Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-04-12
NOYHOpe for Watertown in the Dem
Ocratic Party.

most absolute sway. It's power for
good or evil has been supreme. With
it's five or six hundred majority, it
has always been able, with occasional
exceptions, when some unfit nominal
ton was made, to carry anything
through labeled Democratic, and elect
its caucus candidates. Whatever Wa
tertown is, or has failed to become, is
directly tracable to that party. Repub-
licans as factor in elections have been
of small account, and if one has hap
pened occasionally to be chosen to Of
fee, it was because of his generally ad-
mitted superior qualifications for the
| position, and the un6tness Of his Dem
| ocratlc competitor.
That Watertown is in an unfortun.
ate dilemma as regards her railroad in
debtedness no one will deny, and that
the Democratic party is alone response
BILE for it, is as clear as the MONDAY
sun. Who were in power here when
the railroad bonds, the source Of all
our difficulties, were issued? The
Democratic party. Who signed the
bonds and gave them vitality? A
Dem ocratic mayor,
Ia 1855, John w. Cole, who was
not Democrat, was elected MAYOR,
but for steadily and persistently refus-
ing to sign the 100000 of bonds
voted in aid of the Madison road, war
was made npon him, and William
Chappell, Democrat, was elected his
successor, with the distinct understand
ing that he should do the very act
which Mr.. Cole had declined to per-
form, and which all now wish had new
err been done So much for the
action of the Democratic party then.
In 1862, William M. Dennis was
elected mayor, we believe without OPP
position. He was one of the best exc
cutive officers Watertown ever had
in fact too good for the Democratic
| parsq-for at the end of his term they
threw him overheard in convention,
and nominated instead Joseph Linden
Mr. Dennis was prominent citizen,
who had long been identified with the
city before his election as mayor, and
during the year of his service in that
capacity, he earned the gratitude OF
he people, for his attention to their
wants, and his successful administra-
ton of their affairs 1t was during
Mr. Dennis term, and mainly through
MS fundamentally, that the arrange
ment was made with the Chicago and
Northwestern Railway Co., to protect
the city against the bonds issued in aid
of the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du
Lac road, though all obligations for
the former company to do this had ex-
PRED two years previously. A similar
arrangement was pending with the
| Milwaukee and St. Paul Co., for the
bonds issued to the Madison road, and
was nearly consummated when Mr..
Dennis term expired, and there the
matter was suffered to drop. Mr.. Lin
don. his successor, did not renew the
negotiations, indeed, he was opposed to
the payment of the one per cent. COM
mission which the Council had been
paying Mr.. Pritchard for attending to
the exchange of Chicago, St. Paul &
Fond du Lac bonds already spoken of,
so that but few, if any, were taken up
during his term; and thus, a Demo
cratic mayor, and Democratic council
by their niggardly action in refusing to
pay one per cent. even, as above, which
was all the bonds were costing, blocked
the wheels of the arrangement and
stopped the exchange. Now, these
are facts which cannot be denied.
Had the Democratic party been wise,
and treated this. question upon business
principles. it would have continued
| Mr.. Dennis as mayor as long as he
would consent to remain IN the Office,
enabling him to conduct to success
full issue the plans he had matured for
extricating the city from its difficulty.
But Democratic ''policy" forbade it.
Other Democrats became jealous Of
him-he was getting too much glory
out of the Office by his energetic and
systematic method Of settling tae debt