The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-07
GOVERNOR Phillip
FIRES OPENING GUN
PRIMARY CAMPAIGN
Outlines What Wisconsin Has Done
For Winning the War and Asks
Support Of His Gov.
eminent.

ton campaign at Waukesha Tuesday
evening. He said in part:
Fellow Citizens: l have not WISHED
to make office holding business, and
prior to the time that our country be-
came involved in war l had firmly de-
termined to retire at the close of my
second term. Since the beginning of
the war, however, my office has been
the center of the states war activities.
This has brought to me experience
which should be of value to the state
in the present crisis.
In the matter of recruiting and
eQuipping the National Guard and in
the administration of the selective
draft act the state has faced and sue
cessfully solved many complex prob
lens. In the organization and manage
ment of the State Council of Defense,
as in other similar associations for
the purpose of aiding the war work,
the responsibility for results rests in
the governors office. The machinery
that is necessary to bring the war
needs Of the government to the atten-
| ton of the people, to secure from them
the fullest cooperation and to MAIN
tain this status during the continue
ton of the war now is in successful
operation.
While l wish to express my appre-
citation of the services Of ALI who have
aided me in the preparation and the
| management of this organization,
feel that l am not immOdest when l
say that 1 have had at least a small
part in all of this work and that it has
placed responsibility upon me to con-
duct it all, because it is necessary in
the interest of the war that this be
done.
l, therefore, again submit my name
to the electorate of the state as a can
didate for governor. / have held the
office for three and one half years,
which is sufficient time to demon
strate the policies that l advocated at
former elections, and which the people
were interested in at those periods,
and the people have a right to know
what l have accomplished, and wheth-
er the manner in which 1 have con-
Quoted the office meets their views.
refer here briefly, therefore, to the
accomplishments of my administra-
tion
1t will be remembered that in 1914
L made campaign against growing
public expenditures and increased
taxation. I maintained that the state
government should be operated with
the states revenues, and that no tax
levy should be made for general oper-
atlng expenses. In this connection I
call attention to the fact that no state
tax levy has been made for the purpose
of the general fund since I became
governor and the indications are that
no levy will be necessary for the next
two years. On July 1, 1918, the close
OF the fiscal year, there was $3.50, 900
in the treasury to the credit of the
general fund. The state taxes that
have been collected are the mill taxes
for the university, the normal schools
and the public schools. The latter
amount is the largest and it must be
borne in mind that this money is re-
turned to the counties where it is col
lected. The state merely acts as a col
lecting agency$
The claim which 1 made in 1914
that the expense of the state can be
kept within the state revenues without
tax levies has, therefore, been proven
true, and l feel confident that no one
Will undertake to say that the states
business has in any way suffered or
that its institutions are not being
maintained at high standard of eff
ficiency
Wisconsin in the War,
Wisconsin was the first state to or
ganize state Council of Defense The
institution was established by legis-
lative act and the Wisconsin law was
recommended by the National Council
OF Defense as a model for other states
to follow.
Wisconsin was the first state to pass
law giving aid to soldiers DEPEND
ents, and it is now the most liberal
state in the union in this respect. I'm
der the law every dependent wife of a
soldier is guaranteed an income of $50
per month for herself, and $40 per
month for each child for not more
than two children, making total in
come for the family of $50 per month.
The rate of $50 per month also an
plies to dependent mother in the
case of an unmarried son.
The amount that the family re-
celves from soldiers salary is not de-
Quoted.
wisconsin was one of the first
states to pass legislation exempting a
man IN the naval or military service
from civil process. We take the posi-
ton that the creditor could we'll af-
ford to carry the soldiers indebted
ness during the time that he is alb
sent and fighting for his country. and
that we should not tolerate a condi-
ton under which he might find his
property fOreclosed and sold ont nv
the sheriff upon his return from the
service.
Wisconsin suggested to Washington
authorities the use of election ma
chlnery for registration of men sub
Ject to draft. Wisconsin passed a law
Offering without cost to the national
government the election machinery of
the state for the purpose Of register
ing men for military service. The ex-
pense is borne by local communities
AS election ovnoncao oro