up
on as mere pensions and services, per-
formed for the county which are a
part of the regular duties of the ofic-
ials, are charged for as extra services
and enormous bills, sometimes aggre-
eating into The thousands, are put in
and allowed by the county board where
not cent was legally or rightfrlly
due. Articles used by the officials for
their private use have been charged
to, and paid for by the county. Pri-
yate offices have been furnished, light
ed and heated by the county. Obliga-
tions rightfully chargeaole to the diff
ferent towns nave been assumed and
paid for by the county. Offices, with
good salaries attached, and where the
most laboiious part OF the duties is the
drawing of the salaries, have been Gre
ated for members of the ring and their
creatures. Salaries have been in
crersed and extra help provided for
where the duties of the Office were
merely nominal and where the previ-
GUS salary would be large compensa-
tion for many times the labor per
formed. Pretended reforms have been
made the cloak for still deeper raids on
the treasury. And now that their
boodling has nearly bankrupted the
county, the ring is endeavoring to bor-
row forty thousand dollars from the
state to furnish further pickings for
the faithful.
The records show that the present
members of the county board are eth
err part and parcel of this ring, or else
mere puppets in its hands.
They allowed bills for supplies which
they must have known could not posi-
bly, be used for county purposes. They
allowed one official several thousand
dollars for extra services that they
must have known, and did know, that
he was not entitled to, and the only
conclusion that an unprecedented mind
can arrive at, is that they are uncom-
monty generous persons or that some
arguments outside of the common were
brought to bear upon them to induce
them to be SO free with the peoples
money. just how long this state of
things has existed we do not know.
Our Investigations, with one or two
exceptions, have not extended further
back than the last meeting of the coun-
ty board. But the facts brought to
light show most rotten state of af-