Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-03-25
To Hon. Louis Marcaettr--

In reply to your challenge or mani
festo or whatever it should properly be
called permit me to say:
FIRST That the platform OF which
you speak rs is usual inrepublican cou-
ventions was recommended by COM
mittee and adopted by the convention.
The committee in this case consisted of
ten persons, one of whom | had the
honor to be The recommendation of
the committee, however, was adopted
and the publication of That platform
was the act of the republican party as
whole. Why do you call me to ae-
count and not the party? Is it that you
fear to attack that honorable party and
It's illustrious records Do you fear that
your thunderbolt, if launched against
the party, will be disregarded by the
public, as they have disregarded your
other Nominations? Do you now hope
TO succeed by selecting weaker and
more vulnerable foe?
infer, however, that this is simply
an oversight on your part Your ex-
perience as to such resolutions having
been confined to democratic conven-
! tions you no doubt assume that in the
republican party as well, one man is
the whole thing" | am further in
clined to this view by your assertion
that Il am personally responsible for
/ the present administration, when as
most people understand it the city is
governed 10y numerous executive Off
GERS and council of eighteen members
all OF whom are responsible to the peo-
pie.
| SEcoND-In regard to the ap propri-
alton of money for the erection of an
engine house for the benefit of the Fifth
ana Eighth wards, the committee was
informed that Mr. Anderson, when
mayor, bad recommended that the sum
/ of s., 200 be set aside for that purpose,
and that his recommendation were
/ adopted by the council The commit
tee did not have time to consult the
records and acted upon what appeared
to be reliable authority, butt find, upon
an inspection of the records in the Of
! flee of the city clerk that the motion
made was that the recommendation
4 be filed, and that the word adopted"
does not appear in the clerk s minutes
of the meeting. Our informant was
mistaken as 20 the legai effect of the
motion, although not as 10 what was in
tended, and not being a lawyer he sup
| posed that be was stating the fact as it
existed Therefore you can say truth
fully, relying upon this legal technicali-
ty, that no money was appropriated"
for the reason that the maker of the
motion failed to insert the word
adopted" in his notion
But it remains true nevertheless,
that the city has purchased ground for
the erection of an engine i,Sase. that
the part of the city referred to is prae-
tically without efficient fire protection;
that it is the most populous part of the
city, being filed with great number
of small homes, and that you have
been in power a year and have not
lifted finger to provide for this great
need of the city.
THIRD-In regard to the proposition
as 10 whether or not the finances of the
city have been 'juggled" for political
| purposes.
ITO juggle" means according to the
dictionary to amuse or make sport by
tricks, which make false show of
extraordinary powers" While the
antics of the present administration
may not be amusing, they are likely to
make considerable sport You claim
great credit for yourself for having de-
creased the taxes of the city You
claim that you have given the city
better financial administration than it
had during the preceding year, and that
It's finances ere now in better condition
than when you took your seat At
least these claims are made for you by
the democratic press of the city The
tax levied for 1901, for all city purposes, /
was S95, 10000, for 1900 it was 1914 ,0000
The figures show no decrease. When
Mr.. Anderson took the mayors chair
in 1900 there was outstanding a large
amount of floating Indebtedness. and
the administration of which he was the
executive officer was obliged to levy
$4,000 90 to cover the Indebtedness,
which his administration inherited from
the preceding democratic administers
ton. When you took the chair there
was not a cent of floating Indebtedness,
and there was money in the general
fund, AID every trust fund and special |
fund contained every dollar the law re-
quired should be on hand.
An effort has been made to ascertain
how the finances of the city stand, but
it cannot be done The treasurer has |
filed no report since that closing. De |
cember 81, 1901. The books do not
show to what date interest on the pub |
lie debt is paid The funds are not /
credited with the amount Of the leyies. /
II would be necessary to have az ex-
pert take a trial balance of The city's /
business for a year before he could de- /
termine anything Your subordinates
may have this information in their pos
session, bat it is not on file where it
should be. Nobody has accused You or
any one else of Incorporating the
funds Of the city, but you have made
claims which it Is impossible to substan-
tate by the records, evidently for the
purpose Of soliciting votes ia the coming
elections and that is political purpose.
You endeavor ty this claim to lead the
public to believe that you have accom-
piished something extraordinary Tor
the city, while the records do not sub
stantiate that claim.
Il may be good business under the
as they exist for the city to