Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-09-03

CONSIDER.
To tho Democratic and Reform Party Of
Wisconsin,
The undersigned took the liberty of re-
Gently meeting with several respectable
and influential friends of the party in the
CITY of Milwaukee, in free and indie
pendent consultation respecting the nomi
nation of candidate for Governor by
the next State Convention.
Such an informal meeting became nee
essary, in their opinion, because the pres
int encumbent Of that office and his in.
terested friends had for long time been
making the most persistent and deter
mined effort to secure his nomination at
all hazards, make it a ioregone conclu>
sion and forestall the action of the cons
vention without any fair or free express
sion of opinion as to his claims, merits or
availability. Many of the party have for
a long time candidly and impartially be>
lieved the present Governor was not the
most competent or available candidate for
rs .election to the office in the coming can
vass, and was not, by any means, the
only one in the State of ability, character
or popularity to make him such, or tina:
he has exclusive claims to the office, para
mount to all others, and they claimed and
exercised the common right of citizen
ship, the liberty of opinion and speech on
this subject of public and party concern.
The meeting and its proceedings have
been most grossly misrepresented, and
those who participated in its deliberations
have been the subject Of ridicule and
abuse by the peculiar friends of the Gov
ernor, who have assumed the exclusive
control and management of the party in
his interest.
1t has been denominated as Sat Ctark's
Convention. 1t is due to the Hon. Safer
lee Clark to say, that he never knew the
meeting was called until he was requested
to be present, and that no suggestions had
been received from Mr.. Clark previous to
the call in relation thereto
Haying thus been publicly and most
unjustly attacked, it becomes our duty to
stand on our defense and to give the rea-
sons for our opinions and actions, and
not wishing to be personal, offensive or
obtrusive, but prompted by our own self
respect and by what.we deem to be for
the best good of the party and the State,
we shall canvass freely, as. wes have thus
been challenged to do, the merits and
claims of this one arrogant and self-Seek-
Ing candidate.
Two years ago VIM. r. Taylorsought
and obtained the nomination for the of.
flee from a ncwly formed party organi.
cation, which had no knowledge Of its
strength, as q mere experiment, without
a thought, entertained by any one, includ'
ing himself, that his success was pos
eible.
The nomination alone was regarded by
him as sufficient honor, and which then
filed the measure Of his ambition.
The success of the ticket astonished
everybody, and shocked and paralyzed the
candidate, and considering his untitness
for the place, it vas the common remark
that if his success had been even possible
in the opinion of the members of the
convention, he would never have been
dreamed of as candidate.
This result, so unexpected whatever may
have been its causes. we are assured was
not in any view caused by the popularity
of Mr.. Taylor.
The law fixing railroad rates, common
" called the "Potter Law" was passed
by the Legislature of 1074,and which was
nct.in the sIrictest sense party measure,
was the result of the Reform victory.
The constitutionality Of the law was
most ably and plausibly attacked by the
railroad companies and their attorneys,
and it was diso5eyed and treated as void
by the advice of some of the ab!est jurists
of the country.
TWAS the constitutional duty of the
Executive to have all laws, the Potter
Law" included faithfully executed" and
it was his simple duty, without regard to
the policy of this law or his views OF its
expediency, so long as he found 1t upon
the statute book, to enforce its obedience,
and in doing so, he did not become the
supporter Of the law or its special advo>
cate any more than if any other law was
violaeed and he has no right to claim
any special merit for so doing, as the
champion of this law against railroad ex-
tortion and monopoly.
In the performance Of this plain duty.
he demonstrated rot only his want oil
ability and discretion, and appreciation
of the dignity and magnanimity OF bis
high Office, but displayed the very lowest
and worst traits of char acter and the
blind recklessness and arts Of the dema
gogue, by instituting measures of petty
and malignant prosecution. and setting
on foot multiplicity of criminal prose
cutions before magistrates in distant and
out of the way places, not against the
corporations or their officers and mana
gers, but against innocent ticket agents
and other employees, whose constant du
ty it was to be punctual and faithful in
the discharge of routine duty, subject K
superior orders. in order to ensure th'
safety and convenience of the travelling
public andAthe speedy transportation o
property.
The result was as he wished it, grea'
public excitement, Interruptions of the
trains and the business of the rords, ar
incalculable injury to the business and