The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-04-22
SAYS GOVERNOR IS SINCERE
Fake Cry" Raised by Political OPP
ponents of the Governor is Declared
to be fort of Opposition to Prevent
Reform Measures Passing.

| The executive committee of the Wis
consin Home Rule and Tax Payers
league recently issued the following
| statement to members of the league:
The battle for lower taxes, for
greater economy in the administration
of government, for relief from bureau
| cratic power, as exercised by countless
commissions, experts, inspectors, exam
iners, and other officials, for the restora-
ton to the people of the rights of self
| government, of which they have, in re-
cent years, been deprived-this great
battle has been transferred from the
stump and the ballot box to the halls of
| legislation.
| We have in Wisconsin a few politi-
clans, who seem to be opposed to popu
lar government at least when the re-
suits of an election are not what they
hoped for Their candidate for COVER
nor did not receive over one vote i'll ten
of those cast at the last election. The
political principles and partisan policies
for which they stood were utterly re
pudiated. The voters, by overwhelm-
ing majorities condemned the public
policies then in force as wasteful and
extravagant financially, bureaucratic in
| tendency, and undemocratic in aim and
in purpose. These same men are now
trying to block the legislation for
which the people called, and prevent
the relief the people demanded.
Say Governor Is Sincere.
Governor Philip is trying, by the
use of all the powers vested in him as
chief executive of the state, to keep
faith with the people to live up to the
promise made during the campaign;
but he and those who are Loyalty sup
| porting him, are constantly grossly mis-
represented, and sometimes cruelty ma
ligned. A press bureau is being stead
lily and industriously worked. Articles,
evidently inspired and prepared by sup
porters of the present bureaucratic sys-
TEN, appear at regular intervals in GER
tain papers, in Milwaukee, st. Paul,
Chicago, New York, and other cities,
and are then reported in home papers,
to impress and influence legislators.
This is not time for small politics to
succeed, when the people are aroused,
alert, determined to bring about neces-
sary changes. The fraud is too trans
parent. The methods adopted are too
contemplate. The object, thwarting the
will eff the people, is too clear Neither
| hn 10
sentatives can be deceived or imposed
upon in any such way.
Real Issues Evaded.
Somewhat akin to the press bureau
agency is the recent attempt to resort
to bogus referendum. Some resolu-
tions were sent out to town meetings
to get from the people an expression Of
opinion on certain public questions
These questions did not deal with the
real issues now up for settlement nor
were they fairly and honestly framed,
to permit the voters to give their views
on the subjects with which they did
deal. 1t was simply another example
of that political trickery, that factional
fraud, with which our people have be-
come all too familiar. There was moth
ing fair, candid nor open about it. It
can have but one Yesult and that is
marked reaction against the methods
and politics of those who got up the
scheme.
Why were not questions framed
to get the views of the voters on lower
taxes, getting rid of unnecessary Office
holders, abolishing useless commissions,
consolidating many of the state agen-
c1es now in existence, to save expenses,
and dismissing at once hundreds, better
still, thousands, of the peripatetic visit
ors, inspectors, experts, etc., now
clothed with little brief power TO an
noy and irritate business men in every
field of industrial activity The au-
thors OF the referendum did not want to
know what the people think in regard
to these questions. The echoes from
the ballot box have not yet died away.
They want to confuse the issues, to en-
barrass the administration, to put some
one in the hole.
Fake Cry is Raised.
1--WE call the attention of the tax
payers OF the state to the tactics now
adopted by the opponents of the admin
lstration. Every effort made to unite
our educational system and make it
! Tk90 of 4 no