Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-03-19
From the Milwaukee Free Press

FROM LD6 mliWhukee free Hf6SSs
1t was long ago discovered that history
is series of repetitions. Wisconsin is
performing historical acts at this time
and by looking back less than half a
century we may observe conditions strik-
| ingly similar to those that are tract
| ing attention today. Take the late
wholesale substituting of newspapers in
the interest of aggregated corporate
bodies as an instance.
There were not so many newspapers
in Wisconsin in 1856 as there aie now,
and the promoters of the La Crosse land
grant did not seem to regard the smqller
papers as worthy of much attention.
| The only appropriation of the La Crosse
bonds to public journals was $40, 900 TO
the Milwaukee Sentinel and S., 600 each
| TO the Wisconsin Banner of Milwaukee,
I and the Wisconsin Patriot of Madison.
Mr.. II. l. 2 timer, VINO acted as an at
torney for the La Crosse railroad, tesii
| fed before the investigating committee
| of 1858 in relation TO the last mentioned
payment; 1t was 80 paid by the in
structions of the president, Byron Kill
| bourn, and in pursuance of an agree
ment partially negotiated by him and
partly by myself by his direction TO Sc
cure tue friendly cooperation of that
| firm Owners of the PATRIOT in behalf of
| the company generally and in consider
alton of their publishing from time to
time such reports and matters in rela-
ton TO the company as might be desira-
BILE to prsmote it's general interests.
Mr. Palmer's statement would apply to
conditionsof today, as we'll as TO those
of forty years ago, ''mutatis mutan-
dis"
JUSTICE SMITHS TESTIMONY.
Bnt the railway men looked farther
than newspapers to find sources of in
fluenca. A. ID. Smith was at that time
justice of the supreme court Of the state
and had the year before handed down
the decision of that court exempting
railroads from taxation on their pay
ment of bonus" in the way of per-
centage upon incomes. He also testified
before the legislative investigating COM
mittee as follows;
Some time in the latter part of 1856
or forepart of 1871 think in January
| 1857, but am not sure-I found one morn
| ing ON my table in my library in Mil
waukee package containing ten bonds
of the La Crosse and Milwaukee Rail
road company, payable five years from
date, / think. From whom they came
did not know, or for what purpose;
but supposed most likely they were left
there by the management or direction
of the La Crosse company, and had no
reason that know or conld think of to
believe G. suspect that they were in
tended for any unworthy purpose. But
though stood in no official relation to
the company, / could see that such re-
| lation might arise | could foresee other
circumstances wherein | thought it
might be my duty in justice, as well
TO myself as to the state. to retain those
bonds safely an6 securely within my
control, to be produced as circumstances
might require. therefore replaced the
bonds in the envelope. took them into
| the bank where l kept my account and
| requested the cashier to put his seal
upon it and deposited the package In the
vault of the bank subject to my order
as special deposit, and there they re.
main to this day" Then he goes on to
tell how he argued with Governor Bash.
ford that the latter, for the welfare of
| the state, should not veto the bill giving
the land grant to the La Crosse company
and finally suggested to him that he had
better see Mr. Kilbourn president of the
company and ascertain the interests
and prospects of the company from him.
self, to which he assented, and Il sun
sequently and at time appointed intro
duced Mr. Kilbourn the same day"
BRIBED GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATORS.
Gov. Bashford received $50, 900 of the
1 bonds, sold then and moved to Kansas.
All the members of the assembly Except
four whom 1t WIS not thought safe &c
approach, received S5 600 each in stock
or bonds of the road, each senator SO
voting, (egain excepting four from $10,-
900 to $4,000 par value of the same
| paper, and other state officers from
| s.. 900 to $40, 600 each. The total amount
| of face value of stock and bonds assigned
to senators was $4,000; to assembly
men $3.50, 900, and 10 state officers and
outside parties an aggregate amount Of
| 1900 900 additional, Judge Levi Hub
bell, who had given the first Judgment
in faver of the railway company in the
| Waukesha tax suit, was awarded Sl0,-
600 in bonds, the pal ticulsr service Tor
which il was paid not appearing 1t is
/ somewhat gratifying to learn that very
| few Of the recipients of these favors
made any financial profit out OF tn Z.
since the company became insolvent in
| a short time and the bonded bonds and
stock certificates consequently proved
worthless.
Amssa Cobb, afterward chief Justice
of the supreme oonrt of Nebraska, was
! at that time state sen tor, who told
his would be purchaser that Ii
| Byron Kilbourn would multiply his
$40, 600. 600 of capital ST. ok by the mum
Der of leaves in the capitol park and give
him that amount of money with clear
title to himself, Mitchell and Moses
Strong as servants for life be would
consider the proposition OF the subse-
quent results Col, Cobb stated that ne
had been told by Senator E B Kelsey
that after the bill had passed he tKei-
| sew and Gibson had went (sicl to Kill
bourn and demanded that Hull, speaker
of the assembly should get the same
that they got Upon my inquiring how
much that was, he replied S2G0, 600. He
alse stated that Hull sold his bonds at a
good figure and spent the money, while
we held on to ours until they were not
worth q dan"