Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-27
GOOD COMMON SENSE,
Shall Upnan be r enor11inated.

tIldI the Chief aim OF the republican
party OF Wisconsin will be to ca rry
the state this year for the nationa
and state tickets, and also to retain
control of both branches of the
legislature so that the party policy
can be carried out. Our great
victory at the election of 1904 gave
to many the idea that the party
cannot again be defeated in the
state and that, do whatever it will,
continued control Of public affairs
will be its portion. The idea is
very erroneous and contains the
seeds of defeat. Even now the
party stands on the edge of a
precipice.
l have said that the object OF
victory is that the party policy
may be carried out. But what is
that party policy? Therein lies
the solution of the question. II
that policy is one which commends
itself to the people, it will be &C
cepted, if not, it is in danger Of re-
Election; Notwithstanding our Co.,
900 majority Of two years ago
That majority commanded a policy;
has it been pursued? The conven-
ton made promises to the people;
have they been fulfilled?
A great many true and loyal
republicans have answered these
questions to their own satisfaction
They are steadfast in their support
of the policy of the party as they
understand it, but they have seen
that policy ignored by the present
governor and the opposite policy
set up in its place. The admins
tration has become a reproach and
a shame to the party. What is to
be the result Of this wide departure
from the party policy?
There was a time, and that not
SO long ago, when the same idea
of invincibility i'll the party pre-
vailed and the party policy was
grated with a new shoot to please
a few whose theories, however fine
they might be, were disastrous.
The party had at that time a load
to carry, that of itself, threatened
defeat in the system under which
the state funds were manipulated.
The new unpopularity added to
that undermined the walls and the
party fell. It would seem as
though four years Of defeat ought
to have brought valuable lessons,
since those defeats were caused by
the abandonment Of true principles.
Have we learned those valuable
lessons?
Of what benefit is it for party
to know the right road if it does
not follow in it? Ever since the
last election, we have been travel
ing the wrong road. There has
been a great deal of grumbling in
the ranks, but the promises of a
return to the right road have kept
the column pretty well closed up.
There is Watchful enemy on our
flank, waiting to take advantage
Of the slightest mistake in our
formation. The way is getting
more and more dangerous as we
proceed. The mutterings are more
frequent and pronounced. At the
same time the enemy is recovering
from the generalization of the
| last campaign.
IS it not time for us to hold a
council of war to determine our
dangers and the best way to over
come them? One year ago every
republicans heart beat high at the
anticipation of an administration
which should be absolutely beyond
criticism; today we hang our heads
in shame when we contemplate
the record.
Every day we fear some new
and most disastrous mistake which
will be charged up against the
party. With everything else in
our favor | doubt if we could
carry the state today on the record
of the present administration. 1t
is crisis which the republican
party of Wisconsin must face.
The first fatal step was that
which dishonored the platform of
the party and cast a doubt upon
its sincerity. The acts which re-
leased the ex-treasurers from the
judgments against them in favor
of the state. We had promised
that the party would leave those
matters in the hands Of the courts;
the administration was elected on
the strength of that promise, broke
faith with the people in its first i'm
portant public act. In the light of
that record of what avail will a
new promise be, that we will not
return the large sums collected of
other ex-treasurers in similar cases?
Other early acts of the admins
tration pledged to economy was
the creation Of useless public
offices 2 deem WATERWAYS commits