Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-11-02
Burt Williams
For Governor

1--WE favor all real progress in govern
tons that make government service
able to the people and advance the
cause of humanity" This is the sugar
coated pill that the Philip crew ex-
poets the people to swallow. Inside
that sugar pill, as the Democratic plat
form very truthfully recites, is en-
trenched special interest. Give it two
years more and it will be impregnable.
"The special interests" says the
Democratic platform, "have become
intoxicated by their return to power
since 1913. Measures to benefit all the
people have been neglected or aban-
doned, while special laws to benefit
private interests were rushed through
the legislature under the pressure Of
the administration. The reactionary
message of reactionary governor
strongly recommended overturning the
established policies of the state with
regard to the income tax and work
mems compensation. Desperate eff
forts were made by mercenary lobby
to accomplish this treacherous object
The appointees to public Office have
been men long trained in the service
of the corporation to think and act in
manner hostile tn the public interest
and the common people"
The Republican platform endorses
the effective efforts of Governor
Philip which resulted in a material
reduction in the cost of state govern
ment. The voter is expected to accept
this statement without looking at the
facts and figures. The fact is the fig
ures have been juggled; work once
done by the state is now being done by
the counties, less effectively and at no
reduction in cost. The tax burden on
the people has not been reduced but
efficiency and service to the people
have been materially reduced. The
Philip administration has not only
eaten up as much tax money as any
administration that ever preceded it,
but it has used up large balance that
was left in the treasury by the preced-
ing administration. The state treasury
is now practically empty and Wiscon-
sin is on tie brink of bankruptcy. This
is a record that they simply have to
sugar-coat. Will the people of Wiscon-
sin be so gullible as to see only the
worded sugar-coating around this bit
ter pill?
The Republican state platform prom
Uses "a liberal support of institutions
that make government serviceable to
the people and advance the cause of
humanity" More sugar coating around
the bitter facts which are honestly
described in the Democratic platform
which, when referring to the railroad
commission, for instance, declares as
"a commission organized originally to
combat evils and undo wrongs COM
mitted by. the large public service cor
porations that could not be reached
effectively in any other way, has be-
come in this administration the bull
wark of these corporations.
1.-THE railroad commission with it's
increased powers, is beginning to rob
municipal government of every vestige
of home rule in the government of pub
lie corporations, and wave of protest
is already sweeping through the state
over it's oppressive acts. 1t has al
ready ordered various towns and cities
to pay hundreds of thousands Of dol |
lars for railroad improvements that |
for half century in Wisconsin have
been borne by these corporations. It's
findings on valuations and rates are |
being irresistibly Influenced by the