Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-08-12
Democratic Boomerangs.

leaders in Wisconsin any credit for
being over truthful, especially in
campaign time. That they should be
industrious in their efforts to secure
the election of the Democratic ticket
is natural enough, but that they
should falsely represent the character
and political acts of an opponent as
a resort to secure success at the polls
is neither creditable to the party or
ganization or praise worthy to the
leaders themselves. The first lunge
that the Democracy of this State
made at the late Republican State
convention was to charge the follow
ing plank of the platform as "Know
Nothing Yell:" THAT we stand by
free education, our public school sys-
tenn, the taxation of all for its sup
port, and no division of the school
fund for any sectarian purpose
This expression of the Republican
party of Wisconsin needs no defence.
1t is the expression of the people out
side of the Catholic church -the only
sect that has camored for division
of the school fund, and the only sect
that bodily votes the Democratic
ticket. The charge of "Know Moth
ing Yell" is false because this plank of
the Republican party expresses Meth
err favor or opposition to any particu-
lar nationality, and silly as it will
not gain for the Democracy q single
vote. The next Democratic assault
vas that ex-Treasurer Baetz, the Re
publican nominee for State Treasurer,
is a defaulter to the State to the
amount of 100000 very stupid
campaign lie. Ifit is true. why don't
the Reform Attorney General institute
proceedings at once against the all
legged defaulter to recover this amount
claimed by the Democratic press to
have been lost to the State2 If it is
true, the present State Treasurer and
Attorney General have been derelict
in their duties in not exposing this
alleged swindle of ex-Treasurer Baetz.
The Democratic press has of late
been devoted particularly to the
claim t,at Hon. Harrison Ludington
was a Know Nothing twenty years
ago. The foundation for the report
is the fact that his name appeared on
the Fillmore Presidential ticket as an
elector. This charge is also untrue,
as the following evidence from the
Milwaukee Sentinel proves:
"The most contemplate and ridicu-
lous of the Democratic campaign
SANDER is the charge that Hon. Har-
rison Ludington is a Know-nothing.
The single fact that is brought for.
ward in support of this statement is
that his name was used on the Fill
more electoral ticket in 1856. The
facts concerning this proceeding are
as follows: The Know-nothing par
ty of this city consisted, for the most
part. of man named Kennedy and
bis son. One day when Mr.. Harrison
Ludington was absent in the east,
Bob Kennedy went to Mr.. James
Ludington, and said he was in per-
suit of names with which to make
up an electoral ticket for Fillmore.
Mr.. James Ludington, thinking it
would be a good joke on his cousin,
whom he knew to be Jealous sup
porter of Fremont, said 'Put Harry
on; and it was done. When Mr..
Harrison Ludington returned and
learned what had been done in his
absence, he protested strongly
against making use of his name in
that connection, but the tickets were
already printed and distributed, and
so the $40 supporters of Fillmore in
the State of Wisconsin voted for az
out-and-out Fremont man. As far
as Mr.. Ludington himself is concern
ed, be voted and worked all day for
Fremont and Dayton and the straight
Republican ticket.
1--WE would be ashamed TO mike
this explanation to the people Of
Milwaukee. The prcposterous charge
that Mr.. Ludington is Know-noth-
| ing is not made for them to believe,
but to deceive voters in distant parts
of the State and it is to the latter
that we address this plain state-
| ment of the facts. To these voters
we would further say that the men
who tell them this falsehood can have
only a very poor opinion of their in
telligence. They ask them to be-
lieve that the Germans and lrishmen
of Milwaukee have three times elect
ed Know.nothing to the office Of
Mayor; that they assisted in giving
a Know-nothing two or three thous>
and more than the Republican vote
, for Representative TO Congress, last
fall, and that the Germans Of Ozaukee
gave q Know. nothing 500 majority
over the regular Democratic candi-
date.
"If anything were needed to made
this charge more absurd, it will be
found in Mr.. Ludington's administra-
ton of the office of Mayor. His dis
tribution OF the patronage will serve
as all illustration. For Commission
ers of the Public Debt, he made three
appointments, one Scotchman, one
Irishm and one German for Com
missioners of Public Works, four APP
pointments, one Irishman, one Ger.
man and two Americans for Tax
Commissioner, two appointments,
one German, and one Irishman for
Oil Inspector, one appointment, an
Englishman F.; for Assessors, (approv-
ed by the Mayor nine foreigners
and four Americans for Chief of
Fire Department, (approved by the