River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-06-20
Bossism and Roodleism.

/ llOfdDle ana uldDOllcdl. BOln great
parties have far too long been more
or less subject to their degrading
influences. During the recent -four
years OF Democratic ascendency in
! this state, bossism was rampant ano
the Doodle of the professional cor
/ ruptiOnist was all but omnipotent in
debating legislative and administra-
/ tive motley. Since the restoration To
power If the Republican party last
Janua y, the situation has been very
little. if any improved, though no one
individual boss has been so dictator
ial ia carrying out the commands of
his corporate masters as was the
chairman of the Democratic state
committee from January /, 1891, to
January /, 1898. Yet affairs have, To
too great an extent, been controlled
by some millionaire boss or some
hired attorney OF aggregated wealth.
And the last legislature. What
honest Republican can speak of il but
10 blush for shame at its not few
shortcomings. Though there were
many good and honorable men in
both branches, yet, as a whole, il
was simply the plant tool of the
most demoralizing and corrupt lobby
that ever infested our state capitol
That lobby was king, yea dictator,
aud no proposed legislation, however
good, could become law, if that lobby
objected, and no proposed legislation,
however bad, could be defeated if
that lobby desired its passage. The
railroad companies, the telegraph
panies, telephone companies, ex-
press companies, the great brewing
and whisky interests, the Milwaukee
street railway and lighting companies,
the eX-state treaSurers and the uni
versity lobbyists, bent on loOting the
state treasury, all combined and
formed a pool, most unsavory and
unhOly alliance, one that the Repub-
lican party must denOunce and repu-
date. if il wants TO attain that which
IL III DCUACl IMAM od1ACoo al bli0
poils-the meriting of success. We
cannot, nor ought not if we could,
gain party advantage by covering up
or Disgusting these facts. What all
true believers in Republicanism will
do Is this: they will frankly admit
the wrong and then set themselves
vigorously to the task of purging the
party OF men and methods responsible
for il.
There are plenty of good men in
the Republican party, loyal, honest
patriotic and true who can be de-
pended upon to do right if called to
positions of public trust. Most of our
state officials today are of this class
but there are some holding public
Office in this state who are simply 50
many aliquOt parts of a disreputable
political machine manipulated by
constituencies political bosses and
fabricated by i'll gotten Doodle. The
Republican party Of this state has
been more or less under the control
of this machine for nearly twenty
years. The defeats of 1890 and 1892
were Ia gcly due to its existence and
the disgust of thousands of honest
Republican voters who could no
longer tolerate it. Its power was
partially broken by those defeats,
but il is not dead. 1t is now doing
its utmost TO fasten its deadly grip
upon the party organization. In the
| last legislature it showed its corrupt
ing power in defeating the corrupt
practice" bill; in defeating the
| soldiers home protection bill; in
| forcing through the measures
releasing ex-state treasurers contrary
to and in defiance of the solemn
pledges OF the Republican platform
last year; the defeat of every proposal
| looking to the just and fair regula-
ton of the business relations of the
great corporations TO the people.
/ Many more sins of omission and
commission can be justly charged TO
this corrupting and demOralizing
machine. Already its paid hirelings
arr busily engaged trying to ac-
complish the election of United
| States Senator who shall be The will
ling servant, not of the people, but of
this machine. This infamous
mechanism must be demolished and
reduced To atoms. The great mass
of Republicans throughout the state
are unalterably opposed to it and
I they have it in their power TO ac-
complish its destruction. 1t is duty
they owe TO themselves, to their party
and to the state to do it. This will
be no easy task, but the glorious
| rank and file of the Republican party
of the state are fully equal to the
| emergency that cOnfrOnts them.
Let this battle. royal go on. The
| boodlers. the bosses, the cOrruptiOn-
lists and the lobbyists on one side and
the people, the plain people, the
honest people on the other. They
are patient and long suffering, but
they will not always chide" nor will
they hold their anger forever. The
| RDtblical,- Mirror. JdaeSriBe, Vas.
Spain proposes TO demand an in
demnity from the United States on
the ground that this government did
not exercise proper care TO prevent it,
citizens aiding and taking part in the
Cuban revolution. Many people hope
Spain will make such demand and
back it up with true Spanish AFRO
gance. They want an excuse foi
agitating the annexation of Cuba u
the United States.
The Modern WOodmen, in session
at Madison last week decided to ex
tend the territory of the order L
Ohio, Indiana aud Missouri, except
ing few counties in the southeastern
part. 1t refused TO include the Cair'
district OF southern Illinois in it
territory. 1t was also decided L