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

THE PEOPLES CHAMPION WILL STAND
The CENSOR has hoped that the con
sentative men in the republican party
might intercede and prevent collision
of factions at the approaching state con
vention. But all hope of such solu-
ton appears to have passed. Governor
Scofeld's partisans are determined to
force him again on the party notwith-
standing his Objectionable and bad rec
ord. There is nothing left for consci-
entious men to do but to oppose his re-
nomination, and although they may
fail, they will have rendered a service to
their party in standing manfully for
better things in politics. The day will
come in Wisconsin when the republican
party will not be licensed to perpetrate
wrongs such as are now being wiukcd
at and condoned; when platform pledg-
es will be redeemed or the party retired.
1t is because of these things that the
CENSOR declines to support Governor
Scofeld for denomination.
Against his will, and after most earn
est and persistent entreaties by the sup
porters of principles advocated by Hon.
Robert M, LsFollette, that gentleman
has consented to stand as the peoples
candidate as against the machine That
he would make an ideal governor no man
can doubt. He is honest, upright, cor
rageous, brilliant, and a true represen.
tative of the best element of the repub-
lican party and the people. That he is
the real choice of fully three fourths Of
the republicans of Wisconsin there is
no room to doubt. This could be easily
verified if the farmers and industrial
classes will attend the primaries.
The Milwaukee Sentinel, the leading
republican paper of the state has this
to say concerning Mr.. La Follette's
campaign. We ask for it a careful read
ing:
Mr.. La Toilette has finally announced
his candidacy for governor, and with the
recollection of the large support he re-
ceiyed in his canvass two years ago,
Gov. Scofield's friends will do we'll not
to beIittle his probable strength in the
republican state convention next month.
With Mr.. La Follette's statement of
principles which have been made famil-
lar by his speeches about the state, there
is certainly little fault to find and his
more moderate and sensible language is
to be commended. The republican
party in Wisconsin and elsewhere must
stand for the separation of public and
private interests in party management
and Legislative halls, and Mr.. La Fol-
lette only quotes from the Sentinel
when ne demands that persons who
accept and hold important political po-
stions should not engage in influencing
legislation in behalf of personal and
cooperative interests.
Every honest effort toward a juster
equalization of the burdens of taxation
should be upheld. but care should be
taken not to promise too much or to hold
out hopes of an easy solution of the
complicated tax question. There are a
a few semi-public corporations in the
state, like the sleeping car, express and
trust companies, which now almost
wholly escape taxation and conspicu
ously point to the necessity for legis-
lation which will compel them to bear
their just share of the burdens of the
states expenditures. Under these cir
cumstances, no one, it would seem,
would have the temerity to oppose the
passage of a law prohibiting the accept
ance of passes OF any description by
state officials and members of the legis-
lature-favors which the railroad and
other companies have so long and SO
successfully disputed to prevent legis-
lation which they did not desire. And
Mr. La Toilette does not magnify
thegra We dangers ofthe professional
lobby.
As for the substitution of primary
election law for the long established
caucus and convention system, there is
much to be said in its favor as The ex-
perience in the last city election in
Milwaukee demonstrated, but it is doubt
full if any political convention will give
its pledge to so radical a change until
the terms aud working of the proposed
law are more fully explained and better
understood.