Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-08-03
BLAINE PARDCNS
BOY in SPEECH
HUGE CROWD GREETS THE
'PARDON" GOVERNOR
ON SUNDAY

Governor John J. Blaine spoke in
Wausau last Sunday to one of the
largest political gatherings ever wit
messed here. 1t is estimated that
there were about 5000 people at Mar
athon park and close to a thousand
automobiles were parked there. While
many persons believed Senator r. M.
LaFollette was to be here, the in
formation that he could not appear
was given out the day previous and
reached many who would otherwise
have come to the city for the occa-
sion.
They call me pardon governor"
said Mr.. Blaine. II am glad they.
do. l have examined the cases in
which clemency was granted---did so
before / granted clemency--and l am
proud of my record The war made
certain conditions. Men are out of
employment. Many are shell-shocked
and often man in weak moment,
will do something that he will be
sorry for afterward. When can pick
a thistle and plant flower in its
place, when / can make an opportu-
nifty for a boy, am going to do so."
In the governors mail was a petit
tion for a pardon, and in connection
with that, after reading the petition
to the audience, excluding the boys
name, Governor Blaine said Here
is boy who enlisted at fourteen. He
lied to get into the army. He is now
eighteen, They say that / am not
pardoning anybody because l am cam
paigning / am going to make two
people happy today-this young man
and myself-and tonight, after this
speech, i am going to sign this par
don, right here in Wausau."
Attacks FOrty-Fourers
Governor Blaine, introduced by Geo.
w. Lippert, candidate for district at
torney, attacked the committee of A,
declaring that its platform contains
nothing of interest to the people. He
reviewed the acts of his administra-
tion, emphasizing the fact that hos
tile legislature had prevented from
getting through bills that had been
promised in his platform of two years
ago. Newberryism, the governor said,
was responsible for the result of the
primaries in Iowa. Nebraska and
North Dakota. and he implied that
tactics similar to those used In Mich
igan were being used by his oppon-
ents.
OF the $4,000 corporations In the
state, the governor said, some $500
had either made fraudulent or incor-
rect tax returns, 116 of which he said
were trying to withhold the soldier
bonus tax and because of this fact
work OF the state memorial hospital
has been delayed.
Corporations, the governor assert
ed, have been forced to pay the state
over a million dollars as result Of
checking up their income tax returns
for Jissce years back, and as a result
of the special session of the legisla-
ture, it will. now be possible to go
back six years in an attempt to OBJ
tain unpaid taxes. Governor Blaine
particularly attacked the secrecy
clause OF the state income tax law
as responsible for dishonest income
tax returns and urged that they be
open to examination as are the real
estate and personal property tax re-
turns.
Defends Session
"They say my special session cost a
lot OF money and that 1t was an i'm
position on the taxpayers" continued
the governor. "It cost $1,000 We got
back taxes of $4,000 from one con-
cern alone. And we are not yet
through. That is pretty good in
vestment, it is not?'
The meeting was held under the
auspices Of the railway bretherhoods,
railroad men from through Central
Wisconsin attending. Cooperating in
making arrangements were the local
LaFollette-Blaine club, the Non-par-
tisan league, the Society of Equity
and other organizations, represented
by members on the committee.
II. p. Daugherty. hrst assistant
grand chief B. of l.. e., of Cleveland,
| Ohio, spoke on the necessity Of re-
electing r. NJ LaFollette to the SEN
ate. r. Il. Curtiss, OF Crystal Lake,
Texas, vice president Of the Railway
Conductors, said that he had come to
| Wausau because the reelection OF
Senator LaFollette was of interest TO
Texas as well as Wisconsin, because
"LaFollette is very big man and we
cannot afford to lose him..
The meeting continued until well
after five o'clock and while some left
the grounds in order to attend the
baseball game which commenced at
four o'clock. the majority remained
through the meeting.