River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-30
CONGRESS SIONAL.
ELLSWORTH. WIS, Dec. 90. 'S6.

EDITOR JoURNAL:-Ify you will allow
me little space in your paper will
refute statement made in the "NIil-
waukee Sunday Telegraph" of the 10Th
inst. In an article on candidates for
Member of Congress in the 8th Dist.
that paper says: Among the men
most frequently nance. in connection
with the congressional Omination in
the Sth Dist. are Hon. Ira B. Bradford
OF Augusta, Hon. NJ. Griffin of Eau
Claire, and Hon. n. p. Haugen of
Pierce. Mr.. Bradford has served
twice in the assembly, one term as
speaker, is a man of brilliant parts,
honest, level headed, fine lawyer, a
superior public speaker, and one of the
few men in the district competent to
fill the office, whom the four or five
thousand PrOhibitionists there would
not antagonize." ItalsO speaks highly
of Mr.. Griffin, and concludes with Mr..
Haugen as follows: "Mr. Haugen
has served tenn or two in the as
sembly, and is just closing a five year
term as L. r. Commissioner. 1t is
said that the Scandinavians are claim
ing the nomination of one of their
countrymen for the position, and that
Mr.. Haugen is their choice. IL as also
said that the ScdndiRdridnS are likely
10 elect Judge Larson Of Eau Claire,
a Democrat. If Mr.. Haugen is not 7t0m-
mated. This claim is an insult 10 a
large class of the stanchest Republicans
in the district"
So far the Milwaukee Telegraph
That IL is said the Scandinavians are
likely to elect Judge Larson, Demo-
crat. if Mr.. Haugen is not nominated,
| is what wish to deny. So far us Sean
dinavian newspapers are concerned l
have not seen any such statement in
any of them and do not think anybody
else has. If however it has been said
in some of the English papers, would
say that it is not best for the staunch
Republicans of the 8th Congressional
Dist. to take it as an insult, but much
more as a timely warning. Messrs.
Bradford and Griffin, of whom the
Telegraph speaks SO eloquently, are
certainly both good men, but not any
better than Mr.. Haugen for this posi-
ton. The Republican party of Wis
consin cannot afford to follow the ex-
ample of Minnesota last fall, ignoring
the wishes of the voters, by nominating
contrary to their desires, and it is to
be hoped that, if the Scandinavians of
this district are unanimous for Uaugen
for the position in Congress now to be
filled, the Republicans here will give
the matter proper attention, and not
sacrifice the party simply because some
standing candidate may so desire
although he is glib tOngued and brill
liant. Some of the Scandinavians of
the Sth dist. expected four years ago
that one of their nationality would be
nominated for this position, and l be-
lieve Hon. IL. B. Warner, the one
thought of, would have been satisfac.
tory to them, but the convention in its
wisdom nominated Mr.. Price, who
thereupOn got the vigorous support of
Mr.. Warner, and more, that of Mr..
Haugen also. This l know to be so,
for 1 met Mr.. Haugen and Price at
that time, in some of the heaviest
settled Scandinavian precincts in the
congressional district, and know that
, they did effective work Tor Mr.. Price,
all of which we have had reason to
rejoice over. But now, when the
Scandinavians claim the nomination
for one OF their nationality, il looks to
me as though the Telegraph" regards
that as an insult to the Republicans of
this district. cannot make anything
else out of it, and one can, it seems to
me, read that between the lines a:
quoted from that paper, if not plainly
on the lines. | wonder if the Tele-
graph is aware that about three-fifth'
of the Republican voters of this dis
trict are Scandinavians! That they
have. heretofore. been the staunches
Republicans of this as well as Othel
districts, most any one will admit
True, they came to this country poor
but honest. They fought and bleC
for the Union with a valor and tenaeitI
> that was not excelled by any native
y They were Republicans by birth, anC
have faithfully supported your Repub
lican nominees, although favored b!
= choice positions on the Democratic
ticket at the same time.
II This happened again during thu
t campaign last fall. Hon. j. a. John
son, whose qualifications for anything