Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-07

stand as against the principle that the
people should select their candidates
by direct vote, and they stand for the
caucus and the convention. say that
man who assaults a thing on prin-
ciple has no right to criticise it's de.
tails. He has gone totally beyond and
said all he could when he said that he
is against the bill He stands on an
honest and strong ground when he
says that, and l have no fault to find
with any man who comes here and
does say that; but l say when that
man goes beyond that line, and when
he points out to you any criticism of
the details of the bill, things that
ought not to exist, his judgment is not
worth the snap of my finger upon that
subject. Now, they say that this bill
ought not to pass because it destroys
the fundamental principles of our rep
resentative government. If it does, |
say, DO not let it pass" 1t is said
that it is an embodiment of the doc
trine of populism, and therefore we
cannot adopt it. If it be an embodi-
ment of that doctrine or if it counter
ance that doctrine, do not stand here
to defend it for a moment. | say that
it is the highest order of representa-
tive government known to our institu-
tions. I say that the caucus and con-
vention system is no part of the great
bulwark Of this country's freedom. I
say that no part of the fundamental
law of this land was built upon any
such doctrine. l say that every man
whose best blood and whose best
thoughts went into this fabric and
built up that structure had long passed
away before the caucus or the con-
vention was dreamed of. I say that
the caucus and convention system did
not breathe the breath of life until
the year 1910, and this wild talk about
the foundation and the cornerstones
of your structure is dry rot. I say
that the caucus and convention sys-
tenn is not representative government
at all, and l say this is. This bill pro-
vides for direct vote by the voter
for the candidate of his selection for
the office. l say that the candidate
whom the voter selects is his repre-
sentative. It would be populism for
the people to represent that candi-
date, but for the people to select and
choose him as their representative by
this direct vote is the very highest
order Of representative government.
There is no doctrine of fundamental
law, there is no provision of the con-
stitution that says that this govern.
ment is founded upon the principle
that you must be represented twice be-
fore the object of your choice is Sc
lected. Once represented is all that
is required and is the fundamental
law of the land.
TO Wipe Out Caucus and Convention
Will Insure Best Form of Represen-
tative Government.
Wipe out the caucus and the conven-
ton and you still have the best form
of representative government. The
gentlemen who tried to force upon
you the doctrine that this was popu-
lism could not have reflected or
thought over the subject A vote by
the people does not involve populism
in any sense of the term. What do
you do at your general elections? You
vote directly for the man whom you
seek to elect. Is that populism? We
carry that doctrine simply into the
primary election and there seek to
vote directly for the person whom we
desire to be presented as our candi-
date for the office.
Township and City Governments Com.
You heard very high encomiums
pronounced upon the township form
how good and how strong and how
pure they were. Do you know of any
caucus or convention system that steps
in between your officer who is elected
and you who elect him? You vote di.
rectly for him and there is a living
example of the operation of the pri-
mary election law. There is no gov
eminent, | join with them in saying,
better, purer, stronger than that very
government, because it comes from
the people. No caucus or no conven-
ton has ever interfered with it. 1t
is the pure and the proper representa-
tive government. Transform or change
that very form of government to
your cities, where we elect aldermen,
councilmen, mayors-what is the re-
suit? We do not here vote directly
for the candidates of our choice We
select delegates to the caucus and
those delegates at the caucus elect
somebody to the city convention, and
our aldermen and our mayors and our
city officers-and there are a great
many of them good men; do not dis
pute that 'fact-are selected by the
caucus and the convention system.
Well, compare the two. Look at your
town governments-1ook at your city
governments. Your city governments
full of Doodle aldermen; full of
wicked, malicious contracts; full Of
things that are wrong, things that are
impure, things that are immoral.
Can you ask for better test than
that? 1t stands right up before you.
I ask you the question again, Can
you find any fault with your town gov
ernments?" They are made without
the Intervention of the caucus and the
convention. Can you find any fault
with your city governments? They
are made By your caucus and your
cow .ntion. I will hold the one up as
against the other. l will say on the
strength of what the town govern.
ment is, vote for this BILL I will say
~, Tho tn WI tho