The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-03-11
A REJOINDER

reply to the Chieftain of the Associa-
ton of Commerce of Manitowoc. He
started in by accusing me of making
general charge against all the
members of the county board" The
accusation is false. did not condemn
nor commend the board for passing a
resolution to submit the road bond is
sue to a vote of the people. | said that
in view of the decisive vote of the far
mers against the bond issue, and be-
cause of the newspaper report that the
Association of Commerce would again
petition the board to have the question
resubmitted to another vote of the
people, the road bond question ought
to be made the leading issue at the
spring election and a chairman elected
on that issue, because | expect to see
the question brought up again in the
county board9 If town that voted
over 2 to l against the bond issue see
fit to elect for chairman man who
supports the proposition of bonding
the county for S3,OOO,OO0 or more to
build concrete roads for the wealthy
people in cities who have the time and
the money for JOY riding, well and
good But there is neither rhyme nor
reason in doing that. If the vote at
the special election is an index of the
sentiment of the farmers on the queS-
tion then they are overwhelmingly
against it and they should elect men to
represent them in the county board
who can be trusted to vote "no" on a
resolution ordaining another election.
Now for taking this stand the Chief
tain of the Association of Commerce
says | would "depopulate everything
representative in the county" Depopu-
late means to deprive of inhabitants by
death or expulsion. So, in other words
he charges that ! would put to death
or drive out of the county every mem
ber of the county board, town boards,
school boards, members of the legiSa-
ture, officers of the Association of
Commerce, officers of the City Fedora
tion of Women's clubs, in short, every
man or whom holding a position of
representative character. Now isn't
that an awful accusation? It's a Won
der he didn't accuse me of upholding
the dogma of infant damnation. But
I'll assume that his use of depopulatc
was a slip and let it go at that. But
! would suggest that if he writes again
he be more careful of his syntax.
This chieftain of the Association of
Commerce of the city of Manitowoc,
says the people are the sovereign
power of the state and should rule
Well, the people ruled on the road
bond question and why isn't he salts
fled to abide by the ruling? Why is
the Association of Commerce, through
him as its head going to make an eff
fort to upset the verdict of the people? !?
His talk about six or ten ton truck s
coming into use is all bosh The aver
age farmer in the northern part of the
county can easily take in Tin Lizzie
the farm products he now sells in Man
itowoc. And what else can you expect
with better market in Maribel, and
Maribel hasn't an Association of Com
merce, either.
Impose this enormous burden of S3,-
100000, Mr.. Cityman, on the farmers
who are now grOaning under outrage
Gus taxation, and who from now on
will have to pay all the road tax in
cash, and the day is not far off when
the farmer can take all the products
he'll sell in ManitOwOc in a wheelbar-
row instead of a ten-ton truck. The
farmer has been the goat" long
enough The worm will turn, you
know, Mr. Chieftain.
In referring to his temporary resi-
dence in the Emerald Isle as consul
from the United States, the greatest
country on earth, he says shot him
! with poisoned arrow, Well, | had
no more intention of hurting his feeling
than had Of "depopulating everything
representative in the county" My only
purpose in referring to that fact was
to show that the taxpayers opposed tc
bonding the county had a big man tc
deal with, or, at least, a man who al
one time in his life filled a big place
Indeed, it would give me pleasure tc
see him land another federal job with d
commission for life that would take
him off to Hongkong or Timbuktu
Bagdad or Port Said, or any Othe,
place "tcn thousand miles away"
Now another word and Pm done
Farmers in every town, | repeat, max,
this road bond question the paramount
issue this spring and elect men fol
chairmen who are opposed to bondin,
the county to build concrete roads A
chairman is to he elected in every towI
as this county is still operating undc
the old law and will until the count,
board ordains by resolution to COM
under the new law which makes tn,
term Of chairman three years.
A FARMER