Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-03-25
Taxpayers League Met Here
Friday IN County Convention
About One Hundred and Forty Delegates and as Many
Alternates and Citizens in General, Assembled to
Protest Against State Extravaganza in
the Tax Situation

City of Platteville-Geo. H. Meyer, F.
Pitts, johnson Rundell. r. e. Huntington,
A r. Rundell, Dick Shepherd, H. E. Stephens,
A w. HooSier.
Motion was made and carried that the
chairman appoint committee of seven
memb ers, on resolutions The follow
ing committee was named:
Chas. P. Him, M. w. Metcalf,
Delbert Morrissey, G. j. Ragatz,
Albert Rundell, Fl. E. Stephens, E. j.
Austin. While they we're preparing
their report the chairman invited Hon.
j. w. Murphy, of PIatteville, former
democratic representative in congress
from this district. to address the con.
vention.
Mr.. Murphy is graceful and elo-
quent speaker and was at his best on
this occasion. He thanked the chair.
man and the delegates for the honor
and privilege of being asked to ad-
dress the finest convention he had
ever attended in Grant county. it's first
non partisan convention. and. as voice
in the assemblage suggested aud the
/ speaker approved, its first business
convention.
1T must be an important condi-
ton, indeed" said the speaker, that
has induced so many representative men
men from the farms, from the work
shop, from the business places men
of wealth. men of intelligence, men
of Importance and standing in their
several communities, men of all poll
tical par ties and factions to forget
their politics and their differences to
assemble together in seeking redress
for their grievances. Have we griev-
ancesS AS I look into the earnest
faces of the men here who have
spent many years of their lives in
toll to produce the splendid develop
ment of this county, 1 realize that
you are here to attempt to regain
| the lost rights of men which have
been and are being taken away from
| you and which once lost can only be
regained by some such movement as
stances grown to magnitude that has
become well-nigh confiscatory. in
less we put up the bars we shall have
within few years nothing to put the
bars around.
lone by one our rights are being
taken away" he said. until now
there scarcely remains the right to
peaceably assemble and petition for
the redress of our wrongs. If you re.
main silent too long this right will be
taken from you also. The burden of
taxation is not the only wrong to be
righted. Money and property can be
replaced, but when the rights of free
manhood are once taken away they can
only be restored by means less peace
full than those in use in this conven.
tion.'
The speaker cited the wonderful
increase in taxation within the past
few years; the extravagant expendi-
ture of public money; the part taken
by the state university in politics and
legislation, with MISSIONS contain
ing one or more members of the uni
versity who not only draw one salary
from the state as instructors in that
institution of learning but another
salary also az members of such com
mission and the policy which permits
and encourages high-salaried profess
sors in the university spending
luxurious vacations abroad or in other
states, their pay going on just the
same while in many instances they are
rendering no service to the state.
''Those who started in the progress
sive cause said he, never dreamed
that it would reach such heights of
injustice and folly as it has reached
today"
Mr.. Murphy stated that he wanted
it fully understood he would not de-
stroy any institution that is of value
to the state, bat would destroy that
which is bad;' that government
by commissions must cease and the
taxing power given back to the people
and not controlled by little lotteries
of office holders -
In illustrating present taxing con-
ditions he told little story of young
man whose father had died and left
him piece of property which he
rented for 500 a year. When he
came to pay the tax on this place he
4
found it to be $780, thus eating up
his entire income from the property
and $50 besides. The young man, as
he looked at his tax receipt. sadly re-
marked: 81 felt little hard
toward pa because he didn't leave me
more property, but guess pa knew
what he was about after all. -
/ ha oe -.