Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-07
"Recognizing that the present eau

from defects, we favor such Ieg1Sla-
| ton as will secure to every citizen
| the freest expression of his choice
in his selection of candidates" which
| could mean nothing else if it said
people chance to name their can
didates for public Office by a direct
| vote
On the 31st day Of May, 1900, he
gave out an interview at Milwaukee,
| in which he stated his position on the
question in terms as plain as the use
| of English could state them, as
follows: 4 am opposed to political
| or personal machine to control party
nominations and legislative action. /
| am in favor of such legislation as
shall make it impossible for myself
| or any one else to have or to operate
such a machine. | am in favor of
political organization that will enlist
the interest Of every individual voter
in the party; that will encourage re-
| search, stimulate the discussion of
measures y and men and quicken the
sense Of obligation and personal
responsibility in all the duties of
citizenship. There is no likeness be-
tween @ political organization that ap-
peals to the intelligence Of every
voter in the party and a machine that
appeals only to the more skilled and
at the same time less scrupulous
| workers Of the party. An organiZa-
of of
the rank and file OF the party will sus-
tain no man in a narrow, vindictiye
policy having for it's object the
punishment of personal enemies or
the use Of any position of trust for
mere personal ends"
On the 10th day Of July, 1900, Mr.
La Toilette further declared himself
by causing to be mailed throughout
the state of Wisconsin into every
township thereof forty thousand
copies of his Ann Arbor primary cleo
ton law speech with an introduction
attached written by himself
Previous to Mr. La Follette's an
nouncement of candidacy no county
conventions had been held. Neither
had there been any held previous to
the 31st day of May when Mr.. La
Toilette gave out the Milwaukee inter-
view herein quoted, and previous to
July 10th when the Ann Arbor pri-
mary election law speech. with the ac-
companying introduction, was
circulated throughout the state,
not more than a dozen
county conventions had been
held So it seems the people very
generally knew before the county con-
ventions were held and delegates by
them were elected to the state con-
vention, that the nomination of Mr.
La Toilette meant the primary cleo
ton law declaration in the party plat
form. Moreover, l am firmly con-
WINGED that his position on this and
other important questions was what
nominated and elected him governor
Of the state of Wisconsin.
When the state convention met at
Milwaukee the primary election law
was one Of the questions which was
argued and discussed throughout the
Hobbies of the hotels. In the district
caucuSes the question was brought up
for consideration. The merits of
primary election law were discussed
by the delegates therein and as a re-
suit of such discussion and con-
sheraton, as I recollect it, each and
every congressional district caucus
instructed it's member of the COM
mittee on resolutions to make a
promise Of primary election law
part Of the republican platform, and
that part of the report of the COM
mittee on resolutions was the one
most ardently applauded by. the con-
vention. The platform presented
with a promise Of such legislation,
was adopted by vote of the dele
gates Of that convention who were
chosen throughout this state as
result Of the caucuses which were as
rule more generally attended by the
people than such caucuses usually
are, on account of the great public in
terest which had so manifested it.
self in favor of the popular candidate.
now the present executive of this
state, and in favor of the principles
for which he stood.
intelligence of the Voter.
One Of the objections which I have
heard raised, is that the citizen is
not Intelligent enough to discharge
this function Of government If this
be so, neither is he intelligent enough
to vote at a general election. If a
republican or democratic citizen is
able to go to the election booth on
general election day, look down his
ballot to the column of his party, find
thereon a candidate for some par
ticular Office which is neither his
nor the majority's choice of his
party, but nominated under the eau
Gus and convention system, he turns
with chagrin and disgust to the
column of the other party and finds
thereon the name of another man, the
equal but no better than the opposing
candidate which he has just rejected.
both being the nominees of their re.
spective parties under the same sys-
TEN: he studies over the situation
with still greater chagrin and dis
gust, unable to solve, the problem and
proposition of choosing between the
devil ard the deep sea or else voting
the prohibition ticket.
I think that if a citizen is able to
study out and solve such a PROPOSE
ton as this, with which he is so
often confronted under this caucus
and convention nominating system,
on the general election day, he is