Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-28
Quent legislature will supply such
needful legislation.

quent legislature will supply such
| needful legislation.
One statement further contained in
the speech of my distinguished friend,
| Mr.. Monahan, seems worthy of COM
ment. | read from the printed copy
| of his speech in order that l may not
| be charged with having misquoted his
language. He says, THE demand for
this plan came-not rom the people,
not from the delegates, but from the
candidate himself-and to say that
| this plank, conceived in the brain OF
| one man, adopted upon the request of
one man, is binding on the members
| OF this legislature, or the great
republican army, is an absurdity I'M
paralleled in the political history of
| Wisconsin, and he who uses that
argument, l care not who, when or
where, uses the argument OF
coward"
Gentlemen, this is strong language.
Applied to the facts in this case it
may be restated thus: This plank in
the republican platform was drawn by
L
reason it is not binding upon any
body. The fact that it was unani-
mously adopted by a convention of
1,065 delegates and became a pledge
of the republican party to the people
OF Wisconsin, is not worthy Of con-
sideratiOn. The fact that every can
didate for state ofice,-every member
Nf &c ic1
ed by the republican party, in this
state, was understood to stand square
ly upon the platform of his party, and
was in honor bound by every pledge
therein contained, and pledged to
secure the enactment of the measures
therein proposed, into the law of the
land, amounts to nothing-after cleo
ton. The fact that the people under
stood that the pledges of the republi-
can party were a sacred covenant be-
tween the people and the republican
candidates, and so understanding.
ratified that covenant by the election
of the republican ticket in both the
legislative and executive branches of
the state government, giving to them
the greatest majority in the history
of Wisconsin politics, is a matter of
no consequence, and he who believes
that it is, and feels in honor bound to
fulfill that sacred promise made to
the people Of this state, is a coward
l would rather be called a coward"
by Mr.. MCnahan for refusing to vio-
| late my honor as man, and my duty
| as member of the legislature of Wis
cOnsin, than be called a traitor by the
people whose trust l had betrayed,
and whose confidence | had abused.
| | rely to this charge of cOWardice,
made by the gentleman from La
| b'ayette, before this committee, under
the circumstances indicated, that it
is the most monumental exhibition of
gall, egotism and political depravity
| on, the part of the individual who
makes it, ever recorded in the politi-
cal history of Wisconsin, or of the
| United States. [ believe it has but
one parallel in modern times. 1t is
| said that there was once man.
| clothed with all the power and
| privilege of American citizenship, in
full possession and enjoyment of all
the countless and priceless benefits of
liberty, and law, and civilization,
purchased for him by the sacrifice of
centuries, by the blood of countless
martyrs, and the treasure of count
| less mines and mints, who stood I'D in
the great representative convention
and declared This dying for princi-
pie is all rot"
20, wad some pow'r the giftie gle us
| To see oursels as others see u.s."
| Who is this man who can with i'm
punity advise the legislature of a
great state to cover itself with
infamy? Who is this who comes
with eloquent and persuasive tongue,
to charm the chosen lawmakers of
the people away, from honor? He
was not even a delegate to that con-
vention for which he assumes to
speak. Perhaps, however, he may be
| laboring under the delusion that the
proxy with which he gained adj
mittance to the spring convention. is
still in force. Who constituted this
man the tribune of the people, clothed
!. If you believe in the fuifiIIment OF p
! xisIation to secure to every citizen a
| = dates for public office as proposed b
| xaddress personal letter to your AS
| ':faVor of the passage of Assembly Ri
! Xmary Election Bill.
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