Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-28

ers. manufacturers and professional
men got out to the polls and voted
side by side for the first time in the
history of the state. They cast over
80 per cent. of the total vote at the
primaries and the 5 per cent. who had
taken care of the country for US for
so many years were relegated to the
rear seats and provided with cush-
ions. The same was substantially
true of the country districts.
"'Why will not your plan enable the
political manager and manipulation to
exchange and trade strength, each
candidate forming part Of grand
combination to the exclusion Of all
others as has been predicted by the
opponents of the bill?' Well he said
You must remember how the old plan
worked to illustrate. From the time
when the memory of man runneth not
to the contrary the candidates from
the average county have, with few
exceptions, been obliged to come into
the convention with trading strength
to barter and exchange the offices
freezing out the unsophisticated aspiI
ant who dreamed that qualifications
and popularity were among the re-
quirements for candidacy.
They cannot do this longer he
added, for now they have nothing,
not even delegate, to exchange: 1t
is case where the best man takes
the persimmons and the people get
the man they want.
A Critic Answered.
The bitterest republican opponents
of the bill are now calling it's sup.
porters ''populists," I said, and are
going to join hands with the oppo-
sition party to secure it's defeat. In
possible, he calculated, for they claim
to stand by the convention system
which unanimously declared for your
law in the last state convention.
1t was that issue, he continued,
which triumphantly elected Governor
La Toilette by the largest majority
ever cast for governor in your state,
something over 100000, and, he added,
! it was the largest majority cast in the
United States in proportion to the
| total vote of any state. 1t cannot be
they are going over to the enemy, he
said refectively, for they are the same
| fellows who were calling the enemy
| "populists" few months ago.
Andre was much better fellow
! than Benedict Arnold, he mused, but
the position is so inconsistent you
must be mistaken. Then listen to this
| gem by the Hon. James G. Monahan,
Deputy United States Revenue Collec-
| tor, delivered before the joint com
mittee of the legislature, said, and
then read If you desire to substitute
populist tenets for republican prin
ciples, pass this bill And remember
that when you pass it that you deliver
the old republican elephant to be sac
rificed or the altar of populism.'
Did he say that? my friend asked
laughingly. Well, we'll, he said, that
reminds me that my father who once
owned a farm used to say, when a
calf got lost from the herd it made
more noise than all the rest of the
herd put together at the prospect OF
its food supply being shut off and, be
said, the larger the calf the louder he
was sure to below. Mr. Monahan is
reported as saying in the same speech
that to claim the platform should be
supported by the legislature, is the
argument of a coward I said Only
to be used as a sort of vote catcher,
my friend remarked, as his ewes
twinkled at the thought, that's the
same argument Mr.. Arnold used. ove1
: hundred years ago regarding the
declaration of independence, with tn
humor of the proposition then lef
out"
But do the people of HennepiI
county follow the leaders and supper
the candidates picked out for them q:
hey do in this state? l asked.
NO" he said, the common people
IS distinguished from the professional
politician, will refuse to be led to tn,
polls by a ward striker to furnish
delegates for some particular candi
date. We are now interested in tn
entire ticket and in nine cases out O
= ten the elector will vote according t
l sober judgment for one of the leadin,
candidates."
1 I was reading in the Milwaukee,
: Sentinel, remarked, that oppone 1T
5 Of the primary bill were sendin
circular letters throughout Wisconsi
: stating that certain delegates made
e mistake at the state convention