The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-10-21
The Republican County 1Jomi-
nees and the Rail Roads.


Rail Road INTEREST," 80 the cheapest thing
possible for the Rail Roaa power is to elect
Messrs Petit and Bailey, as 1t will save 6uy
ing them"
The ungenerous imputations thus lately
cast by the Union upon the Republican
nominees for the State Legislature, are so
much after the manner of certain ores in
a political canvass, that but for the un-
usual unfairness of the charge and the i'm
portance of the subject, they would scarce.
ly be worthy of notice, At q moment,
however, when such just apprehensions
so generally prevail in regard to the in
creasing political influenceeof these gil
gantic monopolies, the people are inter
ested in knowing that those who ask for
their suffrages have no completely with
these in their insidious attacks upon the
peoples rights. Tn that view the n quick
alarm and keen scent Of danger by this
organ of the Democracy, however needless
in this instance, are worthy of all COM
mendation in those whose office It is tel
watch over the public interests .1
Yet as citizens interested with all 9TH
ers in the protection of popular rights,
we must protest against this hasty as
sumption of hostility to the peoples in
terest in our nominees, and this partisan
attempt to create an unfair prejudice
against two worthy citizens because of
their business relations The grounds up
on which 1t is assumed that "Messrs Pet
tit and Bailey" are unworthy of the con-
idence of the people, deserve attention
from all who are SO unhappy as not to be
of the learned professions Mr.. Pettit's
"large shipping business" and eMr. Bal
ley's position, his large shipping 6us5-
ness, but for which his situation as Station
Master would be of little value, being
carefully ignored-are the reasons assign
ed for the Oioze1t presumption that "they
receive favors which as legislators they
will be expected to reciprocate" That
"the larger the business of men over a
Rail Road the greater the danger Of their
subservience to its interests-the greater
the interest of men in Jow freights, the
more certainly they will support monop-
lies in their attempts to get high rates" -
are deductions which, if logical at all,
must be made on principles known only
to the editor of the Union, and very in
comprehensive to common men.
The charge made against the regular
Convention of the Republican party that
"its nominees. for the Legislature were
made in the Rail Road interest" comes
with refreshing GOODNESS from journal
whose partisan friends and favorites have
done more for the last ten years to enthral
this State in dangerous servitude to
Rail Road interests than any othor body
Of men in it. So marked, indeed, has be-
come this party subservience, whatever
may be the wishes of many of its mem
bers, that it seems to have become an AK
ION with Rail Road lobbyists, that "They
have just as many friends in the Legisla-
ture as there are Democrats" It is per-
haps from the general knowledge of this
policy which experience has rendered
most approved among Rail Road men,
that the Union thus authoritatiycly as
serts it to be "cheaper to elect men than
bug them" Certainly, for some reason
best known to themselves, Democracy
seems a more desirable qualification in a.
legislator among Rail Road men at the
Capital, than either q shipping business
or a Station agency Better late than
never" is, however, hopeful maxim, and
we may welcome with qualification this
Jealous regard for the public interests eV-
en- though tardy as a part of that Change
of public sentiment" to which the Union
has lately alluded, and of which the Mil
waukee platform is the last exponent.
That none may be beguiled into error
by the specious insinuations thus made
against our worthy candidates it may be
we'll to remember that the gentlemen
against whom the attack has been aimed
are two of four or five of our business men,
whose shipments of grain over our Rail
Roads constitute a large proportion of
the freight transported over them. The
favors they receive are precisely those
which every freighter receives, VINO ships
goods and pays for the transportation.
Less fortunate than Editors, they are not
favored with passes and cannot even count
as dead heads. If any men have reason to
complain of exactions, none have more
than they, and the frequent controversies