Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-11-03

TO settle Tor himself whether the power
now in the hands of the people shall be
delegated to others or whether they
should retain it in their own hands, and
as they decide this question SO will
their vote be cast
.>...-
The campaign just closing will live
in the political history of the state as
one of the quietest, known since the
commonwealth emerged from its chrys-
ais form and set up perfect autonomy
OF its own. The causes which brought
about this seeming indifference and APP
athy were; the late date at which the
campaign opened, the feeling that the
dominant party was so strongly IN
trenched behind a heavy majority and
backed by an economical and wise ad-
ministration of the government that it
was hardly within the range of POSSIBLE
tiles that they should be dislodged, and
last, that well known political listless-
ness that has become proverbial on the
years succeeding great struggles and
hence called "off years" ANY of the
ABOVE reasons would have been suffi-
cient of themselves to greatly lessen the
interest felt In campaign work but by
uniting the three the quietude now OBJ
servable in every part of the state is
not to be wondered at. Had it not been
for the temperance issue it is doubtful
if the campaign had not been suffered
to go by default on the part of the OPP
position. This latter movement, born
of a disappointed chagrin. has in turn
succumbed to the prevalent deteriorat-
ing influences. In the language of
recent writer on the subject it can we'll
be compared to sedlltz powder, which
for the moment bubbles up with sizz
and fierce frothing, but when the froth
has eyaporated the liquid remaining is
small in quantity and most outrageous
ly stale The first outburst of wrath at
the action of the convention has passed
and the sober second sense has its sway
and proves decidedly averSe to such
guerilla warfare as is proposed by the
leaders of the prohibition element
Each day is lessening the number of adj
herents to the Kanouse ticket and was
election day one month further away
the vote polled for that ticket would
hardly enjoy the dignity of separate
count. The folly of withdrawing from
thee only ssrty through which they can
ullHS any -'9''I~, ~'~-- -l.7nVvov,
to bear on the objects nearest their
heart and turn their efforts to the ele-
walton of party which they have
rigidly opposed in years past on the
grounds that its ascendency would be
dangerous to the nation has become so
apparent to all temperance men that
those who, in the first whirl of excitement,
were carried off their feet, are now re-
turning to the grand old party whose
representatives have 50 carefully piloted
the ship of state through the rocks and
tempests and shoals of the past twenty
years. Yet the Republicans must not
assume that there is nothing but plain
sailing ahead. Through the demon of
indifference comes the greatest danger
that can arise. The Democratic party,
hide bound and handicapped as it is by
its past record, knows it is not entitled
to the sutfrages of the people, but hopes
that the shrinkage in .he Republican
vote from reflections to the prohibition
ticket and absentees on election day
will be sufficient to enable it to creep
back once more into power. To this
feeble thread the leaders tie their hopes
OF success These facts every Republi-
can should know and understand.
He should remember that every vote
given TO the prohibition ticket adds two
to the Democratic vote. Every vote
not polled through carelessness or indif-
ference is negative vote in favor of
turning the government over into the
hands of a party heretofore considered
chemical to free institutions, free speech
free ballots, or any of the rights now in
eorporated as prominent stones in the
foundation of the Republic The res
possibility cannot be avoided or shaken
off to other shoulders. Should each
Republican in Grant county do his duty
at the polls next Tuesday the result
would remain in doubt not one moment.
This question of duty must be allowed
its full force. If inclination suggests
remaining Al home on election day let
duty turn the scales and bring each vot-
er to the polls. Let none be deceived
by the plausible argument OF the oppo-
sition that there are no important is
sues at stake at the present election,
that it is simply question of men and
not principles, and one set of candidates
are as satisfactory As another. Sophis-
try such as this needs only to be exposed
TO the cool wind OF reason to be exposed
in all its falsity. The issues of to-day
are the issues of yesterday. of last year
and the years preceding that 1t is
conflict of honest government against
the pernicious modes of political ethics
that have obtained the past fifty years
in the Democratic household. 1t is
renewal of the one great question. shall
the government remain in the hands of
those who fought To preserve its every
axiom, its every liberty, its very exist
ence, or be turned over TO that party
which sought to destroy it. This is the
issue before the people be it disguised
never so carefully and must be met at
the polls next Tuesday.
Men, not principles. 1t is asserted BY
rho nau,narafs apJ tba;r olf;as