Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-09-23
Dem tic Opinion.

nat large NUMBER OF the better
element of the Democratic voters of
Wisconsin will vote for Gov. Rusk
is certain. They are heard from in
every quarter. Democratic papers
also are pronounced in his favor.
Prominent among these is the Chi
cago Times, in recent issue of
which we find the following edi-
| tori.
The chaps in Wisconsin that are
cackling against Mr.. Alexander
Mitchell, Judge Sloan, Judge Bra
ley, and other conspicuous gentle
men that are styled ''life-long Dem
ocrats" are showing themselves to
be the silliest kind of geese.
The gentlemen mentioned have
said publicly, honestly, and freely
that they shall deliver their votes
for the return of Mr.. Rusk to the
office of governor, and that their
counsel to all friends of law, order,
and justice would be to do the same.
Their right as free citizens to say
that and do that is absolutely I'M
questionable. No man has or can
have any moral right to censure
them for sHeh exercise of their law
full liberty, and no man with real
lzlng sense of the proper dignity of
the citizen Will censure them.
But the goose and gosling parti-
sans are reported to be curious"
more particularly against Mr.. Mitch
ell, whom they doubtless looked
upon as a fountain of wealth upon
which they would be able TO draw
for funds wherewth to "rally the
boys" They are denouncing him,
it is said, as "insolent, dictatorial,
and, above all, ungrateful." And
to make it appear that he is migrate
full, they affirm that ''to the Demo
cratic party of Wisconsin Mitchell
largely his wealth and position"
That affirmation is absolutely
false. Mr.. Mitchell owes his wealth
and position to his own extraordi-
nary sagacity, business faculty, and
personal merit, aud to nothing and
nobody else. AS to the account be-
tween him and the Democratic cleo
tion-machine in Wisconsin, the bal
ance is in his favor. That dilapi-
dated corporation has been indebted
to him for much more than he ever
has been indebted to it,
The geese say that the attitude of
Mitchell, Sloan, and other imputed
members of the Demos church,
makes the shooting of few dan
gerous agltators, done in the simple perform
hncc OF an imperative official duty virtue
| which should be rewarded at the expense Of a
political party. They argue that had there
Deen Democrat in the place of Governor
husk he would have performed the same duty
| IN the same manner. To ask the Democrats to
reward Republican for doing his duty is re-
garded as audaoous, and in the nature of trea-
son to the party
This gable about treason to the
party" is very old, musty, and too
silly for anything. The notion that
there is in the moral world such a
thing as allegiance due to a purely
voluntary, eXtra-legal, and mere
perfunctory association of individu-
ais, that hold no opinions in com
mon on any public question that it
is possible 10 specify, is not one that
rational men in these days of light
are prone TO accept unquestioningly.
Such men as Alexander Mitchell
and Judge Sloan are able to pene-
trate the causes of human action
much deeper than the silly geese
that are cackling at them. 1t is
quite true that Governor Rusk, in
dealing with the socialist outbreak,
did no more than it was the duty of
an upright, vigorous, and trustwor-
thy executive to do. Whether this,
that, or the other man, in the same
Office, would have performed the
same duty in the same manner is a
matter of opinion. With respect TO
Mr.. Rusk, it is not a matter of opin-
ion; it is a matter that has been
tried, tested and proven by the fact,
Undoubtedly, this is the way that
Mr., Mitchell, Mr. Sloan, aud multi.
tudes of prudent and capable bust
ness men that are not in the habit
Of taking tickets in lottery look at
it. True, another man might DO as
well, but we don't know what
another man would do We know
what Jerry Rusk would do, for we
have tried him and cen him 10 it.
There is nothing of rewarding
virtue in this view Of the case.
There is nothing in it but this; We
desire an executive who will dis
charge the trust we commit to him
"withuut fear, favor, or affection,
and we know that this is that style
! of man.