Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-11

interest has prompted you to urge the
necessity of some of these appropria-
tions, l have already been made
aware, and that your representatives
in the legislature will hear from you
upon the subject l have no doubt.
81 may therefore be permitted to
say to you as tax payers that these
increased expenditures will require in
creased revenues and that any tax
measure which has the countenance
and support of your influence should
be just measure, one that does not
go beyond the public needs because an
undue increase in revenues will in
evitably be followed by extravaganza
in expenditure, but one so framed as
to exact from every class and kind of
taxable property, just and proper
tionate share of the total amount ne
cessary for the public revenues.
LAS the interests of agriculture are
important to the state, so is every
question of government to the farmer.
That the burdens of taxation rest dis
proportionately upon the owners of
lands, livestock and farm machinery
is beyond dispute. That this is so be-
cause the influence which you exert on
legislation is disproportionate to your
numbers, cannot be doubted That
this is due to faults in the system of
nominating candidates for office no
candid man will deny. That the far
mer is as much interested in good
government as any citizen, is abund-
antly proven by his presence at the
polls on town meeting day and at the
general election. That he does not
more frequently and more generally
participate in the selection of caucus
delegates is because he knows that
this method of effecting nominations
does not as rule subserve but in fact
subverts representative government.
s'The rugged, honest, self-reliant life
and thought Of the farm is potent for
all that is good in government and all
that is exalting in citizenship. It is of
supreme Importance to the permanent
cy of our political institutions that this
wholesome influence find full measure
of expression in all matters pertain
ing to the state. How can this be so
certainly secured as by direct vote in
the nomination of all candidates at
primary election But all at once it
is discovered that the primary election
is cunningly devised plan to deprive
the agricultural interests of any rep
resentation The farmer is now sol
EMMY warned by the city manipulation
of delegates and conventions that the
primary election which insures an
equal voice and an equal vote to every
man will be especially dangerous to
the country with it's large majority
votes under a system where majority
must absolutely control.
Gentlemen located in the cities and
centers of political control need not
be SO apprehensive. There is not
county in the state in which the
country vote has not from time to
time been polled almost to the last
man at the caucuses, not once in a
season but often two or three times
in single season in the struggles
which ensue over county nominations,
legislative nominations, congressional
and often over state no.
limitations.
when it is remembered that all
this effort to poll the full vote will be
concentrated by all candidates of all
parties for all offices upon one and the
same day with the interest of the vo-
served and protected by but single
visit to the polls no man can for one
moment doubt that the entire vote of
the country will be polled on primary
election day. Can it be possible that |
the fear of a full vote in the country
is the real cause of apprehension on
the part of some of the critics of no.
by direct vote of the |
people? Let us hope not, for under a
primary election as under general
elections great bodies of men cannot
be united and voted as a unit excep-
ting upon some great principle which
upon the broadcast ground to
Judgment"
Other Speakers.
Supt L. D. Harvey spoke at length |
of Agricultural Instruction for Farm
ers' Boys and Girls, urging that the
of this great industry should
be taught in the common schools.
President George McKerrow Of the
state board of agriculture spoke of
the work of the society and the needs
of the state fair.
In the morning, J. H. Dixon of Bran
don read paper on Sheep Husbandry
in Wisconsin; H. P. West of Fayette-
vile on Successes and Failures in
Swine Husbandry; George Wylie of
Leeds On Our Beef Breeds of Cattle. !
In the afternoon a vote was taken on
the resolution before the legislature
to amend the state constitution 90
that the state might aid in the i'm
provement Of public roads. Only two