Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-07
FOR VOTERS TO CONSIDER
The Issues FOrcibly Presented by the
Republican Committee. Governor
Rusk Represents the Side of
Law and Order.
The Labor and Temperance Questions
in the Campaign. A Word as to
Corporations.

AS another important election is ap
preaching, the republican state centra
committee desires to call your attention
to the issues involved. Never in the his
tory of our states-never, perhaps, in the
history of any state--has there been 6
political campaign, the results of which
may more vitality affect the interests anc
welfare of all our people.
La one of its aspects our campaign is
of national significance. The eyes of the
whole country are upon us. The law
abiding and order-loving citizens of every
state will regard the result of our contest
as affecting, either favorably or unfayor-
ably, the highest interests of society in
every community. This is government
of law; all rights spring from it and all
interests must be controlled by it. All
good citizens will agree that it is absolute
ly essential to every interest of society.
even to the existence of society itself
that law and order be maintained, and
that all forms of violence resorted to for
the redress of grievance, either real or
imaginary, be r1gidly repressed-
THE MAY RIOT.
We do not assert that democratic gov
ernor, had there been one, would not have
enforced the law against its violators, or
that should a democratic governor be
elected he would not do his duty in main
tanning the peace and dignity of the
state. But Rusk was governor. Upon
him devolved great responsibility in
great emergency. He did his duty,
painful as it was, and therefore his re-
election or defeat has significance that
the election or defeat of no other man
could have. The election of any other
man, however competent and worthy.
must involve Gov. Rusk's defeat, and his
defeat would be everywhere construed by
anarchists and rioters to mean public
rebuke to him, and popular endorse
ment of them. In other words, it means
aid, comfort and encouragement to law
breakers, and brings gloom and discour-
agement to the lau-abiding and peace
loving people of the whole country.
Therefore, whatever your former party
Affiliations may have been-whateve your
present views upon other issues NAV be
as citizens having the honor of law and
of your state and heart, you cannot this
year afford to trife with this great cues
ton SO vital to every interest of the peo-
pie.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
There is a most persistent effort being
made by professional agitators who
sponge living off laboring men through
their organizations, to convince them
that the Republican party is not their
friend, but is hostile to their interests.
The changes have been ruug this %
long and so diligently, it has been SO
long allowed to go unanswered, that it is
little wonder thousands of honest and
sincere workingmen have come to be-
l1eve it. Indeed, it is a greater wonder
that more of them have not been deluded
by it, so artfully and persistently has it
been pressed upon them.
Now, we must emphatically deny the
whole charge and everything included in
it. IT is just as absurd and just as false
as it would have been to have gone to the
negroes of the South before the war and
told them that the republican party was
their enemy and in some way responsible
for their being in slavery. 1t is a part in
deed, almost the whole-of the history of
the republican party, that it was organic
ed to contend for, and has always con-
tended for justice, and especially for
the rights and blessings of free
labor. It is impossible that the same
party that contended so nobly for the
rights of the slaves of another race,
should not feel the deepest sympathy
with the wrongs and sufferings, and the
deepest anxiety for the welfare and ad-
vancement of the poor and struggling of
its own race. On the face of it, this
charge is absurdly false and we do not
doubt that in the discussions of the cam
paign it will be met and disproyed at
every point.
THE DEFENDER OF LABOR.
The Republican party is, in the high
est largest and truest sense, the friend
promoter and defender of labor.
What do laboring men want? Steady
work and good wages. How can they get
steady work and good wages? By main
tanning such public policy as will en-
courage every man who has few dol
lars to invest in some enterprise that will
employ labor and pay such profits as
will Justify good wages. There is no 9th
er possible way of bringing general and
permanent prosperity within the reach of
the masses of our laboring people. If it
were possible to let it be understood that
there would be no uncalled for changes in
the tariff laws for the protection of our
home Industries, and no virulent labor
disturbances for the next twenty years,
hundreds of millions of dollars would
seek new enterprises at once; all capital
lists and corporations would use their
means and credit to enlarge and extend
their business, and labor would be more
employed and better paid than
ever before in the worlds history.
WORD ABOUT CORPORATIONS.
1t has been said that the Republican
party is the friend of corporations and
1t is the friend of legally
and legally controlled corpora
tions, but such corporations are not mo-
nopolies. They are rather the means by
which the greatest advantages are brought
within the reach Of all. Without the prin
ciple of incorporation we could have no
railroads, teIegraphs, nor large enterprises
of any kind. And what would our West
ern lands or their products be worth
without railroads, and where would
market be found for the products Of