Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-13

! UnuSlaSm in his behalf at the time.
was not strong enough. if so inclined.
to inspire in him any fitness for his
| high office. nor can it inspire any re.
Spect for him now. The same "en-
| thuSiaSm" that followed his nominal
tiOn shouts loudly now for ScOtield
Are the same disappointing results tC
| follow? Is history to repeat itself:
| Is ScOtield to be administrator of the
| Upham eState-with the lcW dnnered:
We hope not: and we would not
even mention the name of the de-
parted in this connection. at all. had
not his ghost and chief mourners
from Marshtield and Anburndale been
cOnSpicuOuSly and unscrupulOusly
active in ScOfield'S behalf from begin.
ming to end. Their shameless
methods of ''cOnvention" work. theil
leering professions that they would be
received as delegates from this
county, their statements in advance
| that they had been so assured. :
| together with the result, and in
! t1uenCeS which secured it, constitute
very strong evidences that ScOfeld
made the bargain with them in ad.
vance that has been referred to by
| the friends of other candidates
| There are other arguments pointing
| in the same direction, that may be
| stated later, if occasion shall require
Whence came the power that
nominated SCOtield, as it nominated
| Upham two years ago? Why was it
| deemed necessary to deny to Wood
county Republicans the right to rep.
reSentatiOn in the State convention
| in the supposed interest of SCOtield:
| What was expected from Upham is
easily understood by those who know
him. What is expected of ScOtel6
must remain somewhat doubtful tC
| those of us who know him only
| through the recent conduct of his
| trusted managers. SO far as that
| goes, the inference is in no way fiat,
tering to him. But in any event, the
nomination of ScOtield places no oJl.
cations UpOn the Republicans Of H'OO0
county to support bjDC at the polls II
| you shall conclude that it is yOul
duty to support him, it should not be
| because he is the nominee of the late
| State convention. You were dis
franchiSed in that convention by the
| direct and oppressive action OF his
supporters, acting with his approval
You therefore owe him no allegiance
as the party nominee. The Marsh
field ''delegateS" and other politicians
of like Caliber will endeavOr to answer
and refute this proposition with the
regulation hOrSe-laugh. 1t can nc
longer be answered or refuted in that
way. We ask you to consider it, in
connection with other matters. here
submitted.
The power" before referred tC
which accomplished Mr.. ScOtield's
nomination has long been too infuen,
tial Frequently all-cOntrOlling
this state. 1t is great, strong.
wealthy, political machine, with
Henry G. Payne as its chief engineer
Its great influence in making and un.
making public men, in controlling the
action Of legislative and municipal
bodies, in passing or defeating public
measures when great corporate inter
eStS were directly or indirectly in
yOlved, has long been known and felt.
| Other prominent men are said to be
influential in directing the machine.
If so, and whoever they are, no mat
| ter. 1t has been many times evident,
and never more SO than now, that the
successful working of this machine is
dangerous to the public welfare, and
therefore dangerous to the Republi-
can party. 1t is not moved by mere
sentiment. 1t does not seek to control
political conventions in the interest
of the best men merely, nor of the
party. 1t seeks to put public men
under obligations to it, and expects
them in return to be its friends. If
successful, it does not require a
prophet to tell what is most likely to
follow. This machine has it's counter
part in other states, and frequently in
both of the great parties. With what
results, every Well-infOrmed person
knows. 1t is sufficient for the present
to suggest the fact that there seems
to be ample grounds for the belief,
already widespread and rapidly grow
ing among reading and thinking men
the country over, that the causes
referred tO-the uniting of the repre-
SentatiVeS Of corporate and cOncen-
trated wealth, in this and other
states. into political combinations or
machines, to be operated in control
ling political conventions, and there
by determining the policies of parties
and the selection of public officials,
have become present and increasing
menace to the safety of Republican
institutions. When they take posses
sion of party, therefore, and control
its action in their own interests, arbi-
trarily dictate its nominees and dis
franchise constituencies suspected of
a disposition to oppose their wishes,
it may be well to pause and inquire
whether, under the circumstances,
party defeat is not preferable to party
success; and especially whether those
who are objects Of a special outrage,
such as you have suffered. will not be
justified in refusing to vote for the
candidate in whose behalf the outrage
was committed? We respectfully sub
NIT that the matters herein set forth
are worthy Of your deliberate cOnsid-
Grafton.
No objection will or can be made to
any Of the candidates upon the state
ticket, from and including Lieutenant
Governor Baensch down. They were
all nominated unanimously, and indie
pendently Of the workings Of the
machine They have all been tried
and found not wanting. We do not
think any of them Intentionally con-
tributed to, in any way, nor cOunte-
nanced the diSreputable methods
employed in the interest Of Mr..
SCOtield.
Dated this 18th day OF August, 1886.
Yours respectfully,
J. w. COCHRAN,
II. WIPPERMAN,
u. r. Coon,
O. T. HOUGEN.
~ L. FONTAINE.