Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-08
Non-Partisan Election Investigation.


Referring to the elections question.
the president quotes from his last an
nual message to congress on the sub
ject, proposing a nOn-partiSan commits
sion to consider the question of evils
connected with our elections system,
with a view to securing unanimity in
some plan of removing or mitigating
those evils. It seemed to me, says the
president, that an appeal to our people
to consider the question Of readjuSting
our legislation upon absolutely fair,
rOn-partisan lines might find some eff
fective response.
Our old republican battle cry. free
ballot and fair count comes back TO US,
not only from Alabama but from other
states, and from men who, differing
with us widely in opinions have come
to see that parties aud political debate
are but mOckery if, when the debate is
ended, the judgment of honest major
tiles is to be reversed by ballot box
frauds and tally-Sheet manipulation in
the interest of the party or party fac
ton in power These new political
movements and the recent decisions of
some of the state courts against unfair
appOrtiOnment laws encourage the hope
that the arbitrary and PARTISAN cleo
ton laws and practices which have
prevailed may be corrected by the
states. the law made equal and non
partisan, and elections free and honest.
Of tie civil service system he says,
that the law has been enforced with
yigor and impartiality.
The approval given by the convention
to all those agencies, which contribute
to the education of the children of the
land was worthily bestowed and meets
my hearty approval, as does also the
declaration as to the liberty of thought
and conscience and the separation of
church and state. The safety of the re-
public is intelligent citizenship and an
increased interest manifested in the
states in education.
The attention of the farmers of the
| country is invited to the work done
through the state and agricultural de
| partmentS in the interest of agriculture.
| He saws we may confidently submit 20
the intelligent and candid judgment of
| the American farmer whether in my
| corresponding period so much has been
| done to promote his interests.
| The President says it was the pur-
pose of his administration to make its
! foreign policy not matter of partisan
! politics, but of patriotism and national
/ honor, and he was greatly glatiied to
| be able to state that the democratic
members of the committees Oh foreign
| affairs responded in true American
/ spirit.
! The Gillian incident now so happily
Abducted will I doubt not, place our
relations with that brave people upon
a more friendly basis than ever. The
work of Mr.. Egan has been highly adj
vantageous to the United States and
| the confidence which / refused to with
| draw from him has been abundantly
justified.
Never before, I think, in like period
have so many important treaties and
commercial agreements been concluded
| and never before, I am sure, have the
honor and influence, national and com
mercial, of the United States been held
in higher estimation on both hemi-
| spheres.
The president referred to the coming
encampment of the Grand Army.H
speaks of the increasing in1irmity anG
years of the veterans and says the cal
that does not listen with sympaty ant
the heart that does not respond will
generosity to the mighty appeal of ser
vice and suffering, are the ear and hear
of an alien, and not of an American