The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-06-10

The Bragg Delaney agreement is the
| chief topic of discussion in the news
| papers of the state. The contract is In
| perfect keeping with Dodge county
| politics. 1t is redolent of the machine
which has for years governed Dodge
| county, making the public Offices the
private property of the men who stood
together for loot and called their con-
federacy party organization, and their
appetite devotion to democratic princip-
les. The tentacles of the machine
reached out beyond the county for prey
and its poison clutch tainted the politics
of the district which was 60 unfortunate
as to include Dodge county. The tena-
cious purpose of greed gave cohesive
power to the delegation from Dodge
county and it was dominant at conven-
tions to the extent of pushing its methods
t. the front. Barter is the system on
which Dodge county politics is conduct
ed, and any convention in which Dodge
county frequently takes part, will in time
be reduced to the level of political
huckster-shop. Every candidate must
bend the knee to the political god which
this county has set up or accept defeat.
That General Bragg fell is to be
regretted. But his fall is not without
excuse. His service as soldier, and his
marked abilities as lawyer and legis-
lator, did not have feathers weight in
a convention under the control of poll
ticians caring not for party success unless
advantage enured to them, and using
their political position and opinions as
articles of commerce. What to them
was the reputation of the Little General2
He was man whom any one of them
could rout in a caucus. He did not fill
their idea Of representative; his meth
DDS were those of man who thought
public service honorably performed
should receive higher appreciation than
exclusive attention to the loaves and
fishes. They marshaled their forces
under the banner of spoils and drove
General Bragg from the field and their
success was applauded.
Is it cause for wonder that two years
later, Bragg should yield to circum-
stances and acknowledge the supremacy
OF the Dodge county methodist The
people had expressed approval. Dodge
| county boosted of what it had done and
its abhorrent methods elected no protest
When he yielded up that aggressive
sense of honor which made him I'M
popular though it preserved the integrity
| of his character, he became favorite in
| Dodge county and received a vote almost
equal to that of Cleveland. They felt he
had become one of them by having
| yielded them the spoils
There are few conventions in which
there is contest that there are not
bargains made and drafts on the
| future. There has not been a y. S.
senator elected in Wisconsin for years in
which the official patronage has not been
bartered off for support; and these papers
which are now metaphorically holding
up their hands in pious horror, are fully
aware of these facts. Bragg is an infant
in politics and put his first bargain in
writing. Even with this record against
him he has, without doubt, as clean
bands in this respect as any man in con-
gress. The people of Dodge county
repeatedly expressed their approval of the
''give and take" system of conducting
politics. 1t was no outrage on them
that the politicians had the distribution
of the offices among them. Where is
the county of which this is not true
To Bragg's credit, he was hostile to the
Dodge county politicians. They de-
manded pledge for what would be
tacitly conceded under different circum-
stances. They were too shrewd to leave
their prerogatives in doubt. Bragg was
! simple enough to accede to their de-
mands and in writing.
He agreed not to be candidate. He
acted wisely. No man could preserve
his self respect and win in the Second
district Fond du Lac is promised to
Delaney or any Dodge county man.
This is matter for the delegates, rather
than for General Bragg to explain.
|