Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21
THE CAMPAIGN HAS BEGUN.

." Burr ". Jones' democratic congressman from
the Madison district delivered n two hours
speech In favor Of an appropriation Of IL quarter
Of million dollars TO inquire into the hog dis
temper. II the bin Ind only been 10 inquire
into the character of tape worms he might have
talked for Il week
The above is from the Manitowoc
Times. We find it copied into the
editorial columns of the Platteville
Witness of last week, and it indi-
Gates that the campaign has actually
begun. The paragraph contains
neither truth, wit, nor sense. Mr..
Jones did not deliver a two hours
speech, as stated Each representa-
tive was limited in the debate to a
ten minutes speech. He did not
speak in favor of inquiring into the
hog distemper, but in favor of the
passage of the bill to prevent the
spread of the terrible disease Of
pleuro pneumonia among cattle.
The reference TO tape-worms is in
sipid, and the thought could be con-
ceived only in the brain of the editor
of u party organ. That the Wit
ness could approvingly copy such q
paragraph as the one we have
quoted is a marvel to us. A criticism
either adverse or favorable-upon
Mr.. Jones speech is entirely in
place; but ridicule is by no means
argument, and especially when the
truth is perverted in order to make
u subject for ndiculc. We believe
that if the editor of the Witness
should have personal relations with
Mr.. Jones he would treat him court
cously and with the respect due
from man to man. Why then, when
he takes up the editorial pen, or
scissors, should he lay down his real
character as a man, and in the inter
terests of his party practice misrep-
resentation and indulge i'll ridicule,
when there is neither cause for the
one nor room for the other? There
is a hollowness, an insincerity, about
this kind of work that makes us sad,
and we believe that much OF the
corruption in the politics of the
present day flows directly from this
source. Why can not men be as
truthful and manly in politics as in
their private and personal relations
with other. The man who lays aside
his honor in order to serve his party,
voluntarily takes upon himself the
chains of slavery and is not worthy
the name of freeman. The sin of
surrendering up our God-given
rights and privileges in this respect
is common. The desire for imme-
diate success and the heat of party
strife often make us forget ourselves.
But it is sad to see the Witness man
before the campaign has fairly
begun teaching others to practice
that which is not excusable even in
the midst of the battle. The honor
of calling to order the coming re-
publican congressional convention.
has been assigned to the editor of
The Witness, whether for his zeal in
the good works of his party we know
not. But even the high honor Of
bringing order out of the chaos that
exists in the republican party in this
district can be purchased at too dear
a price. The silencing of that which
is true and noble in ones nature and
the encouragement of the meaner
part of man, will as surely produce
such sentiments as are quoted at the
beginning of this article as corrupt
tree will bring forth corrupt fruit.
And it were as foolish to seek to
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of
thistles, as to expect right thoughts
and actions to spring up where such
pernicious seeds have been sown.
Let us have manly campaign, with