The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-04-11

nibble bait of this sort are the ones
who can least afford to lose. Bust
ness men, especially if they have
money and experience, let the schemes
alone, and only laugh. It is the sal
AIRED peoplc-clergym pa
these Ompanies-teachers. clerks,
women, who take the chance and it
is useless to advise them 1t would
| seem clear that if the proposition Is
a good one it could be quietly mar
| keted in the cities where men with
money are eager for enterprises which
will stand investigation. But the car
nival Of hopes and disappointments
| goes on.
The Ice-Tax Law Dead.
The supreme court not only killed
the bill taxing ice exported from the
state, but Judge Marshall in his opin-
ion danced on the grave of the alb
surdity The distinction between a
state and the people of state has
always been close one; but it APP
pears here: THE titles to the beds
of such lakes is in the state, but not
| for it's own use as an entity. The
mere naked legal title rests in the
state. but the whole beneficial use
| thereof, including the use of the ice
formed thereon, is vested in the people
of the state as class. The class opens
to let out all who pass beyond, and
| to let in all who come within it's Dor
ders. Presence within the state is all
| that is necessary to participate in the
common right
The law created interest the country
over, and not little ridicule It was
an eruption of the wave Of tax agi-
| tation-an eager search to find some
new source Of tax revenue, as though
every such discovery is a triumph EX-
| Governor ScOfeld's reminder that tax
reform should be inseparably associat-
ed with retrenchment is a thought
that legislators should ever hug
closely.
Wisconsin Area and Population.
The latest census bulletin deals
with area and population. We think
Of Wisconsin as agricultural, yet it
may surprise some to know that of
our 2,069,042 population, only 1915
500 are in country districts The bal
ance are in cities Of from $500 up
wards. Our country population is
thus 61.S per cent. of the whole, about
the same as Michigan In Minnesota
the agricultural population is a bit
more. But while our country dis
tricts' are 61.S, in Rhode Island they
are but 5 and Massachusetts but S.5.
In eastern Massachusetts is a cluster
OF twenty cities having $4,000 or more
population. In New York state the
city population Gin cities Of $500 or
mOre) is % per cent. as against SO
per cent. in Wisconsin. There are 2
S52 counties or equivalent divisions in
continental United States The popu-
lation Of these divisions was 1894
80. The average population of q
county was, therefore, 26,646. These
1852 counties vary in population from
four in Bailey county, Tex, to 1885,
600 for New York county.
Census Within Per Cent. Correct.
People often ask themselves how
n
Francis a. Walker testified in 1892
to a select committee of the house.
Il should consider that a man who
did not come within half of / per cent.
OF the population had made a great
mistake and a culpable mistake"
Hon. Carroll d. Wright wrote in July,
1897: Il think that the eleventh CEN
sus came within less than 1 per cent.
of the true enumeration of the inhabi-
tants.'
The counties range in size from
Bristol county, r. l., with twenty-five
square miles, to Custer county, Mont. !
with 2O,49O square miles. or more
than New Hampshire and Vermont
combined. The average area is 1850
square miles, or almost exactly the
size of Rhode Island. 1t behooves
Wisconsin to be modest, for there are
twenty-five states larger Nevada.
Arizona, and four others over twice
as large
County Soldiers Monuments.
Dane county refused to indorse at
the polls the $4,000 appropriation of
the county board for a monument to
be placed in Madison to the soldiers
OF the war. Some of the old soldiers
are disposed to feel blue over it-and
even civilians confess bit of humil-
iation as they recall the glowing
speeches made in Madison to the de-
parting regiments, promise made
often that if the marching heroes fell