River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-10-23
HOARD DEMOCRATS.
A Demonstration in Favor of the
BennettEaw.
Mr. Charles II. Felker's Mastery Argu-
mont In Miiwaukee--A Apostle, Mills Gets ]
- a Scorching -"stand by the
Little school House"


MILWAUKEE, Wis, Oct. 2O.-Charles
+. Felker addressed an immense audi
ence Saturday night in support OF the
Bennett law.
The Meeting was under the auspices
of the Wisconsin Democratic Bennett
Law League now embracing in its ranks
over 10, 600 Democrats of the State who
will support Governor Hoard because of
the position of their own party ia de-
handing the repeal of the Bennett law.
Despite the rain the Davidson Theater
was crowded to it's utmost capacity,
hundreds being content with standing
room. George j. obermann. who as pres
ident of the league presided at the meet
ing, is a leading Milwaukee brewer,
prominent German, and lifelong
Democrat Charles +. Felker. of Osh-
kosh, the speaker of the evening. is one
of the most prominent lawyers of the
State. Two years ago Mr.. Feiker was
the Democrat C nominee for Congress in
the Sixth Wisconsin district, and
through his popularity succeeded in
reducing somewhat the large Republic
an majority in that district Before
introducing Mr. Felker Mr. O1ermann
made short speech in which he said
that the Democratic supporters of the
Bennett law have no apologies to make,
but il apologies came from any one it
should be from the Democratic bosses
who inserted into the Democratic
| platform plank that does not belong
there and which has driven 10, 900 voters
/ from the party. Long-continued APP
plause greeted the white-haired Charles
Felker as he was presented to the audi
ence. In beginning his speech he told
Of his residence in Wisconsin since 1916.
/ He said in substance:
II am a Democrat. l follow the flag OF De
mOeracy matter in whose hands find il ;"
Thus spoke General Bragg at the close Of the
/ Democratic State Convention. convention
packed and planned on strictly Know Nothing
4 principles, with all that the name implies, a
convention whose platform was dictated by
/ political priests and written by political law
/ yers. These words so said by General Bragg
sounded like brave words They are, and were
/ intended TO be, mere catch words. General
Bragg knew when he uttered them that his own
/ political record did not warrant his statement
In 1862 Hon. Charles A. Eldridge was the
/ standard bearer OF the Democratic party in
/ General Bragg's Congressional district Charles
A. Eldridge carried the Democratic flag. Did
/ General Bragg follow the flag of Democracy no
/ matter in whose hands he found itY" Not an
/ inch. He bolted the Democratic nominee. He
/ arrayed his followers in open hostility to the
\ flag of Democracy" Found in the hands Of
| EldriGge he ran as an independent candidate
/ for Congress-, and was showed under by the
largest ma jOrity ever given in that district In
4 1886 the flag of Democracy" was found in the
/ hands OF Delaney. Did General Bragg follow itf
/ The political antiquarian has failed to find in
] 81, Afgfr ri %
track OF General Bragg following "the flag OF
Democracy carried by A. X Delaney On the
contrary, the political pundts declare that
even in the limestone rock of Fond du Lac
County are found footprints of General Bragg
| following the flag of Guenther
| With these chapters in his own political his
tory before him it was .'unwise, unnecessary
and undemocratic" for General Bragg, in
| speech recently delivered by him in Milwaukee,
| TO omen the flood gates Of his sarcasm upon the
| Bennett law Democrats of Wisconsin. II was
'unwise unnecessary and undemocratic'' for
| General Bragg who has refused TO follow the
/ flag OF Democracy whenever time and circum
stance and inclination spurred him. TO try to
"bulldoze" Democrats who upon lnciple pro
posed TO stand by the common school and to
| hold the little school-house" as bulwarx OF
| defense against the enemies Of education. You
have observed and doubtless some OF you have
| heardShe great apostle of the school, the con
| stitution and the Union, Roger @ Mills, lately
/ imported into this State free of duty" in
struct the people of Wisconsin concerning
their duties as parents and rights citi-
zens. Coming from State where thirty per
cent. Of the people. excluding Indians
| not taxed" are unable TO read and
write, he Is admirably fitted to teach
the people OF Wisconsin how TO
educate their children. Hailing from a State
