Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-25
Senator Carpenters Madison
Speech.

The following is the opening and
closing portions of Senator Carpen-
ter's speech at Madison, delivered on
Wednesday evering Of last week, the
day of his defeat for reelection:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN-I hail you as friends.
The conqueror is attended by satraps
and unwilling subjects; the captive is
attended only by voluntary fiehds.
The great instructor in public speak
ing advised his students to commence
with that part which is most unimpor-
tant; wish to speak to you for a
few moments concerning myself. |
desire to say, first, that l did not force
myself upon the republican party as a
candidate for the senate. Early in
last spring I wrote to some fifty lead
ing republicans Of this state, asking
whether should or should not be a
candidate, saying that my preference
was not to be; but | desired to act in
accordance with the wishes of nv
friends. Of that number, but two
wrote me advising me not to be a candi-
datej the others said | must be.
They said had been elected by the
republicans to the senate that the
state had passed in to the shade of
political parties, and become de mocrst-
ic. Not to be candidate, and not to
go into the campaign as such, would
be unjust to the republican party. |
came home TO Wisconsin after the ad-
journment Of congress. | consulted
again with my friends, and they insist
ed that [ should be candidate.
| went into the canvass. and con-
tinued in it (saving four days sicknes-)
until the night before election
A Legislature was elected, and with
the assembling of that legislature came
the issue with regard to the senator
ship.
| MY FRIENDS
presented my name to the caucus of
the republican party, and I received
the nomination of the party Then
! followed what is very unusual, and
! wfaas / trust will not occur again in
our state, or in any state that has
republican majority, a portion Of the
paEty seeded from the regular organ
| i2at7on and organized coalition with
the democratic party. The substance
ct that arrangement was to sej5 me out
l thought it was mistake on the part
OF GUT friends, upon the principle that
when you have a good thing you ought
to keep it. Laughter and applause1 !.
Bat, under the circumstances, if [ was
to be sold out certainly had no right
to object to the price demanded, which
was the whole democratic party Of the
state. Laughter
am very happy to say this evening
that | am to be succeeded in the senate
by no man of doubtful political senti-
ments, nor by one who will fall into
democratic practices. Mr. Cameron
is known as true and tried republican.
[ have seen this afternoon, what | am
Informed is the platform upon which
he consented to be elected. AS now
recollect it, there is not a word in it
that would not be endorsed by every
republican senator in the United
States. This coalition was negotiated
! by a somewhat famous master,-bv the
greatest political merchant of modern
times, James R. Doolttle. He first
sold the republican party to the demo
Gratis; but he has now squared the ac-
count by selling the democrats to the
republicans. Great applause and
laughter. The consideration that
was expected to be realized by the
| democrats for this transaction and
transfer was the defeat ef the republican
party In next falls campaign. Now,
we have but one thing to see to, and
that is, considering the immoral con-
tract; they be not permitted to
GET THE CONSIDERATION.
want here, in passing from that
subject, TO say TO the members of the
republican party who have gone out of
the caucus TO secure better man than
am, that in their crusade 70 get a
better man they will not turn out to be
worse republicans than [ am. [ trust
that, having accomplished the object
they had in view. they will return
with Mr.. Cameron (who will make an
honorable senator with this band of
demdcrats led captive at their heels.
1t must be conceded that these men
who are called ''bolters" have certsinly
done eig thing 1t is no ordinary
achievement when eighteen men can
go out and capture the whole deulo-
cratic party, and bring them iuto
camp.
[ want to say to my friends who