Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-07-20
A CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR

Robert NJ. La Toilette Speaks at Last
Appeals to the Republicans of wiscon-
sin-why lie Seeks the Nomination IS
Governor.
Madison, Wis, July Is. Robert M.
La Toilette is a candidate for the repub-
lican nomination for governor. lie
makes this announcement in formal
typewriter statement, which he fur
nished to the press tonight. His friends
have been urging him to "coms out" for
several weeks, but MIR. La Toilette has
held his own counsel and waited. Some
OF his friends have said that he was in
much doubt as to whether or not he
should consent to become candidate;
that he realized that there were some
considerations, which made it unadvis-
able for him to enter the field this year.
lie would have preferred that some one
else should make the fight this year.
But the great majority OF his friends
insisted that he and no one else should
accept the leadership in the political
! contest IN the party which he had main
ly brought on. He had gone too far,
they said, to draw back now, and their
counsel has prevailed. This is the state.
ment of Mr.. La Follette's candidacy
which ne has prepared for the public:
MR.. LA FoLLETTE's CANDIDACY.
"No political parry can long retain or
ought to retain the confidence of it's
members or the public unless it is hon.
est and is faithful to every trust ccm-
mltted to it, AS it's representatives in
Office keep faith with the party and re-
deem it's pledges, so must the party con-
denim or approve such representatives,
or 1t cannot nationally expect the support
OF the people. The broken pledges of
public officials become the broken pledges
of the political party wherever it en-
dorses those officials.
"The abiding and increasing conf
dence of the people of this country in
the national administration is especially
worthy of the thoughtful consideration
of republicans of Wisconsin at this time.
Everywhere and in all things it has con-
scientiously observed the platform prom
lses made to the people when Mr.. Nc
kinley was nominated at st. Louis in
1896. 1t has no apologies to make, no
record to defend, and each day brings
lncr sased devotion to the administration
and to the wise and patriotic man at it's
head. These conditions are not due to
the war or to its prosecution, but flow
from that integrity of character which
has been impressed upon every official
act of President Mckinley from the day
of his Inauguration.
"ln the last campaign, state issues
were carried, along with those which
decided the presidency of the United
States. From press and platform, in
the counting room, the factory and Oh
the farm, discussion and appeal, reflection
and conclusion held firmly to the great
national issues on which turned the
business stability and industrial welfare
OF the country. Those issues are decis
lively settled.
STATE ISSUES TO DECIDE.
"ln the approaching state campaign
state issues will decide the contest
Questions of deep concern to the citizens
and taxpayer will have to be tried out tc
a conclusion. The smoke of battle il
, Cuba will not obscure the Issues of the
campaign in Wisconsin. Loyal auG
patriotic now as ever, the people of this
state are profoundly interested in The
war, it's vigorous prosecution, the APP
preaching and final triumph of our arms
, But the great burden of debt to follow
war costing S1,000,000 a day, falls
first upon the people. Now more thar
any other time in recent years, there ii
urgent necessity for practical, effectiv,
legislation, justly equalizing the burdens
of te8f Cion. 1t is becoming we'll under
stood that the man of moderate mean
pays an undue and disploportionat,
share of the taxes; that homes ant
t farms and visible property are within
D easy and certain reach of the tax gath
erer, while bonds and notes and mort
cages OF many wealthy holders and th'
great incomes of many corporations
: escape taxation wholly or in part. N
s sq7ibbling or evasion will serve. N,
= violation or Reputation of platform
promises will be tolerated. There mus
> be plain dealing and no complaint Cal
? be made if bond of good faith is de
i manded with the pledge.
"The presence at the state capital o
powerful Hobbies for special interests
with their private legislative chambers
the operation of which, by a sort of evi
8 C Jntagions exte ntfs beyond the scope O
their original employment, to the defea
OF every good measure possible-de
mands the enactment and enforcement
of laws that shall make this method O
influencing Legislators a punishable,
offense in the same manner as improperly
az preaching judge or jury in court o
justice. And the good name of the re-
publican party, as we'll as the public
welfare, demands that persons VIII,
accept and hold important polltica
positions should not engage in inhuenc
ing legislation in behalf of personal OF
corporate interests
DUE TO THE POLITICAL MACHINE.
"That measures to make untaxed prop
erty bear part of the burden of govern
ment, to effectively prohibit corrupt
practices in campaigns and elections, to
secure all possible relief from combina
tions and trusts that destroy competi.
ton and restrain trade, to prohibit tbs
acceptance and use of railroad passes
sleeping car passes, express, telephone
and telegraph franks by public officials,
have not found place on the statute
books of our state, proves that an all
observation-disclosures, hostile to the common
intere st, controls official action This is
the rule of the political machine manipu-
lated for private interests. The people
have come to know that it controls eau
cuses, names delegates, dominates candi-
dates, directs legislation and dominates
state ADMINISTRATIONS. The time has
come when the people of Wisconsin will
70 longer submit to minority control
through any political machine, when
they will demand the abolition Of the
caucus and convention-by the easy
manipulation Of which the machine
rules and will claim for themselves the
sovereign right to make their own
nominations by direct vote at primary
election under an Australian ballot.
A PARTIAL EXPLANATION.
at is with a just sense of RESPONSE
billty that have decided to be candi-
date for the republican nomination for
/ governor before the convention tn he