The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
Declares Governor Misleads
People and Falsifies Facts
to Get Tax Bill Over
ASKS FOR FULL PROBE
Senator From This District
Lays Cards on Table and
Calls Governors Bluff.
(By a Special Correspondent


Madison, Wis. Senator E. Ridg-
ways singing letter to Governor
Blaine on Tuesday, replying to the
governors recent letter of rebuke,
hurls back the sensational charge
without qualification that corrupt
means were used in attempting to con-
troll his tax bill vote.
Ridgway. challenges Blaine to lay
mis- cards on the table, by joining in
request for investigation by the
senate of his startling disclosures.
With c. E. Hanson's tax revision
bill, sponsored by the governor, de-
feated last week in the senate, 16 to
Is, and on Wednesdays calendar for
reconsideration, the senator's smash
ing comeback threw high takers into
new panic.
If Blaine sought to break down
Ridgway's charge by inferring- the
senator was disgruntled because he
was not appointed to the state board
of control the governor blundered.
Ridgway Hits Hard.
After saying, Blaine quoted only
part of a letter of Endorsement as to
the appointment, covering up the fact
that it was written without solicita-
tion on his part, Ridgway wrote:
"You try to get away from the
charge l made, namely that corrupt
means were used in attempting to con-
troll my vote l fail to find in your
letter any denial that this senate po-
liceman was not sent as an emissary
from you.
''The fact, governor, still remains
that the officer made the statements
which | quoted upon the floor of the
senate, That / should go down and
talk this matter over referring to
appointment of county judge in Wal
worth county, with the governor, and
he felt that would get anything
asked if I would only agree to vote
for your tax BILL
Refers to Moran Case.
Moreover, he is the same officer
who took a senator out for a chicken
dinner which lasted three days, while
the senate was under call and the
state was being searched for the sena-
tor, who upon his return voted against
your tax bill, and that this same of,
fcer was a former resident of your
home city, and the senator was found
in his company at a summer resort
near Boscobel, your former home.">
Summing up overtures made to him
hu tho roo1inor onl pIoi,aoic Jiooy,e
sion Of the board of control appoint
ment, Ridgway closed the letter with
the following challenge:
''Tn view of the fact that you have
accused me of misleading the public
and making untrue statements in the
matter, which deny, and in view of
the fact that / maintain that you have
made statements which will mislead
the public, and are absolutely false
and thi5 being matter of grave pub
lie cononrn, will you join with me,
governor, in asking an investigation
by the senate, in order that the pub
lie may be more fully informed as to
the full truth of the matter?"
Refers to appointment.
Ridgway makes this reference to
that part of Blaine's letter dealing
with his appointment to the board of
control:
Furthermore, governor, had you
desired to be fair, you would not have
quoted a portion of sentence from
the letter written to you by Roscoe R.
Luce of Elkhorn, and omitted to quote
the following which were contained in
the same letter:
" I have not been solicited by DR..
Ridgway to write this letter. In 9TH
er words you fslsified this to place me
in a bad light and vindicate your
self"
Appointment Held Club.
Then Ridgway goes on to say:
"Outside Of Walworth county, your
appointment to fill the vacancy in the
Office of county judge Of that county
was and is of little moment, but as
you know, you postponed making the
appointment for several weeks and
many of the people of that country
believe, rightly or wrongly, that you
held the appointment in allegiance as a
club to induce me to support your tax
bill"
Writing with the utmost frankness,
Ridgway charges Blaine with trying to
dictate to Legislators, and holds him
responsible for confusion among the
progressives.
"The real trouble between US, gov
ernor, lies deeper than the mere ques-
ton of your appointments or refusals
to appoint, and has to do with your
efforts to dictate legislation" runs the
letter.
Recalls Old Promise.
''You will recall that at the special
session of the legislature, called for
the purpose of repeating the secrecy
clause of the income tax law, you
called me to your office and told me
that if l voted for the substitute
which gave full authority
to all of the officers, whose duty it is
to administer and enforce the income
tax law, to examine the income tax
returns, and which amendment was
passed by both houses of the legisla-
ture, voted for by me and vetoed by
you, you would read my record in my
district during the following cam
pagin."
Just as frankly Ridgway tells Blaine
ne has tried big stick methods with
respect to the administration tax bill,
quoting him as saying "the hides
would be taken off the senators who
did not vote for it,
Wonder Abouf~ Comehack