Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-03-22

of Valley Forge and Yorktown-why? 1t
was to establish national representative
government!
A quarter of a century has scarcely
gone since the world witnessed the rise
and raYages of rebellion which shook
this very earth. It saw this government
sacrifice its treasure, mortgage its future.
march its nublest, bravest men IN great
armies to battle and to death by slaugh-
ter and starvation. 1t saw them widow
their wives, orphan their children, blot
out individual homes and hopes, clothe
the dead in glory aid the living II mourn
| ing. And why? In the name OF Atlanta
and Gettysburg, in the name and deeds
| of Lincoln and Grant and Logan and
| Hancock. Why? 1t was to preserve that
national representative government.
And yet to-day we obey the laws of an
arrogant minority. a minori Y that
reaches out its bold hand from an OBJ
scure corner and rules this country.
Have we in Wisconsin any interest in
the laws which congress enacts? Are we
benefited directly or indirectly? Are we
injured directly or indirectly? If SO We
have a direct interest in the election of
every man who helps to make those laws,
a constitutional right that he shall be
honestly CHOSEN Wisconsin has nine
repi esentatives in congress. Alabama
eight. Wisconsiu's congressional vote is
more than three times as large as that of
Alabama. Mississippi has seven repre-
reeentatives; Wisconsin returns six times
as large congressional vote as MisissIp-
pi. South Carolina has seven represen-
tatives. Wisconsin returns eight times
as large a vote. Georgia has ten congress
man. Wisconsin has nine; Wisconsin
returns ten times as large congressional
vote as Georgia. This is not question
of ignorance or education, of race or
color, but of representative government.
We shall, hope, through this club work,
all learn to appreciate, as never before
that each citizens interest, his property
the taxes he shall pay, the laws he shall
obey, his happiness, the future peace and
pros perity of his government rest upon
the honesty and prosperity of the ballot.
We shall, I hope, come to accept these
truths, not IN an apathic sort of way, but
as serious, weighty realities within which
slGmber the certainties of national happi-
ness and growth or national disgrace and
disaster.
All this and more may be wrought out
through the permanent local club.
As an incident to our work every re-
publican will be brought to sach i'm
mediate participation in party councils
and party manag ement as shall lift the Or
ganiZation above the baneful influence of
political bargains and political bossism.
Arousing the interest and fixing the
attention of the voter upon the impor-
lance Of the issues, we shall solve the
question of primaries and caucuses, and
such support will come to the right
| measures and the best men, as to sweep
before it all personal differences and fuse
the experience of age with the enthusi
asm of youth in patriotic desire for the
success of the party which stands for all
that is best in government.
Gentlemen, believing that the study
and PRONUNCIATION of republican princi-
plies is the high Office of permanent re-
publican clubs, feel that we cannot toe
strongly emphasize the prime impor-
lance of working within these lines. II
the clubs should seek to supersede IN any
| degree the Legitimate work of our exist
ing party organization; if they should
| become the exponent of any faction OF
any Individual, they are absolutely sure
TO wreck. If we keep the fundamental
| object for which these clubs are formed
steadily in view, this movement will
mark new departure in political meth
DDS and new era in political history.
| Gen. Lucius Fairchild was made tenn
porary chairman, who on assuming the
chair, made a telling speech, showing
why the democratic party should be
turned out of Office. His reasons were
because the party was in Office py fraud;
because it was incompetent and corrupt:
because of Cleveland's wrongful and in
CONSTANT pension vetoes; because of his
vicious schemes for the elimination of
| the protection to our industries and our
| agricultural interests; because the party
has degraded the supreme court bench
Gen. Fairchild's speech, which was elo-
quent and earnest, and was repeatedly
cheered.
The State organization was perfected
by the election of Senator John c.
Spooner, President; w. J. McElroy of
Milwaukee, Secretary and Hon. S. S.
Fifield of Ashland, Treasurer.
CONSTITUTION AS ADOPTED.