Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-10-02
II. Nj. La FOIlette's Speeeh.


. Follette's speech at Dodgeyille accepting
| the Republican nomination for member
of Congress. and nearly every Demo-
cratic paper in the District has copied
this lie and sent it broadcast all over
the district. This is what the Democrat
said:
1T 0he speech opened with the wholesale
charge that EVERY MAN WHO EVER VOTED DEM
OCRATIc TIcKET-B0TH LIVING AND DEAD-wAs A
| THIEF AND a TRAITOR This is not only the sub
stance of his remarks, but yery nearly the
| Words
Not one word that could be tortured
into anything of the kind was said.
The following is Mr.. La Follette's speech
delivered ON the occasion of the accept
ance of the nomination, and it has the
right ring:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention:
Notified by your committee OF your
action, l desire to say that take from
it no personal distinction. Born and
reared within the limits of this congress
sional district, none can more keenly
appreciate than myself that the names
of distinguished gentlemen who have
been before this convention stand as
such towers of strength that personally
| am lost in their shadows.
Why, gentlemen, Iowa county found
in Phil. Allen synonym for personal
integrity,popularity and public strength.
Lafayette county stood before you
with an enviable record for vast learn
ing and great achievements in great
and learned profession earned by
strong man with strong convictions, and
the splendid courage to proclaim them
to the world.
Green county came with name that
is a household word in all southwestern
Wisconsin, borne by man of such
character and business integrity that
the nod of his head would bind him AS
his bond, for thousands. | lived long
enough on the borders of Green county
to know that down there 4 dying man
who is assured that Senator Treat will
administer his estate, quits this earth in
perfect peace
Mindful of all this, see in your ac-
ton mainly the desire to meet the Dem
ocratic nominee on his own soil. trust
that more will not be required of me
than there is in me. Within the limits
of earnest, honest endeavor, [ here give
myself unreservedIy to the grand work
dedicate to it nights of intense study
and days of unremitting toll.
To the end that the mighty conflict of
the past should yield its greatest good,
there is still great work to be done
The battles must be fought on the same
ground, but with different weapons.
We fight for the protection of labor; the
establishment of homes for the Ameri-
can laborcr; national unity of spirit, as
well as of body; freedom of mind, as
we'll as of hands
More than quarter of a century ago,
the Republican party was born out of
the ideas of national unity and sacred
personal liberty, and as it stood forth
in its young strength and vigor and
looked abroad over this land, what did
it see2
1t saw languishng industries Keeling
under the burden of foreign imports;
the fires of the forge smothered; the
tall chimneys of the factories breathing
forth no glowing understanding grim
aud black and cold monuments of
Democratic frce-trade fallacv.
1t saw American labor unarmed, |
empty handed pressed by absolute
want, and yielding in the fight.
1t saw American agriculture buried |
beneath its own productions dying for
want of an open domestic market.
And it spread the shield of its strong
protection over our PROSTATE industries, |
and the busy hum of the thresher, the |
ringing hammer and whirling spindles, |
broke the ominous silence and labor |
looked up and laughed.
IL passed into the national treasury 10 /
fad that the Democratic purity hal gone |
out, carrying crerything NTH ii bit the
office, Ledri1g nothing behind bit its bad !
record. BY wise and enlightened states
manship, in the face of bitter oppoSi- |
ton, it filled its Golfers with gold
1t heard the bay of the blood hound, /
it heard the cry of the bondman and in |
a clarion call that went out over the /
hills and prairies, the lakes and woods,
it said: This people shall be freen'
and it was so.
1t found sectional feud fostering to |
hideous rebellion, saw civil war raise I
its horrid front and darken the southern
sky with its million banners; and it
went forth and smote It to the earth.
Then it came back, dealt by the erring
with open generosity, bound up the
broken union, reorganized the late re-
bellious government, strengthened a
shattered commerce, sustained the
nations credit, developed her resources,
and a few days ago beat back the old
enemy IN another wicked attack on
her home industries.
And to-day the strong arm of its pro-
lection is still around American labor,
and is still over the freedman, yielding
him the only refuge from Southern
hatred Still to-day this organization,
in the full maturity of its power, stands
the only living pledge that the colored
race shall be freed from the second
bondage of superstition and ignorance
and fear-and that before all other
things in governmental policy Ameri-
can industry shall be held sacred to and
protected by Americans.
And now. gentlemen of the conven-
ton, profoundly impressed with the full
measure of responsibility which you
tender me in this great work, | accept
this nomination with deep sense of
gratitude.