Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-11-05
STATE DEMOCRATS
HIT BY BOOMERANG
M'GOVERN SHOWS UP THEIR
ECONOMY" RECORD III
LEGISLATURE.
VOTED FOR APPROPRIATIONS
Proves Democratic Promises Of Eco.
non1y in Nation Mere Vote
CaGcherS.


Govern, in his opening speech at
Rhinelander, showed how insincere
is the Democratic charge of extrava-
gance against the last legislature by
setting forth just what part Demo-
Gratis took in the appropriations by
the last legislature.
On this point he said:
Democrats and Alleged Extravaganza.
"The Democratic platform de-
nounces the present state administra-
ton for it's reckless extravaganza in
the appropriation i. of public
funds This declaration was calcu-
ated, l suppose, to catch votes. If
so, it may be shrewd play. But
again consistency has been thrown
to the winds; for any fair or truth
full criticism Of the large apprOpria-
lions of the last legislature must fall
as heavily at least upon the Demo-
Gratis as upon Republicans.
''These bills were prepared and
submitted by a joint finance COM
mittee Of the legislature. There
we're five Democrats on this commit
tee. On the twenty-five most i'm
portant appropriation bills - and
these include all the appropriations
subject to criticism-the total num-
Der of votes cast by them was eighty,
# which seventy we're in favor Of
.hese bills and only ten against them.
eight of these twenty-five bills
hU
the finance committee on the motion
Of Mr.. ROessler, a Jefferson county
Democrat. Seven others were recon-
mended for passage on the motion of
Mr.. Kneen, of La CrOsse-anOther
Democrat. One was recommended
on the motion OF Senator Randolph,
a Democrat from Manitowoc county;
and one on the motion of Senator
Bichler, an Ozaukee county Demo-
crat. And the remaining eight bills
were recommended for passage on
motions made by other members of,
the committee. The seventeen of the
twenty-five principal appropriation
measures were recommended for pas
sage by the joint finance committee
upon motions made by Democrats.
But the Democratic party is now hOr-
riied at the reckless extravaganza
of these appropriations. Are we to
interpret this declaration Of theirs as
proof of forgetfulness or plea for
mercy? It is hard to tell.
Criticism With Poor Grace.
"There were six Democratic mem
bers of the state senate during the
session Of 1913. They had collec-
;ively a total vote on these measures
of one hundred and fifty; but only
sixteen votes we're cast by them
a~ainst these bills. On the final pas
SAGE Of seventeen Of these twenty-five
bills the senate was unanimous.
While they were pending in the sem
ate twenty-One amendments were
proposed to them, in most cases with
2 view to reduce the contemplated
CONCENTRATIONS. OF this number
fourteen were ofered by committees
Of the senate, seven by Republican
members ard none by Democrats. But
The Democratic party nov does pen
once in public for the extravaganza
.cs official orEese1tatiges then ap-
proved.
'.Wb.le these bills were in the as
1ombly ffty-four amendments were
,'arcJ from the floor, most Of which
>oDosod reductions. Of this num-
Ser thtrty-two were proposed by Re-
~Uhlicans, thirteen by committees,
ne b7 a socialist and only eight by
democrats. AS there were thirty
four Democratic assemblymen in all,
counting the Democratic non-parti-
sans from Milwaukee, the condemna-
t;cn Of these measures now found in
the Democratic platform comes with
poor grace. The time for criticism
was then; not now, The fact is that
the Democrats Of the last legislature
supported these bills quite as gener-
ally and much more vigorously than
did the Republicans.
High Tax Charge of Democrats.
Another declaration of the Demo-
cratic platform is that taxes in Wis
consin "have leaped from four mill
ions Of dollars to sixteen millions Of
dollars per year within ten years
without any visible advantage to the
state Though denied again and
again, this statement has been so re-
oeatedly made that further denial of
it's accuracy is probably useless. APP
Darently, it is asking too much to ex-
rect a Democratic politician to dis
tinguish between taxes, expenditures
and appropriations. The subject
seems to be too abstruse for him. In
dealing with this declaration, there
fore, l shall content myself with say
ing that there is no truth in it. Taxes
were not four millions of dollars ten
wears ago, nor do they amount to six
teen millions of dollars now, nor to
anything like it. Moreover, there
has been visible advantage to the
state in the increased expenditures
"a vacant wears To go no farther