Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-01-05
THE Issue FOR 1898.
State institutions" the Demo-
cratic Campaign Cry.
INTO THE STATE PRISON.

cratic Campaign Cry.
INQUIRY INTO THE STATE PRISON.
General Fairohild's Orderly and Two 9th
er Candidates for Railroad Commissioner
Career OF Funny" Man-If George
Peek Is Mayor Of Milwaukee This
Spring He Will Dispute the Governor
ship with soofield.
Madison, Wis, Jan. 4.-There is con-
siderable quiet gossip about the capital
as to the state ticket next summer. or
the newspapers 80 per cent. of the Re-
publican press favors a new DEAF and
discourages the third term idea. Mr..
Erdall, the assistant attorney general.
Is clearly in the field to succeed Mr..
Mylrea. The former has done a large
part of the work Of the department and
Is worthy and dignified official. His
home is In Madison. He has been at
torney of Dane county and he repre-
sents the university trained Norwe-
glars Of the second generation. There
is no reason why this contingent should
not have two places on the ticket, IL
necessary. the treasurer's post of late
being associated with the Norwegian
Americans.
There are three candidates in the field
for the Office OF railroad commissioner
Deputy Sheriff fice of West Superior
was at the capital the other day to no
tify people of his ambition. Colonel A.
f. Colwell, assistant quartermaster
general. a Whitewater man. and long
associated with the national guard,
W ints this place, and Henry Sanford,
now OF the treasury department and
formerly Manitowoc editor, is refresh
ingly candid when he says he is hard
after the nomination. And he expects
to get 1t. Sanford is a blunt old SOL
der He was by Lueius Fairchild's side
when the latter lost his arm at Gettys-
burg, and is very popular in the G. A.
r. circles. When Henry was asked
what his platform would be, he
said he would let the people make 1t.
At present the task of inspecting the
railroads of the state is a sinecure.
There is a chance for some one to make
a record there, as Fricke has done in
the Office Of insurance commissioner.
Seof1eld Welcomes Facts.
The Democratic leaders quietly admit
that the issue In the next campaign will
be the conduct of state institutions.
Another investigation Is on foot at the
states prison at Waupun. A man came
into the governors office the other day
with some alleged information, and
Governor Scofield promptly obliged him
with an official inquiry, il he wanted it.
The beginning of the charges date back
to Upham's time. That governor re-
ceived letter from a convict asking
If he could submit information without
having his letters inspected by the
Waupun officials. Upham told him to
60 ahead. Then followed a foul lot of
charges unsupported except by the evil
dence of the convict. The officials said
later that the convict had been in soIi-
tary confinement; had not seen wom-
an for two and one-half years. The
charges have not been taken seriously
at Madison, but the administrat ton is
eager that there shall be no
suppressed efforts to turn on the
ligh.." The people who want an In
quiry are said to have come into pos
session OF these charges.
A Newspaper Man of Wisconsin.
George w. Peck was governor for
four years, and now there is talk Of
him again. There are many
who will not take him seriously, and
Peck's notoriety as a funny man cloyed
John c. Spooner terribly when the lat
ter lead the forlorn hope for governor
in 1892. 1t grated on Spooner's nerves
to be tackled afterwards In the corri-
doris of the Fifth Avenue hotel and tell
how 1t all happened.
Ex-Governor Peck is only 81 years
old, however, and no doubt would en-
Joy another gubernatorial furry. He
used to say in his droll way when
governor that he 'liked his job" He
was always easy going and unpreten-
tious in the executive chamber. though
there was nothing cheap or undignified
In his ways except, sometimes. his
speeches These abounded in humor.
some of it af the Bad Boy" order, and
must have sounded to strangers re-
markable. IL not unworthy the official
head of 1000 900 people. However, this
T. a matter OF taste.
In the capitol the ex-governor was
the gentleman always. When Peck is
dressed up, glasses, silk hat and all,
he is a very fine looking man. No one
would think Of imposing on his dignity.
And he Is q real TIT bubbles over,
or rather trickles out in his conversa-
ton. It was not an effort. Mrs. Peck
Is a simple, unobstrusive, little woman,
and active In the Methodist church.
Fell in with Brick" Pomeroy.
Peck's parents came to Wisconsin
when he was an infant. That was in
1912 and for thirteen years as boy
George lived six miles from White
water, in the village of Cold Spring.
AS a boy he was full of innocent devil
try, and at Is began as printer lad
In the Whitewater Register office. He
was in offices in WATERFOWL. Madison
and elsewhere, and put in two and
half years In the war. Then he start
ed a paper in Ripon and his witty Irish
attracted the attention OF
Brick" Pomeroy, and Peck put In
some years on the latter's paper in New
York. Then he got back In La Crosse
on a paper, became chief of police; in
1874 he was chief clerk of the assembly,
and in 1874 started Peck's Sun. he
wrote a whole page of funny things
for each weekly issue, but 1t didn't
ego" until he took 1t to Milwaukee in
1878, when ii began to boom. Its sue
cess was phenomenal. And the beauty
of Peck's jokes were that they were
kindly There is no bitterness in Peck
He married when he was 20 years old.
OF course the Roster" issue would bs
revived IL Peck comes out again, but
he was a tool. rather than a conspirator
In that political tragedy.
Peck's Sun was one of a galaxy of
funny papers that came up at about
the same time. The Danbury News,
published down in Connecticut, was one
OF the best known. An editor named
Bailey made" that. 1t Is said that a
chance droll remark gave him his
start. Bailey came down from the
country one day to make a call on
New York editor. His Office was UP in
the top of one of those sky-scraping
buildings. The country editor walked
up the interminable stairs for some
reason-perhaps, because the elevator
was not running-and at last stood
within the narrow perch office of the
city editor. Wiping his perspiring fore
head, the Danbury News man stood for
a moment to get his breath. Finally
he said: us God in?"
The New York editor thought that
man who could toss off brillianties
SO 20 hn nd q