Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-05-03


like many other terms, has had new
meanings, in different ages and cOun-
tries Patriotism was once called
the highest ideal for mankind. But
there is scarcely another issue I'M
der which more heroism has been
displayed and rascality been commit
ted. Patriotism today, creates ar
mics, whose victories bring glory to
those who do not do the fighting, and
ism induced the Russians to mass
acre the Jews, the German to perse-
cute the Poles and Americans to
lynch Negroes And in its narrow
one sided sense means-"My coun-
try right or wrong"
1t takes more nerve, more man
hood to do right, in the quiet bust
ness affairs of life, than, midst the
glamour of war-the sound of fife
and drum, to charge an enemy in
tent on taking your life. What we
need as administrators of the assess
ment laws of the state, is determin-
alton to do right between the state
and the tax payer, courage to face
the frowns of him, who tries to shirk
the responsibility of bearing his
share of the burdens of government
and a patriotism that urges us to
sacrifice self and see that justice is
done
In the administration of the laws
Of the state, there is less honesty in
the assessment of property than in
any other department. I say this
from past experience, and I do not
cast insinuations against any officer
present, because l believe that we
will have a better assessment from
this time on than we ever had be-
fore We sometimes think that our
Game Wardens are somewhat
crooked, our County Boards are lax
in their duties, or the Courts are
biased in their Judgment; but the
of ALL for they openly evade the law
relating to valuations and do not de-
ny it. In fact the only excuse they
make is, that the other fellow dose
it.
Now the State cannot be honest
unless it has honest officials. That
proposition we can all agree upon.
If you will so down to Madison and
look through the office of Secretary
of State, the State Treasurer, the SUI
perintendent Of Public instruction or
any other department of state, you
will find system and honesty in every
particular.
Go into your County Court House,
and there you will find business done
with strict accuracy and honesty and
according to the law as laid down by
our state and county legislatures.
Look at the business done by out
of-town officials; the Town Clerk and
Treasurer make a report of their
work, of the financial condition Of
the town, with all the receipts and
expenditures at the Town Meeting,
and you find everything correct to
a cent and perfect honesty and in
tegrity prevailing in every office.
But when you come to the office of
Assessor, where it requires, not so
much technical knowledge, but good
horse sense and honesty of purpose,
what do we find? | am panied to
say we find some assessors valuing
the property of their district at 80
per cent some SO per cent and some
40 per cent of it's true value and of
times the same assessor, valuing
horses at 60 per cent, cattle at Is
per ,ent, real estate at SO per cent
and wagons at 80 per cent. Now
honestly, nv fellow workers, for the
State of Wisconsin, how long do you
think the state could do business, if
all the officials done their work in
in the same manner as we do?
| said [ was panied to know these