Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-28
LET US STAND UP AND BE
COUNTED.

within the party, butts discoverable
throughout Wisconsin wherever
six or eight Republicans are
gathered together. 1t is an antag-
onism without parallel or precedent
in the history of state politics.
An extraordinary feature Of the
opposition making it far more ire
sistible than it would otherwise be,
is found in the fact that a majority
of the thoughtful and prominent
Republicans who are determined
that Governor Upham shall not
secure a denomination are on all
personal grounds friendly in their
attitude and expression.
Their enmity is based solely
upon considerations of public and
party good. Their contention is
that Governor Upham's admin
stration of his office has been IN
popular and of Indifferent value to
the State and, as regards his party,
has needlessly sown seeds OF
dissension which may require
years of skillful political handling
to up-root.
AS a candidate for reelection
the Governor is admitted to be on
all accounts and in almost all
quarters unavailable. With no
wish whatever to discredit his per
sonal qualities or to reflect upon
his general good intention, very
large body of the party voters
have deliberately decided that they
will fight him in convention and
defeat him if they can.
There is a contingent of the
party leaders however, whose
party fealty is unquestioned and
whose political judgment, usually
accurate, is entitled to respect
who are saying 1--WE see no
reason why Governor Upham
should not be renominated." Il
these will but hunt for a reason
they will find it among the first
dozen Republicans they may
chance to meet and talk with in
any part Of Wisconsin. Their in
vestigation in measure as it is
carefully and thoroughly prose
cuted will convince them that
there are many existing reasons
of whose gravity they have no
present conception.
The Gazette cares a great deal
more for the Republican party Of
Wisconsin than for the election OF
a Republican Governor next
November. 1t believes the defeat
of Upham at the polls, were he to
obtain a nomination, would be
ultimately better for the party than
his election.
There are many Republican
newspapers and a vastly greater
number of prominent Republican
workers all over the State of like
mind with The Gazette upon this
point. 1t is time for all of US to
put ourselves on record, and
formally to notify whom it con-
Germs that an attempt to cram
Governor Upham down the
party's throat won't work.
Who is ready to 60 on record?
The meeting is open for remarks.
We desire to be recorded
against the denomination of Gov
ernor Upham because he has
given the Republican party a poor
administration. His action in re-
leasing the eXtreasurers and their
bondsmen contrary to the promise
of the Republican party to the
people i'll their platform upon
which he was. nominated. We
also oppose him because he per-
mltted the waterways bill to be-
come a law. We oppose him
because he vetoed the Wood
County Municipal court bill and
signed every other one that was
passed last winter. We oppose
him because he favored the
passage of the Rivers bill creating
new county out of territory
taken from Wood, Clark and
Marathon when he agreed that he
would not. We oppose him be-
cause he is not reliable in what
he says politically and otherwise.
We oppose him because he lacks
all the essential qualities necessary
for the proper fulfllment of the
governship of the Great state OF
Wisconsin.