The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-11
Judge Wilder's Candidacy.
RED WING. Oct. 5th, '76.

Sir:-The relation which / formerly
sustained to the readers Of your paper
as one Of the editors and proprietors Of
the ADVANCE, and a query in letter
signed "Obserrer," appearing in a
recent number of the Argus, and your
editorial notice thereof in your last
issue, lead me to ask once more hear
ing in your columns.
I do this the more readily ty reason
of the respect and friendship with which
l have come to regard you since you
assumed editorial charge of the AD-
VANCE, because / have, in the
main, heartily approved of the course
the paper has taken under your control,
and from my knowledge that you be-
Ieve in fair play and in giving every
man a hearing. "Observer says:
l observe with regret that the Grange
4dvance is not supporting Judge Will
der. If l remember rightly, two years
ago it was the first paper to suggest
Jud ge Wilder for Congress, and placed
his nomination upon the ground Of his
pre-eminent fitness and qualifications.
o, G. A, why are these things thus:
To which you very truthfully reply
-"Observer,7 Of the Argus, is in
formed that the Grange Advance has
changed owners since TWO years ago,
and the present editor is not response
BILE for the utterauees Of his predecessor.
You might have truthfully added,
that your predecessor is proud Of the
early advocacy of Hon. E. I. Wilder by
the ADVANCE, and was gratifed with
your advocacy of the same gentleman
for the same position, in your issue Of
May 18th past, less than four months
ago. In your issue Of that date a cor
respondent signing himself "Citizen,"
says:
But I have a proposition to make.
This is Centennial year, and the people
of this country Of all parties are friends
and fellow-citizens and desire only good
government, fairly and economically
conducted.
Let US take such man, say, as Hon.
E. T. Wilder, Of Red Wing, in whose
integrity and Judgment we can all place
confidence, and propose to the people
Of the district to elect him without op-
position. Some may object to him, but
what man is there to whom no obiec-
ton would be made? We have 10
angels. and if we had, congress would
be no place to send them. We want
men there. Able, active, independent
and intelligent men, who will do their
duty honestly, fearlessly and to the best
of their ability, and who have the abili-
ty to know what to do.
To this proposition you responded
in the following ringing terms, which
did honor to you as q man and honor to
the paper which You edit:
i've are afraid there are too many
of "the people, who aspire to Office, to
admit of Citizens project being reduced
to practice, but it is plan we should
like to see adopted, and we believe that
something Of the sort will have to be
resorted to ultimately, if ire mould pre-
cent oar free institutions being crushed
IN the conflict Of contending parties.
We acould be more than qcizliag to
adopt the suggestion Of our co1respon-
dent, and would accept any good man of
either party.-ED. OF ADVANCE.
Your predecessor could not have
expressed his sentiments in stronger
terms, and I have seen no good nor sub
stantial reason for changing nv mind
and the reasons "for the hope that ia
within u.s. are:
First, because, while expecting to
vote for Hayes and Wheeler, I believe
with Geo. W. Curtis, that noble repub.
ican who did 40 much in the Cincin-
natl Convention toward upsetting the
nice laid plans of trucking Office seekers
and nominating the gallant Hayes, that
there are times when man may rendes
the best service to his party by disre-
garding the regular nominee. He says
in Harper's Weekly:
The argument
for supporting Irregular nominations
under all circumstances becomes an ar
gument for sustaining the man who, bv
the very means he uses to secure the
nomination, proves that he is unfit for
it. If what is called the 'Butler com
bination" should carry out It's plan and
come to control the Republican party
in Massachusetts, how long do honora-
bic and intelligent Republicans think
the party would hold the State? Those
who sincerely believe the Republican