Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-14
Cur Representative.

Through some mistake Of the COM
mittee the announcement of Mr.. La
Follette's appointments for Grant
County were not sent to the papers,
and he arrived at the different places
almost unannounced. A great many
people were thus deprived of the priv
ilege of hearing him. Nevertheless, he
spoke to full houses, Monday night at
Fenniuiore and Tuesday night at Bloom
ington. At the latter place several
Lancaster people heard him.
He began by saying that he was an
nounced to speak upon 1.-THE political
issues of the day." and that he should
do SO. There is no intelligent member
of the third party present" said he,
twho has any idea that prohibition
will be voted upon by the Fiftieth Con-
gress.n He thought people have a
right to know the position of their rep.
resentative upon all questions likely to
arise; that questions would arise in the
Fiftieth Congress upon which his posi-
ton would differ Materially from that
of a Democratic Congressman. Before
passing to those questions he reviewed
briefly the history of the Republican
party, claiming justly that one could
Judge to some extent of party, as of
an individual, from it's acts Ia the past.
He reminded his audience that two
years ago he had explained to his audi
ence from that platform the true condi-
ton of the z. S. Treasury That Demo-
cratic newspapers and Democratic
speakers were representing that there
was surplus of some $500, 100000 in
the treasury which IN the event of their
getting hold of the administration
would be paid out, thus increasing the
circulation, and good times would fol-
low. He again explained that the ac-
tual surplus was about $4,000, 900 only
"A reserve fund such as any prudent
business man would have to guard
against contingencies. The Democratic
administration failed to fulfill its prom
ises. No call was made for bonds for
ten months when the actual reserve
amounted to over $79,000,000. The
bonds were held in New York. The
President came from New York and so
did his Secretary of the Treasury.
That he never issued call for bonds
until a joint resolution of Congress
and the approaching elections compell-
ed it.
So far as economical administration
is concerned, he showed that the ex-
penses of the government had been run
SO far on the $4,000, 900 appropriation
of President Arthur. and that President
Cleveland's appropriation was S264,-
000,0 900.
He showed how as parties the Repub-
lieans and Democrats were opposed on
the tariff question, and ably discussed
the tariff and its effect upon the agricul.
tural interests. He gave his views and
explained his vote upon the Oleomar-
garine bill.
His position ON the pension question
is that every old soldier who has an
honorable discharge. who is compelled
to earn his living by work and who is
unable by reason of disabilities to work
should receive pension. whether or
not he can show that his disability was
incurred in the service. 1t is no won.
der, in view of the hardships undergone
by soldiers in camp and on the field,
that their co Institutions break down
sooner than those who stayed at home
though it is sometimes difficult to prove
by witnesses just when and how the
disability occurred. He severely crit
eised President Cleveland's hasty and
inconsiderate vetoes of pension bills,
particularly citing the case OF Joseph
RomIzer. Taken on the whole his
speech was remarkably sound and
able exposition of the leading political
questions of the day.