The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-11-01
THE CAMPAIGN IN WISCONSIN.
How il Is Viewed by Democratic
Journal ia New York.

Journal ia NEW YORK.
New Yer: Evening Posi- lncm.l
In 10 state is this years campaign
carried on, 50 far as the State ticket is
concerned, SO completely aside from
national issues as in Wisconsin. The
common school," the : Rights of
parents and size liar subjects are what
tie II, wsparers and the stump speak
ers talk about, and woodcuts of coun
try sclioolhouseS are used as notices
Ill the Republican press. The tariff is
talked Of in connection with candl-
dates for congress, but no question
compares in popular interest with the
question of education and the public
schools.
Nh Ibis excitement has arisen over
what is c..ll,d the Bennett law, an en-
actInent of last year, the disturbing
provisions OF which are that children
Shall he taught certain elementary
studies in In. sh, and that parents
shall send their chi iren TO Il school
within the district where they reside,
except such chl.ircn to whom lin
ST. net ion has otherwise been given for
a |. ke period OF time in the elementary
branches commonly taught in the pub
lie schools" An atteml has been
ma IL 10 Show that the second of these
provisions restricts Il parent : right to
i; let the ll.ca OF his chiid's educl-
ton. Ii does forbid his selection OF Il
plroclii..l school outside of his district,
as etr EpyiiSh Is not tought.
Tie great fight now IS over the re-
Gulrement that elementary branches
Shall i. taught III English. The VIC
Leaf opponents Of this are the German
lutieranS ana Catholics, priests and
lsity Til" Irish Catholics, tie German
Method iSts, ana the scandinavian Lu-
thcrans, are either Indifferent or APP
prove the tw. The extent to which
German is exclusively used i'll parts OF
ii isconsin must he understood in order
10 appreciate the necessity of the re-
ulireiiit.nt GOV. Hoard has stated
l.Itt III some townships all the public
records, and tax lists have for years
been invalid because they have been
..,holly kept III German. \ young man
i Jefferson coanty, IS years old, who
IS always Lived III SIGHT OF sch0ol
house, cannot speak 4 word OF English.
In some counties PAD interpreter Is
required to carry on The business OF
the courts. The school question Is CON
ncctel with this question of language
hv the attitude Of the people IN the
German cDs,n1ips toward the public
schools. GOV Hoard cited to the Teach
prs' association an instance where the
public school money was lent to any
one who wanted to borrow, where the
English language had been formally
binislled from Il school and where a
German priest had ordered school
closed. These statements are not, we
believe, controverted, and it is easy to
understand their influence when law
Ike the Bennett law comes fairly be
fore the people
After giving the platforms of the
two parties Oh the school question the
article concludes:
Thus, the Democrats are fully COM
ii ted to tn" repeal Of the new law
vii t. the Republicans stand by it, eN-
pressing a willingness, however, to re-
move any indrtinltneSS from the pro
vision about 4 parents selection OF a
school for his children. The results of
this shaping OF the campaign already
are these: Thousands Of Democrats
op My pronounce against their party 5
Il t!tuds.. and declare their determin
alton IL vote against 1t. IN NiS0r-
Gus printed address they say:
We resent eccleslaSt lc.I interior
renee III STATE affairs by amy church as
dangerous TO the liberties of the PEG
pla, IN American and IN Democratic.
The question now confronting us Is,
shall we, as Democrats, give Our sane
ton to such y base prostitution OF the
party we love and revere? Shall we
permit, even ny inaction, the triumph
OF st:ch q shameful sacraiice of prlnci-
PIE and OF the faith and honorable ira
ditions OF Our party, for the pitiful
purpose of securing the brief and dis
crrdifable support of the German
Repuil. can LuiheranS? 1t is time
That such uncl2an and laundering
leadership should he rebukcd. Mere
inactive disapproval can accomplish
nothing The only way to free the
plrly from the domination of those
who sacrifice al principle, all patriot
ism and all Democracy to Il vicious
&c erIninatlon t. GAIN votes at any
cost, is to vote against the state tick
et nominated on and pledged TO that
shameful platform.
The boilers embrace some of the old
est, most 1althfnl ana most lniltlentlal
Democrats III the state and some of
the most influential newspapers. To
offset these the Democrats count on
an unknown number of German Luth
cran Republicans and some help from
| Republicans of other denominations
The tie gave Harrison a plurality of
| ,322l III i>SS, and Rusk for governor
y plurality OF Isis i'll 1896. So far as
can he judged ut this distance, the
Democrats have weakened their nat
ural strength by their present position
and ii VIII not he surprising if the Re
publ can majority passes 50, 900. " hat
ever the ajority may be, Wisconsin
cannot hc looked To this year to give,
hy the vote ri its state ticket, test
OF popular feeling on the natural
questions of the day.