Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-05-29
STANDS FOR HONESTY AND HONOR.
[From the Madison State Journ

From the Madison State Journal.l
In conspicuous editorial today the
Milwaukee Sentinel asks, Where Do
You Stand?"
The State Journal loses NJ time in
adding that it stands by the administra-
ton, favoring the denomination and re-
election of Gov. La Toilette.
The gist of the Sentirels article Is
his:
"Repr blicans and democrats alike recoe-
nize that a republican fractional fight is now
In = rogress from one end OF tue state 10 Ihe
other.
at is now a choice simply and solely be:
tween the conservatism and common sense or
the stalwarts and the radicallsm and intoi-
erance OF the followers Of Gov La Toilette,
The Sentinel is very audacious and
not a little presumptive in thus serving
notice on republicans of the state that
the great task TO which every republican
must at once seventeen months before
election day, put his hand is the down
fall or the up-holding of their governor
The prime object of existance may be
politics to the sydicate interests behind
the Milwaukee Sentinel, but the people
of the state have other things to live for
than the game of putting one set of men
out that others may get in. 1t does not
follow that we must all abandon the
pursuits fife and enter on an exciting
struggle to protect a ley Milwaukee
men in power and to save their corporate
interests from taxation. This Is what
the Sentinel's call to arms means.
Why should the people get excitedf
Why should they get out clubs to hit
Gov La Folletteg What interests OF
theirs has he threatened He waged
hard battle to secure some sort OF
urinary election law-but that is being
done in many states. The direct vote In
making nominations is gem rally re-
garded as in the interests of the people,
not opposed to them. Gov. La Toilette
was willing to compromise on piaG
| that should preclude the state officers
and so leave his own future out OF the
calculation. de did, to be sure, want
the legislative districts to be operated
under primary elections but if that was
not because he wished the plan to have
reasonably large area of operation,
can it reasonably be supposed that any
one man has a monopoly of the political
cleverness and facilities for making a
public, universal statute his permanent
| handmade? It is nonsense.
No. the essence of this split in the
| party which the Milwaukee Sentinel
would officially promulgate and promote
| is first the ambitions Of q handful 0f
| ,redthy men IN MiltCdukee tcb0 tcottld sup
| pInHt Cor La Toilette and actO control
| ttno great newspapers; and secondly Their
| fear of increased corporate tdIGti0R By the
merit legislature under the recommendation
| Of the STATE tor commission, which Will
then be ready with plan 50 complete
and logical that it cannot be gainsald.
| The Onty tcdu for the great syndicate inter
ests To escape the impending blotC Is 10 orer-
| hr0w the LIT Toilette regime, and htS q
| fort is BEGUN early under c0rer Of dust q
tak Of ''Doplstisnl and 'Pjngreeisnl.
The question is, iadeed: Wbcre do y0u
stapdg'-tubere do g0u stand as to the care
| fld conservative recommendations n iit
creased tdGdtioH Of corp0rdtionsf Where
do y0H stand as 10 the nominating ret0rnF
| Where do you stand as to elecdtiag Mr.
| CtdS. Pfister to the dictatorship Of Hts-
consiB politics.
The state journal desires to be con-
sentative. We certainly have no hos
tility to corporations-to the railroads
It is a cause of regret that they are
driven into politics in self-defense. 1t
ought not to be SO. But as citizen, an3
knowing the nature and work Of the tax
commission, we cannot go back or their
returns The matured official findings
of the state tax commission compels our
endorsement. For the republican lead
ers of the 'stalwarts, as individuals we
have no luminosity, and some genuine
regard and affection; but fit is between
them and the state administration we
mu~t choose-between them and gov
ernor, the tax commission, nominating
reform and tax reform. there is no al
tentative for us nor do we believe the
people of the state will hesitate. Their
best interests do not lie with the cause
of revolt under whose banner Mr.. PTS
ter's Milwaukee Sentinel invites them.