, 1874-11-16

Wisconsin enjoys tho enviabio distinction OF
being tho first State, SINCE tho last Presidential
election, that has passed. through tho ordeal Of
periodical political discomfort and como ont as
good aa now. Her political trials ars over. Her
people hayo tried the 'strange gotls," and have
bud enough OF thom. They have royelod in tho
temporary into1catlon OF new political eepya.
aons' and have worked or tho debauoh and fully
recovered from the inevitable hoadacho. They
followed fhe myths and luysticisaa Of tho nLib-
otal~Roformers," and suffered tho unhappy con-
sequences into which It led them. They ara
now satisfied to return to the condition Of things
they 30 raahly abandoned; and hereafter. tor
many years to come, will bo content with tho
rulo OF Tho old party Of Freedom md let u 1el}-
enough" hlone>
As tho experience Of Wisconsin Ia ltkoly to bo
tno experience OF soma other 8tates, With cor
tain local modttcatons, it is wol to keep In the
mind the character Of tho political revolution in
that Stato and its results. a year ago the poo
rlo OF Wisconsin had been worked up into
foVos heat under tile cry Of "Liberal Ratorm,"
NN
was made the protoxt for political movement.
Tho Democrats eagerly embraced tho oppostunf
ty' aud succeeded IN Aoodminking sufficient
number OF Republican Grangors to carry the
State against the Republican party by q sweop-
Ing vote. They elected thair Governor by mn
jority Of $4,000, secured tho control Of both
brancheH OF tho Legislature, and for tho frat
time i'll tho history Of the gtae since 1854, It uas
wrestod from tho political control Of the Ronpb-
lfcan party. AL thiH had boon done undor thu
promise of giving tho people good timos, and
Of putting down railroad monopolistg, of royiy.
ing business, OF curing all tho political eytla of
the day. and reforming matters and tulues gam
craly. WAat was tho RESULT Wiscpnsn lint
tho confidence Of hor neighbora. Capitalists
throughout tho country recognized tho hateful
featuraa Of Communism under tho musk Of Re.
form. The remarkable progress which Ind
characterized tho material and industrial inter-
cats OF tue s!ata In tho past, camo to . sudden
Rtand'ssill+ Tho railroads, which had beou tho
ohiof agont III developing hor reHourcos, abs,,-
doned all their plans for extension and i1nproyo
menta. Tho new lnoa TINT had boon proiactod
moro summarily given up, Tho old companies,
like the Milwaukee T. st. Paul, aul lLe Chicago
l. Northwestern, Immediately reversed thoir
fortaor policy. Instead Of ada'ag to, they cut
down. They closed tAeir shops, reduced their
forco, aud rotrenchea iu eyory possible
manner. They coasoa taking up their
old iron rails to put down new stool rails. Thus
1t became necessary to blow out tho blast fur
naces and oloso tho rolllng-,nilla in tho State.
This again throw hundreds and thousands Of
mon out Of employment aud Thousands Of fami-
llos into want. WiBoonBin had built up large
and profitable intcreAt In furnishing tho soft
iron-oro to mix with tho hard orc of Lako su-
parior. Tue domaud oaaaed, and tho working Of
tho mines was largely abandoned. Another not
OF man wero deprived Of work. Thi. orc lad
been sent to 0loyotaud, Chicago. Detroit. aud
other manufacturing cities, which MORO alAo a.
fectod by tho war Oh tho railroads, aud had thus
given employ1nont aud profit to tho shipping ,n-
toreat. Whom tho tzalllo stopped, tho ships wero
put In dry~doos, aud stlll anothos largo class Of
mon wore out of employment. THUS to the waning |
aonadoucs Of capital In atsts possessed Of tue