The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-08-25
Wanted-Some Issues.

= ANY person or political organization
that has several lively issues for sale
may find ready customer by applying
to the Democratic party of Wisconsin.
The present condition and future pros
poets of the Bourbons of that State are
SO unpromising that Congressman
Bragg, of the Fifth District, has about
made up his mind that the old rotten
concern might as well be abandoned,
unless some new issues can be invented
that will make the young Democracy
rally round the flag more numerously
and enthusiastically than they did at
the last election In 1873 the tidal
wave of Reform struck Wisconsin, and,
for the first time in eighteen years, the
Democrats elected Taylor, Democrat,
over Washburn, Republican, by ma
jority of over $4,000. Since then, the
party has been beaten at every election,
and now the Republicans have all the
State offieors, six out of eight Congress
men, and they carried the State last
fall for Garfield by majority that
lacked only few votes OF so, 900. Two
years ago this fall Smith, Republican,
for Governor, had 26, 900 majority over
James G. jenkins, Democrat, q popu-
lar and able man, and last fail the Re-
publicans carried the Milwaukee dis
trict for President by 1000 majority,
while Deuster. Democrat, squeezed into
Congress on the strength of his own
personal popularity, aided by the un-
popularity of the Republican nominee.
No wonder. therefore, with this
gloomy prospect before them, that Cen
eral Edward S. Bragg expresses HIM
self as he did in a recent interview in
regard to the dire necessity of securing
several first-class political issues. he
thinks they might steal little Repub-
Hcan thunder with the Civil-service Re-
form crF-Bragg's idea being of course
to reform the Ciyil-servioe by turning
Republicans out of Office and putting
Democrats in-and to raise a clamor
against corporations and In favor OF
cheaper transportation to the seaboard.
Congressman Bragg isn't slow on is
sues, and often raises them himself.
He raised one with his own Demo- Con-
federate party in the House of Repre-
sentatives a year ago last winter as
Chairman of the Committee on South
ern War Claims, when ne manfully set
his face like flint against the whole
business. 1t made him the most un-
popular man in Congress for the time
being with his own crowd, but it made
lively issue for General Bragg. He
also made an unfortunate issue for his
party in Wisconsin in 1877, when, as
Chairman of the Committee on Resolu-
tons in the State Convention, he COM
mitted the party to the widest theories
of finance, and. among other fat lunatic
ideas, he made the Democratic party in
Wisconsin demand the repeal of the
Resumption act and that the effort to
resume specie payments be postponed
until the business interests of the
country were prepared. for it. Itwas
q reputation of the old Democratic
theory of finance, but the Convention,
under Bragg's bulldozing, swallowed il
at one gulp. and the party was disas-
trously beaten at the polls, as it de-
served to be. Two years later (1S79)
the State Convention took the back
track. repudiated. Bragg's soft-morey
platform, but were beaten worse than
ever before.
General Bragg is of the opinion that
our present Tariff laws need revision
and amendment, and he suggests that
that subject be added to the cry for a
reform in the Civil-service, the fight
against corporations and the demand
for cheaper transportation. Possibly
he would go upon the stump and ex-
plain to his Wisconsin constituency how
it happened that the Democratic party
has been in the ascendency in, the
House of Representatives for the past
six years, where all Tariff laws origi-
mated. and his party has not touched
nor attempted to touch the tariff Cen
eral Bragg would have to confess that
he voted for Sam Randall for Speaker
of the House, q high protective tariff
Democrat, who packed the Standing
Committee of Ways and Means with
other protectionists, which stifed al
efforts in the line of tariff revision. He
would have to confess, also, that his
party in Congress and in Wisconsin is
not now, nor ever has been, honestly in
favor of either of the measures he would
convert into rallying cry for his effete
party. -ia5cr i
No, General Bragg. your party in
Wisconsin is not in want of issues. II
only needs a hearse. e.-C Chicago Journal.