Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-14
POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
The Importance Of the Labor Question
in the Present Campaign. No
Democrat Equal to Gov
ernOr RuSk.
The Part the PrOhibitiOniStS Are Play
ING to Aid the Democrats. A
Specimen of Bourbon Dis
honesty.
What the Agitat0rs Want.
Milwaukee Sentinel.


Commenting on the expression of a
leader of the Labor" party movement
that the workingmen propose to brighten
the politicians into repeating the laws
against boycotting and violence in
strikes, The New York Evening Post
says:
This contains, so far as the labor or
CARNATIONS now supporting George are
concerned, the true inwardness of the
whole movement. They do not care one
cent about Mr.. Georges promised Gre
FORMS" They are much too shadOwy and
remote. What they seek is to brighten
the city and state officers and ''the pollti-
clans" in such fashion that strikers will
not be fined or imprisoned for bOycOtting
and street rioting, and this they think
they can do by giving George large
vote. That they can do it in this way we
have ourselves little doubt, and if they
should succeed in having the penal code
amended in their favor, and IN cOnvlnc-
ing police magistrates and judges that it
was good selfish policy to wink at their
disorders, they would have the communi-
! ty at their mercy. Col Fellows, the as
sistant district attorney, who prosecuted
the boycotters, was badly Kissed on this
account when speaking at a meeting of
the county democracy the other day.
Surprising the hissers should be able to
show that very large body of voters
agreed with them in thinking than any
officer who, like Col. Fellows, enforced
baton, how long would district attorneys
stand up against the reprObatiOn?
Here rests the great danger from the
Of bo CobiIlipOC and (TrOttlxouS
in their purpose, which is the present de-
feat of Gov Rusk as the representative
of the law and social order. If the labor"
party in Wisconsin can show that it is
strong enough to overcome the republi-
can majority even if it should only secure
the election of democratic governor,
there would be a political premium for
law officials, holding political positions,
to wink at boycotting and street riOting.
Judge Mallory has been bitterly denounc-
ed by these agitatOrs and if they can sue
ceed in defeating Rusk they will also sue
coed in defeating Mallory when he comes
up for reelection. If they succeed in de-
feating Rusk, then a penalty is attached
to the uphOlding of law and order. Any
justice enforcing the law against boycott
ting and violence, will be assured by
Rusk's defeat that his doom was sealed.
If an official who performs his duty and
is then threatened with punishment can
not count upon the support of all good
citize1s without regard to party, how
many officials will voluntarily sacrifice
themselves and their political future by
the rigid enforcement of the laws?
Some of the democratic papers of the
state, edited by men unable to grasp the
Importance of the issue and blind to
everything except party advantage, pres
ent the poor argument that the riots are
over and that a democratic governor
would be as equal to an emergency as
Gov. Rusk. But this is not the question
Here is considerable body of men de-
nouncing the enforcement of the law
against boycotters, denouncing the
course of Gov. Rusk in suppressing the
rioters, and demanding and working fo1
his defeat as a punishment and to in
timidate public officials for the future
''to brighten state officers and the polite
ians in such fashion that strikers vii
not be fined or imprisoned for boycott
ting and street rioting."
Can any intelligent citizen consider
these facts and remain IN any doubt as
to what his duty is in the matter?