Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-04-15


ington should pay for the erection Of
public buildings or for ataeir main
tenance. or for anything which was
used or intended to be used for purely
governmental functions It is main
tanned. however, that it is now the in
tention to make the residents OF the
district pay for the paving and for the
maintenance of the streets and alleys
upon which gov eminent property
abuts.
The senate has positively declined
to stand for the drastic change of the
system of taxation proposed by the
house of representatives. The resi-
dents of Washington say that this city
being the capital, congress should do
It's share In keeping the place beauti-
full and IN making It credit to the
people of the United States. They
say that If they have to pay all the
taxes it will iIhpoverish them. that
real estate win decrease in value. that
people viii sell out and leave Wash
ington and that without government
aid the city viii go to decay.
As the country pretty generally
knows by this time, the haphazard
method of beautifying Washington
has been stopped. There is now a
fine arts commission which passes
Judgment on all proposed improve
ments and no building can be erected,
no statute emplaced and M park laid
out without getting the sanction Of
the members of this commission of ex-
perts.
One Inquiry Worth While.
While the activities Of the lobby
investigating committee have been
more or less criticized. 1t seems
that they have produced results.
Some few officials in Washington
continue to maintain, however, that
the lobby investigation was not
worth while. Some of them seem to
think it will prevent law abiding citi-
zens. simply through fear that they
may be called corruptionists, from
coming to Washington to plead for
or against legislation in which they
feel natural interest
So far as can be learned, there
seems to be nothing to this line of
reasoning. The men who have hon
est reasons to enter objection against
proposed legislation or to plead for
it. seem to be just as willing to come
to the capital as ever they were. II is
true. however, that the men who lob
bied for pay and who used methods
not altogether commendable are no
longer In evidence. The corridors of
the capitol seem to be clean.
1t seems TO be true, therefore, that
the lobby investigating committee has
done good work and has produced
a condition which a good many men
would like to have seen produced
years ago. The question is sharp in
Washington, however, whether the ma
jority of the inquiring activities of
senate and house within the last three
or four years have been worth the
time and energy expended Some OF
the critics have called the series Of
inquiries government by investiga-
ticn." Has it paid?
Williams Calls It Craze.
Senator John Sharp Williams,
Democrat of Mississippi, is saying
sharp things about what he seems TO
think is an investigating craze. Mr.
Williams says 1t has cost a lot of
money and he apparently feels that
the results have not been common
70 IN,
about $4,000 have been spent In in
vestigating along various lines and
there are men of all political shades
of opinion who say that the work has
not been as fruitful as 1t might have
been. Others, however. declare that
no money spent in Investigating sub
iects to which suspicion attaches car
be wasted.
Now there are Investigations and
investigations Some of the inquiries
are forced by the very nature of
things, rs for instance inquiries into
whether Or not members of congress
are rightly entitled to their seats.
There are other kinds of investiga-
lions. however. which seem to spring
solely from the desire of some sena-
tor or representative. who thinks that
he has scented trail" to obtain a
place in the limelient for himself
which shall be held as long as the
investigation is In progress.
Spokesman for President?
There are some Democrats. Repub-
licans and Progressives in house and
senate who are urging that investiga-
lions shall be stopped unless clear
case can be made in advance that
strong evidence of an evil exists and
that there is real intention to root
it out. President Wilson apparently
is not IN entire sympathy with all the
investigating activities of his party
in house and senate.
II is barely possible that Senator
Williams, unbeknown to his col
leagues. has been the spokesman of
the administration when he charged
that a large percentage of the great
sums spent for inquiry purposes have
been used to little avail Mr. Williams
apparently wants his colleagues to re-
that economy is the Demo
cratic watchword.
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