The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-04-10
HOARD DEFENDS THE LAW
The Governors Eloquent Plea
for the Bennett Act.

immense crowd at the Baptist
church, where he met with most
enthusiastic reception. Hundreds of
people were unable to gain admis-
sion, and the interest shown in the
subject he was to discuss, "The Ben
nett Law" was intense. President
Mayne, of Fort Atkinson, the presid-
ing officer of the society, introduced
the Governor, and his popularity was
was clearly shown in the prolonged
clapping Of hands that ensued. Ere
quently during the delivery of the
address there was hearty applause.
After the close of the convention
hundreds Of citizens were presented
to the Governor, who was congratu-
lated over and over on his address.
Gov. Hoard's address was as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: We have
fallen upon strange times. The Cir
Cumstances which seem to make it
necessary for me to appear before
you this evening and defend law
enacted in the interest of education
and the children Of the State are in
deed strange circumstances and
anomalous to the whole spirit Of
American history. If any one had
said to me year ago that there ex-
listed in Wisconsin any considerable
number of men who were hostile to
the spirit and purpose of a law like
the Bennett law [ would have re-
fused to believe it.
I might have admitted that among
the most ignorant and unprogressive
elements of our population there
could be found few who did not
care for the future of their children.
But [ certainly would have refused
to believe that in all the State there
could be found a single minister or
priest who was so completely foreign
in his ideas and sympathies as to OPP
pose a law which simply provides
that every child should acquire a
small amount of American eduCa
ton. | would not have believed
that there existed in Wisconsin or
the United States even a single
newspaper, no matter what language
it was printed in, that would oppose
such q law.
[ would not have believed that
there could be found in all this broad
land a set of men and newspapers
who would deliberately enter into a
conspiracy against poor, ignorant
and defenseless little children. [
would not have believed that there
could be found a single man who
ever felt the fostering care Of the
American school who could be in
duced to Join this conspiracy for the
sake of an office. But, my friends, [
am wiser to-day than | was one year
ago.
now see that we have these eie-
ments among us. l had believed
that the evil which the Bennett law
was devised to correct was the result
of negligence and inattention. But
this violent opposition to the law
Convinces me that the ignorance
which we are striving to dissipate is
very largely the work of design; at
least that is the natural logic of the
position its opponents take. He
who opposes the light must of ne
cessity be in favor of darkness AS
much as we may deprecate and feel
ashamed of such condition of af-
fairs in so fair and progressive a
State, nevertheless it is true, and we
must meet the evil in the forum of
reason and before the bar of public
opinion.
thank God for the power there is
in public opinion. 1t has never
failed us. 1t is the "vox Del of
American destiny. To it the tender
children and the feeble aged may ap-
peal with certainty that justice shall
be accorded. One of the distinctive
features Of American character is a
generous and chivalric regard for
the weak and defenseless. In ODE
dience to this noble spirit we have
dotted this broad land With asylums
and houses of refuge Such spirit
is the essence of the highest civil
cation. In obedience to it we have
established the most magnificent sys-
tenn of public instruction for children
the world ever saw. In obedience tc
it we have enshrined in law and sen
timent that regard for woman that SC
distinctively marks the American So
cial order above any other on earth
These ideas of charity, of educa
ton, of tender regard for women
form what are known as the basic
American ideas of social relation
ship. Justice is the foundation prin
ciple on which they rest. Justice tc
the unfortunate, justice to the young
and Justice to the motherhood of the
race. 1t is this broad and truly
American spirit that has materializec
in all the laws which have made pos