River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-08-23

was not the result OF a long, painful
and often bloody struggle. @
His Exemption Record.
1--WE believe that the caHdsdacy of
Mr.. Lenroot at this time, Would be a
positive misfortune to the Republican
party of this state, in view, Oh the rec
ord which the gentleman made in the
last session of the legisIat 8. / re-
fer to his action on tx measure
known as Bill No. 48aSa BIZ. to amend
section 1882 of the statutes of 1893,
in relation to exemptions. This meas
ure passed both houses of the legis-
lature and was presented to Robert
M. La Toilette, as governor, for ap-
prevail. The veto message of the gov
ernor, though brief, was one of his
best papers and breathed SYM
pathy and kindness that should have
impressed the members of the Wis
| consin assembly and caused them to
adopt his views on that measure by
voting to sustain his veto. In order
to be entirely fair, wish to give the
exact language of GOV. La Toilette in
dealing with this bill which SO vitality
affected every man whose only capt.
tai is in his two strong arms.
Section 5 of this bill amends sub
division Is of section 1882 of the
statutes of 1898, so as to read as
follows:
"15. The earnings Of any person or
persons having a family dependent
upon him or them for support at the
time of the commencement of pro-
ceedings for the collection of the
debt, for three months next preceding
the issue of any writ of attachment
execution, garnishment or the insti-
tuition of proceedings supplementary
to execution, to the amount of $50
only for each month in which such
earnings are made or earned; pro-
viding such earnings shall not exceed
$3.50 in all for said time. including
such part or share thereof had by or
Laid to the debtor during such three
months; provided further that no
part of such earnings in excess of $50
made or earned in any one month dur
ing such period of three months, shall
be exempt as against liabilities here
after contracted for any fuel or
other necessaries of life, sold to any
such person. or persons or furnished
to his or their families under circum-
stances which render such person or
persons liable in the law therefor
"ThiS section AS amended contains
further provision, but it is unneces-
sary to report or comment upon it
here. 1t will be seen that the ex-
emption established by the present
law of $50 month for three months,
is practically reduced, by this bill, to
$50. I cannot approve of any such
reduction.
"The wage Garner is really the one
affected by this measure. The ex-
emption now fixed is none too liberal
for the laboring class. The present
high prices Of the necessaries of life
would forbid the reduction of the rea-
sonable sum of $50 month for main
tenance and support of the debtor and
his family.
Quotes the Constitution.
Section II of article of the con-
stitution of the debtor is as follows:
'The privilege of the debtor to en-
joy the necessary comforts of life
shall be recognized by wholesome law
exempting a reasonable amount of
property from seizure or sale for the
payment of any debt or liability here
after contracted
''The trainers of the constitution
recognized the Importance to the state
and good citizenship of reasonable ex-
emption laws. They are prescribed
or made primarily for the benefit and
advantage of neither the debtor or
creditor class. In Importance they
oh OIL 0ffn n N
best interests of the state and it's
citizenship. 1t is true that it may be
in some instances a shield to the
dishonest, but no such consideration
can, at this late day, be successfully
urged against the constitutional pro-
vision of any law embraced within
it's spirit.
"The constitutional provision has
stood the test of years The unani-
nous verdict of the best regulated
governments of the world sanction
wholesome exemption laws They
have been commended and approved
by the courts. In the decisions they
are called humane and for the high
est good of the state. An able judge
of our court of last resort, at an early
Qdy, uSCu CnIO lduSuctSC Will ANlSl-
ence to them:
1T is that the citizen is an essen
tial elementary constituent of the
state; that to preserve the state the
citizen must be protected: that to
live he must have the means of liv-
ing; to act and to be d citizen he
must be free to act and to have some
what whereby to act and thus be COM
petent to the performance of his high
function as such; hence it would
seem, as no doubt it was, a matter of
the gravest state policy to invest the
citizen with, aid to secure to him
these essential prerequisites with
out which the state could not demand
of him at all times his instant service
and devoted allegiance.
THE census of 1900 indicates that
about 100000 working men of the
wage earning class were out of en-
ployment in this country for four or
six months during the year, and that
nearly one-half of all families in the
United States were propertyless. The
proportion for Wisconsin does not diff
fa,. GREATLY from these fioureS