Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-08-30
DECEPTIVE. NOT DIGNIFrED

/ FORMER Governor FRANCIS b Mc-
Govern delivered two and half
hour address on the street here last
/ "Wednesday evening. He repeated his
campaign speech of 1914, which lost
him the United States senatorship to
a democrat, because the people declin-
ed to swallow his high-tax message.
/ The first part of McGoyern's talk was
to tell his hearers that they had no
tax TO pay to the state; that the state
| gives them more than IS taken from
them Before his words we're cold he
| told the people their taxes were ex-
cessiye because of Governor Phiiipp.
| that he hadn't saved anything. In
the next minute he said Phlipp was
niggardiy and sordid and wanted to
starve the ADMINISTRATIONS to make a
| showing of economy He charged
extravaganza and higher taxes under
! Philip than during his administration,
but the figures are sadly against him
| If left to tell the story free from pol
tieal juggling such as Mr. High. Tax
McGovern is capable OF doing. The
appropriations for McGovern's last
term as governor were $50, 743, 4gs. Y.
appropriations at the last, or Philip
Legislature, S26, TS3, s45. y, difference
of So, $50, 252.40. For the last leqisla-
tive session Senator Hatton and Gov
ernor McGovern members of the state
board of public alta IS, now both cam
didates for governor against Governor
Philipp) officially reported the budget
for appropriations TO be made by the
1915 legislature, recommended a bud
get for S35, 100000. The legislature
and Governor Phillip cut the huge
/ ~ -.
what makes McGoyeru so sore and
hostile to the present governor. But
what do the people care for his sores
when they have a governor who is
not afraid of the scheming tax-eaters
and does his duty fearlessly and hon
estly by the peoplel
The tax levy of the state under Phil
ipp in 1915 was SS4l,627 less than I'M
, acI The last McGovern year, and it
makes Mack sore to be told of it,
McGovern left S2,500,0O0 of unsettled
appropriations to be paid by Philips
administration, and that makes Nc
Govern sore again to be reminded of
the fact. No wonder he goes about
the state heaping Goals of fire on the
devoted head of his successor.
State tax against Vernon county is
| less by $500 under the Phillip levy
of 1915 as compared with the last Nc
Govern levy. (See the official figures
elsewhere And that makes NJ ack
! sore again, but the people say amen
to the man who is trying to reduce ex-
penses and goes at it in the proper
spirit and with determination. The
| tax payers are looking for better con-
ditions: they know that relief must
come to them. The tax JOY ride has
increased amazingly. In 1914 $4,000,
! O00, or 50 40 for every man, woman and
child in Wisconsin. or $500 on YER
/ s 900 of assessed valuation. Ii is a.
| increase of $4,000 since 1910 and
! SIC, Co. coo lump since 1905, or 1T tn
rate of 81 ,000.Utj0 increase a year.
| it not about time to call a halt On
state officers and legislators like Nc
Govern and Rentz?
| The ex-governor said the Philip
administration had created the office
of state engineer at $4,000 He neg
| lected to say. however, that the $4,000
official had supervision over all the
states engineering problems. saving
better than $4,000 paid for miscnllan-
eous engineering a year in times past.
This last charge fairly we'll represents
the McGovern misre presentations of
Wednesday night
The ex-governor capped the climax
by telling the few hearers who re-
manned to the last that Governor Phil
ipp had appointed bad men to office,
while he, McGovern, had selected only
good men when he was governor
Wasn't that a settler for Philippe
And wasn't that petty and undigni-
| fed statement for one to make who
has held the honorable station of gov
ernor of the great state of Wisconsin?
And finally, the whole talk of the
former governor reminded us of the
disappointed canine who bayed at the
moon.