where schoo'houses are as hard TO find as a
moonshine whisky still he is abundantly com
g,I.r -, 81 a.wfu.r arl ODD ffpu
Having fought for four years TO destroy the con
stitution and the Union, he Is well trained to
/ expound To people the true principles Of
| constitutional liberty and law. In speech de-
| livered in this State Apostle Mills made these
| statements: II can not think Of any thing that
would make my flesh crawl on my bones or
make me consumed with Indignation more than
| il was in a State and was compelled 10 send
my child to be taught by man who was a
blatan infidel. Suppose your Board OF Super
visors should employ the learned Ingersoll. He
/ Is very talented and accomplished gentleman
But Colonel Ingersoll would not be the man
that would want to educate my child. And in
! every country where ! am, long as / am a
/ free man, l shall do every thing in my power to
/ have laws changed that would compel me to
/ send my child to a school where he could be
| taught there was no God. no atoning sacrifice,
no sufferer on Calvary. for the redemption OF
\ the sins OF the world, and there was no hell"
| The object OF tins breezy rhapsody was to
| convey the thought that infidelity is taught in
the public schools Of this State and the chill
| dren are taught there is no God. Apostle Mills
4 should have been told that the Boards Of super
visors do not employ teachers in the State Of
| Wisconsin He is evidently as ignorant Of the
| school laws OF this State as he is OF the Ben
nett law. II it be true that blatant infidels"
are employed by the trustees OF our common
schools il is not the fault Of the Bennett law,
for the school boards and school directors had
| h,sforp the pnaCtmpnf of that
law TO hire teachers that they now have.
/ The Bennett law has not changed the
| statutes OF this State in that respect,
/ and has in no way or manner en-
| larged their authority to the employ
/ ment OF teachers. But Mills knew that his
| premise Was false and his inuendo a lie. He
/ knew that infidelity was not taught; that i'm
/ morality Is not sanctioned in the common
| schools OF Wisconsin. He merely mouthef
the opinions OF the Katzers and the Koerners
/ who are the deadly enemies Of the common
schools. And the pious soul OF Apostle
Mills revolts at the bare Thought that his child
i be taught reading, writing, arithmetic and
/ United States history" for twelve weeks in a
year by Colonel IngersolL Colonel Ingersoll
| who Is as far his superior i'm intellect and
scholarship as civilization is superior to barbar-
| ism Colonel Ingersoll. whose great heart goes
out to the oppressed and downtrodden OF every
i nation as a great river goes to the sea.
| Colonel IngersOll, whose burning words for
| the liberty OF mankind nave MADE Angels
pause while Chcrubin and Seraphim played
| sweet accompaniment to his golden speech on
| golden harps. And yet, according to the Mills
| plan OF education this cultured, brainy man,
| with heart as tender a woman's, is not fit
| to hear the Mills family recite the multiplica-
| tion table. Thank God live in State where
| such spirit Of bigotry and intolerance does
| not prevail, where men and women are not os-
| tracised and outlawed because OF a religious be
| lief. where teachers are not compelled TO sub
NIT 70 examination in the Mills theory OF educa-
| tion. Mr.. Mills is in perfect accord with the
| Democratic politicians who are now misleading
| the Democratic party and confederating with
| the enemies of the common schools. He knows
| that from the '-little school houses" of the
| North poured forth the grand army that
| whipped the rebels into submission to the
| Union He knows that the great body Of the
| Union soldiers had been educated in the com
mon schools. There they had been taught the
| language and history Of their country. There
| had been bred in them manliness and in
| dependence. love of freedom and free govern
| ment. There they learned to love the flaE
| In the common schools the soldier boys hal rot
| been taught The Mills code OF into eranee. OF
| bigotry and treason.
| When Mills and his cohorts failed and flew
| the wretched rag Of rebellion these men did not
fail. They were true to the flag And TODAY
/ in the State Of Texas. the home Of Roger G.
| Mills, the bones OF thousands OF these school
| boys lie silent witnesses az the treachery oi
Mills and the glory Of the common school 1t l.
| no wonder that this Southern politician hates
the common school
He fought TO form a Government whose