Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-12-06
GOV. SCOFILD MAKES THIS HIS
THEME AT MILWAUKEE,.
TO ST. ANDREWS SOCIETY
saws the Evils of Our Political System
Gould Be Swept Away if Each In
dividual Could See the importance
of Meeting His Moral ODllgatlon-
Patriotism Gone Mad.

Milwaukee Dec. At the annual
hannuet OF the st. Andrew s
! society in this city Tuesday
evening, Gov. Scofeld responded
to the sentiment, The Resources OF
wisconsin and the Character Of Her
= items. His ADDRESS was in the
main strong plea for the
awakening of the individual con-
81 fence in public affairs. He SAID
in part:
eve are all proud of the vast re-
sources of our state, which are 50
varied. and each so important that
we may with truth claim Wisconsin
to be great IN agriculture, great IN
manufacturing and great IN mineral
wealth. These three divisions OF the
states resources we know somewhat
of vet each is but in it's infancy, so TO
sneak. We have today thousands OF
acres of as fine farming land as can
be found on the continent, waiting
the plows; we have mineral wealth.
sufficient for generations to come; ana
though the valley of every CONSIDER
able stream southwark in the state is
dotted with manufactures, and our
1aroer cities are builded around great
industries, yet we have but barely
touched the edge of this limltless fleld
of possibility. If there be state in
the union, or a county anywhere
whose situation gives reasonable
ground for hope of an enormous
DEVELOPMENT of resources and OF con-
tinued prosperity, it is the state OF
Wisconsin.
seWhen we come to the other hall
of the sentiment, the character Oh
citizens. our pride rises still higher,
as we recall how the nations OF
Europe, and the great eastern states
have contributed of their best 10
make up population equal IN intel
lieence and moral fiber to those OF
any country in the world. This is
theme upon which one might With
Measure dwell for hours, summonlng
in review the achievements OF Wis
consin citizens in the fields OF indus
try. politics, craftsmanship and edu-
cation, all bearing testimony to the
substantial, progressive and upright
character and intelligent foresight OF
those who made the state.
But I could not justify myself in
Speaking of the citizens Of Wiscon-
sin, if I did not poinF to the danger
which lies in the flt' re to meet the
obligations which citizenship in this
state brings with it. I am deeply i'm
pressed with the thought that most
of the political evils of which we
complain may be abolished, and those
by which we are menaced averted,
through conscientious performance Of
the duties devolving upon citizen
ship, and that must be my apology
for laying emphasis on this feature of
the toast assigned to me.
ST do not believe it necessary to
present evidence that a majority of
the citizens of Wisconsin neglect
many of the important duties of cit
izenship. We all know they do.
There are two reasons for this neg
lect: First, we have an over-confi
dence in our political institutions;
and second: We have not clearly de-
fined understanding of the obligations
of citizenship We are so proud of
our American institutions, and so
sure they are right and permanent,
that where we are not stupidity in6if-
ferent, we complasiantly let them run
themselves. One of the chief I'M
happy results which flow from this
stupid complaisance and over-confi-
dence is that periodically we are rude
ly awakened to the knowledge that
public affairs are being wrongly adj
ministered; then we rush in with
some irrational scheme for the right
ing of wrongs and thus the pendu-
lum of our citizenship swings from a
state of supine security to spasmodic
attempts at reform-while we remain
blind for the most part to the fact
that the trouble lies in ourselves. The
first thing we must learn thoroughly
is that there is no magic in our polit-
iCal institutions or methods. These
will experience an orderly develop
ment and bring good results in gov
eminent only as we apply ourselves
individually to the problems they
present.
"And then, we are prone to view
citizenship as being comprised in a
cheerful response to the demands OF
public or private charity, an interest
in public enterprises which require
! our assistance, or contributions to
the campaign fund, or the burning of
red fire over election returns. But
noithor. nor all of these constitute
the whole of citizenship. Tt has du-
ties and privileges lying far above
any of them. am speaking to bus
| mess men. and may consider this
subject of citizenship first from the
standpoint of business man. Do
YOU know what it costs to carry on
the state government yearly, or
monthly? Do you know what it
costs to carry on our city govern
J ment? When T tell YOU that there is