Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-10-23
Is a Reform Needed.
From tho EreuinE wiseon.In

vi All Jne Iafces anu numOngS ever
witnessed in Wisconsin politics the
so called reform movement, inauger.
ated in this city on Sept. Odd and oath,
is the chief Ia the first place, whaL
is there in the legislative, judicial or
administrative departments of our
State Government that needs reform
ing to such a degree a. to call for .
new party to accomplish the resu 2
Where has there been speculation, OF
fraud, or reckless or criminal extrav-
agance? Where is there one in
stance 10 which the people Of the
state have made demand for meas
ures legislative, or administrative,
that the party in power has ignored
or refused TO grant? Where is to be
found a state tax that was peculiarly
burdensome or out of proportion TO
the work accomplished by it? Has
the Republican party shown any dis
position knowingly to put corrupt
men in office or to keep them in?
These questions have not been, and
can not truthfully be answered in
such way as to show that there is
any necessity for a reform" party
or a reform" ticket Since the Re-
publican party has been fully In pow
er in this state, there has never been
any case of malfeasance in state
office, but those occupying them
have, almost without exception, been
men of capability and integrity. No
stain has been brought upon the state
by corrupt, reckless or VIGOROUSLY
hurtful legislation. A purer or gen
orally more credltable state admins
tration than ours has been for the
last dozen years, during which the
Republican party has had control t
it, can not be pointed out in any OF
the other states of this Union. A
charge of corruption or malfeasance
has seldom been made against it
by the most reckless of the opposi.
ton organs, and none have been sus-
tanned. Can the organs or orators Of
the Democratic party, which forms
the bulk of this new "reform" or
ganization trulhfully say the same
of their administration of our state
affairs? They know, and the peo-
pie know that they can not.
What absurdity then TO- this party
whose old name has become 50 odi-
Gus that it is ashamed Of it aud
socks 10 escape its record by hiding
under a new one, to come forward
~ and AnQlagn hot anf 80 IN
needed in our state administration
aud that it is the party to work that
refOrml
The spokesman Of this new fledged
reform party arc loud in their denun-
citation of monopolies and the eek
tortiOns" Of railroad companies yet
the leaders OF this party have always
beer found on the side of the moao-
poles when they have been in the
Legislature, and not few of them are
now, and have been for years inter-
ested as stockholders, as officers or
employees or agents OF railroads. II
the farmers have cause Tor complaint
against the railroads companies and
demand reforms, surely these are
not the men to light their wrongs
or work the reforms. Certainly the
leading Democrats of the state. who
now, by most wonderful transfer
nation, have become Performers"
have never distinguished themselves
as the champions of farmers rights
or of restricting the railroad corpora
tions by legislative enactment.
What cool efirontery is it for them to
come forward now and claim power
on the score of being the farmers
friends
As to the relative economy of Re.
publican and Democratic reform ad.
ministrations we state that for some
years past the tax in this city has
been two per cent of the valuation.
and of this sum about three .fsurths Is
tor city purposes GIone-that is, the
city tax is 10 the state tax as three
to one, or nearly so. The state tax
is the levy of Republican admins.
tration, the city tax, OF Democrat
ic reform one. Do the people of this
stste want such a "reform" as this
suggests? Ii they do they will vote
for the ticket headed by Taylor and
supported by such opponents of vir
tue and reform as the Milwaukee
NerS.