Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-08-02
TO be stopped from the right OF private

s There must be such thing as good
standing in q political party coupled
with the independence of free and
honorable manhood. If there is not,
| am sorry for popular institutions.
Analyzing roughly, should say that
the tenets of platform chiefly re-
garded are those which define the atti-
tude of a party upon the mooted ques-
tions of difference between opposing
political organizations. Resolves
which do not relate to these, but to
matters internal with the party itself,
are looked upon as recommendations
rather than absolute fats. There is
no opportunity for an opposing vote at
the polls, Hence they are given little
heed by the voter.
PARTY TENETs GREATER THAN PLAT
FORMS.
3 Why, look at it! Four years ago
the Democratic party of the state had
an explicit plank in It's platform in fa-
vor of primary election law. The
Republican party had not. Two years
later the Republican party had such a
plank and the democratic party had
not. In 1898 the Democrats had no
opportunity of voting against this
proposition without abandoning their
party. In 1900 the same was true of
the Republican party. 1t is safe to
say that neither the Democratic vote
In 1898, nor the Republican vote in
1900 was affected by these circum-
stances,
State convention platforms have not
heretofore been supposed to possess
the awful sacredness with which it is
sought now to invest it. When in
1877 the Republican sta'e platform
wobbled towards .greenbackism, al
most embracing it,who was not proud
of our Horace Rublee, when he boldly
repudiated the cowardly shift and led
the party to victory under the tocsin
cry of hard money!
l nave, although an avowed Repub-
licsn. claimed the liberty of independ-
ent judgment, not on details of plat
form alone. For instance, / have re-
peatedly opposed the action of my par
ty in making nominations for judicial
Office and supported Independent can
didates. Nevertheless, my position as
a recognized Republican has been
hitherto unimpaired
NATIONAL ISSUES OvERsHADOw ISMs.
Two years ago when Governor La
Toilette entered upon his brilliant cam
vass OF the state for the Republican
cause i had the honor to be called up
on to preside at his first meeting. 1t
certainly did not occur to me that by
ascepting l would give my indorse-
ment TO primary election law abol-
lshing all caucuses and conventions or
to the position that if the governor
should be elected | and the whole par
ty would be bound to accept such law
without further question or debate,
The great contest of Bryan and Nc
Kinley was on hand, and IN this the
governor and myself stood upon COM
mon and all-absorbing ground. /, of
course, gave my support to the whole
ticket and give it with great pleasure
to Robert M. La Toilette. but 18th
never moments thought that | was
thereby committing myself to his spec
ial views upon the subject of nomina-
tions for Office.
And so it must have been with thou
sands and tens of thousands of voters.
There were greater things that filed
mems minds.
THE COURAGE OF HONEST CONVICTIONS.
[ have, therefore, believed, and still
believe, that bill for primary elec-
tion law must stand before the legisla
ture on it's merits; that it is the duty
OF every legislator, when it comes be-
fore him, carefully to investigate the
subject, to examine the details of the
proposition aud to assure himself that
it will be a practical. useful measure
before he gives it his support.
My present conviction is that the
scheme is practical only in limited
field, where the offices to be filled are
single or at most very few in number,
and the candidates well known to the
electors. Extended beyond this, it
will. in my judgment, tend to stiffen
and strengthen partisanship and boss
ism and to promote secret combines
OF political manipulation. / may be
wrong in this. lay no claim to in
fallibility, but [ claim the right of
my own thought and judgment
These being my views, you would
not expect me to support the system,
Notwithstanding the platform.
CONVENTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS CLASH.
Now, looking upon party duty in the