Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-02-11
HOT STUFF REGARDING TAXES;
APPARENT ABUSES CONDEMNED
Substantial Citizens from All Parts of Grant County Make
Formal and Telling Protest Against Confis--
catory Methods-Pubiic Meeting
to Be Called, Sure.
To the Electors of Grant County !;

To the Electors Of Grant County;
On February 9th. certain members
OF the County Board met at Lancaster
at the hearing ordered by the Wiscon-
sin Tax Com mission upon the appeals
of several towns of the county from
the equalization made by the County
Board. After hearing the procedure
| therein, the mem bers who remained
in the city, in talking among them
selves concerning the existing condi
tions in the state, and in view of the
sentiment and action of the County
Board at it's last session, determined
that meeting should be held by them
to furnish means to the tax payers of
the county of expressing their opinion
upon the excessive expenditures of the
people money by the state govern.
ment and to afford some remedy for
existing evils.
A meeting was accordingly held by
all Of the board present. Hugh Mat
| thews, of Bosccbtl was elected chair
man and Harry A. Russell. of Rsrri-
son, secretary. A general discussion
was had Of existing conditions and
tendencies in the management Of state
government and it was the opinion of
all that state expenditures mad in
creased at an enormous and unWar-
ranted rate. thereby imposing upon
the people an unjust and outrageous
burden of taxation. for which they re-
ceived- no benefit; that state and legis-
lative affairs were too largely con-
trolled by professional politicians
working for their own selfish in
terests; that there had been under
recent legislation an unnecessary
restriction of the rights of the local
governments and d too marked
tendency to create commissions to
furnish positions for professional
politicians and their hangers on that
the result of this commission govern.
ment has been 10 centralize control at
Madison and deprive the towns, cities
and villages Of their rights Of self
government and to unnect s:arlly in
crease state expenses.
1t was the idea of those present
! that these matters directly affected all
of the people irrespective of party
affiliations and that the electors of
all parties should organize and in
sist that no candidate OF any party
! for state or legislative office should re
ceive support unless he pledged him
self to stand and work for economy
and business management in state
administration, repeal of needless
and freak legislation, repeal of laws
creating unnecessary commissions
and needless state employees, reduc
| tion of the exorbitant expenditures for
the State University and fairer con-
sideration of the common schools, a
greater restriction of the powers of
such commi siUns as may be neces.
sary, so as to assure to the munici-
palities and the people their rights of
local government and a proper
restriction of commission expendi.
lures.
While it was not felt that such an
organization should interfere with
party preference, if results could be
obtained within the party of the voter,
the ends to be attained were deemed
more vital than temporary allegiance
to party.
Thereupon it was determined to
form an organization to be known as
THE TAXPAYERS PROTECTIVE
LEAGUE" and the following resolu-
tions were drawn and unanimously
adopted and signed: I'VE, the
undersigned citizens of Grant County,
Wisconsin, mem bers Of the various
political parties but entirely ir.
respective of political affiliations,
believing that the present conditions
in the State Of Wisconsin require i'm
mediate action for the protection q
its people in their rights and property,
j do adopt the following RESOLU
! TIONS:
BE IT RESOLVED: That VIZ
condemn the great mass of freak ant
useless legislation that has beer
adopted by recent legislatures and
condemn the great multiplication o.
laws; condemn the long sessions tina
have been held during recent years a
large expense to the taxpayers fol-
each day and also the useless ex
penditures for emp lopees in and abou