Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-06-30
A DESERVED CALLING DOWN BY
THE MAYOR.
To Mr. w. II. Ettis, Editor Of the Psilos-
4lbp9.

I $1,000 -
pler.
DEAR Shiny attention was forci-
| bly, directed to an article emanaring
from your pen and republished in Sat
urday's Issue OF the DAILY RECORD ia
which the city government of Wau-
sau, the city council more particular
ly is mercilessly scored and the city
government charged with utter In
competency. u not something worse.
The office of mayor seems to have es-
capped your criticism directly, but al
though the mayor is not put In the
same category with the council and
not even mentioned. still he is an i'm
portant part of the city govern
ment and II the city government
OF Wausau Is SO remiss in it's duties
towards the city, be must bear his
share OF the responsibility and the
present mayor does not try to shield
behind the council. Whatever has
been done in .Wausau by way of leg
| islatiOn was with his approval, be-
cause not single measure has passed
over his veto and he must share the
| blame for what las been done or is
going on amiss as much as every al
| derrnan.
| The mayor as much desires an
honest and efficient government as
| you do, and he says as much for the
council, and the legislative and exec
utive branch are fully in accord on
that point, although they may differ
In the methods of attaining thatend.
The mayor must say however. that
| there is very little difference between
| him and the council even as to meth
DDS. You say 1.-The city pays two
| prices for things which we buy at
| half price from the same man who
sells it to the corporation" and
again you say, I'VE will elect a body
of men that will buy for the city as
economically as they do for them
| selves"
Now. you 80 confer favor upon
| the mayor anti undoubtedly upon
the council and unquestionably on
the people OF Wausau II you would
specify what they have bought at
| double prices. All the bills for the
things ordered to be purchased for
the city or OF necessity purchased for
| the city by the departments, are
department will receive orders to
render you all aid in examining
| them, and you will oblige the
instance or instances where that
has been done.
You say further, 1--WE will elect
| body that will fix the streets instead
| of giving them away" That has ref
erence to the street railway franchise
| granted. which was granted after
| pending three months before the coun-
ell. Where was you. trenchant pen
during all these month"; to caution the
| council or enlighten them In their
duties and prevent this great sacri-
| nee? Everybody had chance to
address the council who wanted to,
and the right of hearing would have
zen granted you II you had ap-
peared In opposition TO the grant.
Why did you not appear and speak
when 1t was time? Is your patriot
ism OF that kind which would prefer to
see the city government commit ire
parable wrongs so that you can criti-
clZe 1T afterwards rather than try
and prevent the injury by timely
action on your part? Are you OPP
p psed to this grant because you
want the city OF Wausau to build
and own a street railway? Ii so, do
YOU want the city to begin now or
when? If you are willing to grant
franchise to private corporation.
under what conditions would you
grant Ii?
Now here is chance to show to
the people of the city your capacity
Tor business and these questions are
asked in good faith and civily and are
worth an answer,
You say 1--WE will elect body that
will run the water works instead OF
tting it (does IT. stand for water
works or water?) run to grass
In the MAINS" III did not know
Y u as an intelligent mani would
say the statement Ia absurd on the
face of It. but that cannot he, COM
Ing as 1t does from man of brains
and business capacity and my failure,
to und .rstand the meaning of 1t
must be the fault of my own under
standing and will thank you II you
will make yourself "A little palmer.
You say I'VE will elect body that
will pay debts instead OF contract
them" Please give a statement of
the debts contracted by this council,
I'd when you run youreyes over the
books to look for debts, please be
kind enough to state what debts, II
any, have been paid. Further, 1--WE
lme days work for the same days
pay for the city that they Will do for
themselves" You willie a favor
upon me and the city's government
and the people by showing where we
paid too much.
But all these assertions and
charges were only mentioned as a
sort of by the way charge; as a sort
II garnishment for attacking the
council because of the passing OF the
dog ordinance, which has aroused
your ire.
Now. what does the ordinance re-
quire but the simplest thing In the
w rid. 1t requires every dog owner
10 keep his dog on his own premises, |
or under his control. What fault |
have you to find with that?
VIII you tell US what rights dogs |
have to soil the merchandise exhib- |
tied on the principal business streets; |
the ice which the Ice man leaves on |
our sidewalk for our cOnsumption;
the garden and yards which people |
desire to keep clean and nice; 70 des
troy the flowers which are an object |
If beauty TO every passer by; TO scare |
women and children peaceably and
quietly walking on the streets; run
ming In the yards of people after cats
t'fat are I'm their owners yards and
chasing birds who are the joy of the
owner of the premises? But these
are only Inconvenience with which |
people would put up. for the sake of
living in pence and In good fellow
ship with their fellow citizens who |
are. as you are, dog faneiers. 1t
were not these inconvenience TO
many people which lead to the enact
ment of the ordinance. III your love
for dogs had not blinded your eyes.
you would have seen half dozen
dog fights every day on the principle
streets OF Wausau in which half a
dozen dogs and sometimes more
were engaged; yun would have
known that men driving horses
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