Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-09-12
Let's Kiss the Politician Goodbye.


was mad clear through.
He happened to be one of the
legislators who voted for most of
the foolish legislative proposals
introduced at the last session of
the last session of the legislature.
Naturally, he regarded the article
as a wallop between the eyes.
Had he been wise, he would have
kept still. But he stormed around
about it. Finally he met man
who had the courage to ask him
a few questions he could not an
swer.
The questions dealt with some
of the bills this legislator had
voted for last spring. The bills
involved millions of dollars of
taxpayers money. Being bills of
great Importance, it is fair to ex-
pect that every member of the
legislature should understand them
and know what effect they would
have upon taxpayers if passed in
to law
But not so. The legislator knew
as little about the important de-
tails Of the bill as if he had never
heard of it before. Yet he voted
for the bill.
Well, the conversation between
the two men finally waxed warm
and the questions naturally be-
came somewhat personal. The
legislator was asked four ques-
tons. None was hard for man
with business training to answer.
All were fundamental to business.
The legislatator was unable to
answer any of them, proving that
he did not know even the very
rudiments of how business is
done
1t was stated in the last BulIe-
tin that many of our legislators
were accustomed to spending nick
les, but know nothing about bus
mess involving millions. This leg
islator happened to be one of the
nickle men. Yet he was taking
an active part in that all-too-fre-
quent game of spending the tax
payers millions.
Even after passing through a
session of the legislature, this man
was surprised to learn that the
state has nearly 5000 people on it's
payroll and that taxpayers pay al
most million dollars every month
for wages and salaries. He was
surprised to learn that about one
man in every twenty in the coun-
| try is on a government payroll
and that one days pay in every
SIX of every man goes to pay gov
eminent expenses. He was sur
prised to learn that the states
business is by all odds the biggest
in the state and the cost of it APP
proaches on hundred million dol
lars per year.
He did not know that it cost
every man, woman and child in
Wisconsin $1293 for the support
OF our state government during
the last full year on which fig
ures are available. Neither did
he know that S12.93 is more than
twice as much than it cost every
man, woman and child for state
government during the year 1918
In fact, costs meant nothing to
him. They did not worry him be-
cause the money (the taxpayers
money! came easy. He was voting
for bills that had a popular ring
to them, bills to pull the wool
over peoples eyes so he could con-
tinue in public office.
The large majority of people are
honest. 1t is only now and then
that one meets a dishonest person.
Therefore, practically every man,
whether he is a modest little
home owner or man of wealth,
is always ready to pay his fair
share of taxes.
But we have all reached a point
where the item of taxes has begun
to pinch. Taxes are so high they
hurt. And that applies to every
man, woman and child in Wiscon-
sin, because all pay taxes either
directly or indirectly.
Any boob can spend money, but
it takes good man to save or
make money.
No one cares whether the doctor
he calls for his sick child is a
democrat or a republican, a half
breed or conservative. ALI he
is interested in is that the doctor