Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-04
WHY IT IS WANTED.
What Republican Success in Wisconsin
This Year Will Mean.
A RETURN TO THE OLD DOMINANT
RULE OF THE SAWYER RING.

Senator Sawyer Has Personal Interest
in Carrying the State-Its Explanation
To Be Found in His Interview with Con-
| gresham notwithstanding to Control
| the Courts, He Wishes to Control the
State Govcrnment-Republic Success
VIII Also Put Stop to the Reforms
Inaugurated BY the Democratic Admin
istration the Past Two Years, Which
| Have Saved Taxpayers Thousands of
Dollars.
| Republican success this fall means the
restoration of the Sawyer ring to power.
This is the ring under whose protection
| state treasurers grew rich through the
appropriation of interest on the public
| funds, which the courts have decided be-
longed to the state; under whose protection
lumber barons robbed school lands with
impunity to the injury of the public schools
OF the state; under whose protection gangs
of party hacks and barnacles thrived and
fattened at the expense of the taxpayers;
under whose protection, in short, all sorts
OF Irregularities fcurished which it has
taken Democratic administration two
| years to reform, and it's work is not yet
completed.
The success of the Republican party
means stoppage Of the reforms so honestly
carried out in fulfllment of promises made.
1t means a return of the old methods, q
compromise of the suits against the state
tTeasurers by which the present administra-
ton has secured for the taxpayers of the
state, If the suits are pushed to the bitter
end, the return to the state treasury of over
800, OOO
| The Republican party has promised to
press the suits and collect the money. But
when, If ever, has that party risen superior
to the rule of the ring, whose foot has been
on its neck for so many years. Success in
| these suits means great deal to Senator
Sawyer personally. He admitted as much
to ex-Congressman LaFollette at the inter
| view in the Plankinton house, where Mr.
LaFollette alleged Senator Sawyer tried to
| bride him to influence Judge Siebecker's
decision in the cases which were to come
| before him for trial. This interview re-
vealed Senator Sawyer in startling light
| If Mr.. LaFollette's assertions are true, and
| they have never been successfully contra
dicted, although Senator Sawyer ID at
| tempt to draw the sting of some of the
| most damning sentences.
The story of that interview as told by
| Mr.. LaFollette is as follows. 1t was sent
| to the Milwaukee Sentinel in answer to a
| statement OF the meeting made by Senator
Sawyer, evidently with the purpose Of
| forstalling the other side 1t was printed
in The Sentinel of Oct. %, 1891:
10 THE EDITOR OF THE MILWAUKEE
| SENTINEL: MADISON, Oct: 2S.-The publ
| cation of an interview with Senator SAWYER
| In The Sentinel yesterday was first seen by
| me in Milwaukee shortly after my arrival
| in the city upon business early yesterday
morning. The interview purported to
| make public conversation which occurred
at the Plankinton house in Milwaukee on
Thursday, Sept. II, between Senator Saw
yer and myself concerning my employment
| as an attorney in the case of the state of
Wisconsin against H. B. Harshaw, Philetus
Sawyer and others. After reading the
| Interview and before leaving the city I
| ascertained that the statement was author
| lied by Senator Sawyer.
The interview was a false and not a true
statement of what transpired, and cannot
remain silent and permit it to stand uncon-
tradicted. Today 1 requested Judge Sic
becker's sanction to speak and received it.
| After an announcement in declining to try
the case 1 felt bound in courtesy, as an
attorney and officer of his court, to respect
his judgment that trial should first be
had. But the conversation, as Senator
Sawyer details it, leaves me no choice but
to declare the facts at this time and in this
| manner.
On Tuesday morning, Sept. Is last, re-
ceived a letter from Senator SAWYER of
which the following is copy:
Dictated
"OsHKosH, Wis, Sept. ID, 1S91.-Hon.
Robert M. LaFollette, Madison, Wis: MY
DEAR LAFoLLETTE-Iw will be in Milwaukee
| at the state fair ON Thursday. have some
| matters of Importance that would like to
| consult you about that escaped my mind
yesterday. If convenient, can you be in
Milwaukee that day, and meet me at the
Plankinton house at IL a. M? If not on
| that day, what day would suit youl con-
venience this week? Please answer by tele-
graph. All you need to say if you can meet
me that day is merely telegraph me, Yes
If not, simply mention day you can meet
me- Yours truly,
"PH1LETUs SAWYER"
page of Office paper, letter size. The ton
part of the sheet was torn off, leaving only
the printed words, Dictated, Oshkosh
Wis The reference in the letter to Mp
Sawyer's having seen me the day before it
was written related to our having met on
Sunday, the 18th day of September, at
Neenah, Wis, on the occasion of the funeral
of Hon. Charles B. Clark. At that time I
met Mr.. Sawyer between l and o'clock,
just as we took a carriage together with
Hon. n. D. Pratt and Hon. L B. Caswell
to go from the hotel to the residence of
Mr.. Clark. From the residence we went
Immediately after the service at the house
by the same conveyance to the cemetery,
and on the return Mr.. Sawyer left us at the
depot to take the train for Oshkosh,
Late in the afternoon of the day upon
which I received the letter I wired Mr..
Sawyer Yes and on Thursday went to
Milwaukee and found him awaiting me at
the Plankinton house. He said: II have
no room, could not get one, they are SO
crowded, but come up to the parlor. I
think we can talk there" went with him
to the parlor upon the second floor. It is
large room. There were two or three occu-
pants sitting near the entrance when we
went in. I did not observe them after
wards, but believe there was no one in the
room but Mr.. Sawyer when left it. When
we entered he led the way to the corner of
the room most remote from the entrance,
where we sat down near each other. He
began by saying: Il have put you to some
trouble and expense to meet me here, Mr..
LaFollette, but wanted to see you bad.n
/ replied: at is a matter of no conse-
quence." He said: u asked you to come
here because l want to talk with you about