The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-09-02

and Extensively requesting, and nearly
ordering the Chief Justice to shorten
his opinion on file, so that it could be
cheaply published as campaign docu-
ment, to advance his own political inter
ests and increase his popularity with the
farmers and producers of the State, thus
claiming the sole credit OF the decision,
as much as if it had been obtained by
his own official and personal influence,
and as a special favor to himself.
This comprises all that VIM. r. Tay
lor ever did in favor of the principles of
the s'Potter Law"
Now his official record and personal
action on the other side, are proper to
be considered. The Legislature of last
winter was specially called upon by the
Governor in his message to consider
again the subject of railroad rates, with
the intimation that the present. law in
principle was oppressive and unjust.
Some time before the session, bill
was prepared by the Railroad Commits
siorers, or rather for the Commissioners.
by the friends of the railroad companies,
abrogating totally the principles and
provisions of the Potter Law. and estab-
fishing as the only possible restriction
upon railroad rates and charges, fixed
and unalterable limitation upon the net
earnings of the roads, and leaving the
companies without any restraint, and
free to charge and exact the most OPP
pressive, eXtortionate and discriminate
ing rates, only limited by their own
discretion and greed.
This bill was utterly lmpractlcable,
and was intended to be, and was sham,
a cheat and a fraud, and if passed into
law, would have repealed all existing
10, 10
tory the decision of the Supreme Court,
and have defeated-probably forever
all that had been accomplished for the
protection of the people against railroad
monopoly This bill, called the 'Com-
missioners' BILL was well understood
to have been approved and favored by
the Governor and the Railroad Commits
sioners, and it would have passed if the
farmer and Granger members of the Legis-
lature had not become alarmed, and, in
dependent OF party, called caucus and
devised means to defeat it against the
influence OF q clamorous and overwEelm-
ing lobby, strengthened by the APP
proval of the Governor. It was finally de-
feated bv the friends of the ''Potter Law"
acting without regard to party, and the
law upon the subject, with but slight
change, remains substantially as before
no thanks to Governor Taylor or his
railroad friends. The more space and
| prominence are given to this subject
because, admitting his general want of
ability and qualification, his friends
claim that he Is especially 0U0il0ble as
| the champion of the railroad war. In
this only trial and test, he most signally
| failed, and should not now be rewarded
| for opinion and principles he never en-
tertained; for boldness, independence
and bravery he never exhibited for ser
vices he never rendered, and for honors
he never won. It is not to be for a
moment supposed that the people of
this State are not informed of this dis
graceful failure, surrender or retreat of
this pretended leader, in the very crisis
of their struggle with railroad monopoly.
They have but to ask their representa-
tives IN the last Legislature, to become
fully informed on the subject.
In the unseemly eagerness to have
their favorite renominated. the friends
and henchmen of Governor Taylor now
claim that he is the special friend of the
railroad corporations, as well as the very
embodiment of agriculture and labor,
and, like the magic bottle, can furnish
any variety of spirits needed by the Gus
toner, and of flavor suited to his taste
1t is claimed that he is so universally
popular that he has no opposition, ex-
cept from disappointed applicants, or
men who have n grievance but even in
this there is good reason why he is an
unfit candidate for, in every instance
where his former friends have taken Of
fence, for not receiving an appointment
to office, the complaint is not that the
applicant has lost the Office, but that
Governor Taylor was guilty of treachery
and falsehood in not doing as he had
| promised and agreed. His most enthu-
siastic friends do not claim that he is
competent to discharge the duties of the
Executive office without assistance from
| some one who is competent but they
| say he is the "ca7'd to play" in the
game in which the people are to
be fooled and cheated, and that he can
especially secure the votes of laborers
and farmers, on the pretence that he is
''O1ee of then1," or, as his admirers saw
that he is a rough, uncouth, unmannerly
| and hard-handed farmer himself, and by
the al captdn2ata11 and can't that he is
| the honest cold Bill" and Farmer
Taylor" and other meaningless and
foolish catch-words. The farmers of
this State, as class, will not be fiatter-
ed by such q caricature, and will not re-
| gard as their representative in the Ex-
ecutive Office one who has no other claim
| to their sutfrages than his want of man
ners. There is not a school district in this
| State that could not furnish as fit can
didate, and thousands of farmers could
| be found who are his superiors in edu-
| cation, character, and in all the qualifi-
cations necessary for the Office. It is
true that he owns farm, and
[ L
came to the State, he has been nearly all
the time in office, and quite all the time
a persistent and professional office-seel5-
er, and skilled in all the tricks of the
caucus politician and the demagogue.
His friends pirate of his economy, but
the claim is not founded in truth, for he
has personally saved nothing to the
State, when the saving was either Just
or honorable, and he has never retrench-
ed any expenditures of thepublic moneys
| except in the employment and compen-
/ satIOn of common laborers about the
capital when his retrenchment has been
| the most petty meanness, and his osten-
tatlous economy starvation wages to the
| poor. He has never foregone any pos
sible chance of enhancing and drawing
| the full amount of his own allowances
He lays false claims to the saving of
moneyin the public printing, when every
one knows that he has had nothing to do
with it, and if public printing has cost
less in the past year than formerly, it is
wholly on account of the law and the
very low bid of the present contractor.
His personal qualities and characteristics
as well as his want of ability, disqualify
his for so exalted position. He goes
about complaining and Dragging in the
4 IL
to run him but they can't do it. Whe1.