The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-08-12
OUR CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE.
speech of Hon. William II. Price, on
Accepting his Congregational Nom
fnatiOn. at Eau CLAIRE, WIS.,.
August I'd. 1852.

We give below the speech of Hon.
W. /, Price, the Republican nominee
OF the Eighth district, for Congression-
al honors, as delivered before the con-
vention at Eau Claire, on the I'd inst.
1t has the ring of good metal, and was
the only platform adopted by the con-
vention. That Mr.. Price will be, elect
ed there is no doubt, and we trust that
he will meet all the expectations of
his friends. On being introduced to
the convention. Mr. Price said;
Mr.. PRESIDENT, AND GENTLEMEN
or THE CoNVENTIoN:-Nopo position can
confer honor upon an American cit
izen, and yet this nomination for
a place in the congress of the
United States is an endorsement of
motives and methods that should be,
and is unexpressively dear to me. But
the thoughtful man must tremble be-
fore, and not shrink from the respon-
sibilities Of the place
There are in this congressional dis
trict about 10000 people engaged in
agriculture, manufacturing, numbering,
mining, and the professions; 1921 81
acres Of growing timber, 100000
acres Of tillable lands, 100000 acres
OF which are now under cultivation;
$50 school houses, and $4,000 school
children, an assessed valuation of forty
millions of dollars, about one-fourth
OF the territory of the entire state, 300
miles Of railroads, lake frontage of
125 miles, not less than 1000 miles of
river navigation capable of floating to
market the products Of their banks.
There is water power in the dis
trict sufficient to drive all the ma
chinery now in operation in the United
States, and enough in the county of
Barron alone to propel all the wheels
Of Massachusetts,.
If the choice you, gentlemen of the
convention, have made to-day is rati-
fed by the people, | become the agent
of each and all of these interests, and
not the slave or master of any of
them.
All of these and many other inter
ests must be protected and fostered,
and many of them should be the sub
jects of congressional legislation to the
end that our waterways may be kept
open and improved as outlets to the
markets of the world for the surplus
products of the country.
The Mississippi river is the only
artery with which no arrangement for
consolidation can be made by which
productive enterprises may be throt-
tied, and is a bond of union between
the North and the South, as the Pa
cific railroads connect with bands Of
steel the East and West.
The railroad should be placed under
such legislative control as to ensure
them fair and just profits upon actual
cost Of construction and operation, and
not upon fictitious valuations or wa
tered stock.
The wealth of the nation should
support its government and all prop
erty should pay its just and equitable
share Of taxes, whether it be the cot
tage Of the day laborer or the palace
of the millionaire.
The whole scheme of political assess
ments cannot be too severely con-
demned. If the employees Of the
government can afford to render their
services for a given sum paid by the
whole people, and then hand back
percentage to the party in power, they
could as well render their services for
that sum, less the rebate or assess
ments, and the thousands if not mil
lions thus saved to the government
should be used to lessen taxation, or to
a reduction Of the national debt and a
diminution Of the interest thereon.
"Machine politics" which subordi-
mates principles to expediency; ''busi-
ness" which makes merchandise Of
men, and which would punish as trea-
son the independent utterances Of the
citizen should be rebuked. The use
less extravaganza Of our state and ma
tional expenditures should be checked;
the rapidly increasing tendencies Of
our public men to depart from the
simple and honest economy Of the
earlier days of the republic and to i'm
itate in dress, equipage, and general
style of living, the aristocracies Of
wealth in governments not republican
in form, is a subject for earnest
thought if not grave apprehension.
In a government like ours every
voter is one of collection of columns,
upon which rests our whole govern
ment, and the problem Of its efficiency
and perpetuity must be settled by the
purpose and power of the citizen to
sustain each for himself, his just share
of the burdens of citizenship. Hence
the Importance becomes apparent of
loyal and intelligent citizenship.
The citizen cannot become attached
to, or understand the nature, scope or
power of the means with which to sur
round himself with books and pic
lures and other means of intellectual
and moral culture.
1t is plain that it is the first duty of
the government to protect the citizen
against the competition of class of
laborers who are content to work
under rather than with participation
in the government, to protect him
against the averice of those who, hav-