Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-05-03
The Leagues Mission.

|duuo1 nOpS 10 dGGdln Ine eDQS lOr
which it was organized except through
the defeat of Governor La FOllette'a
The members of the
league are fully aware of the truth OF
this statement, and any published re.
port TO the effect that they are con-
templating an abandonm ent of the
contest against his continuance in Of
ice Is without foundation in fact. The
future success Of the Republican party
depends solely upon the control of the
party by its members. The party or
ganization can only be preserved b,
the defeat of the personal machine
that is now in absolute control of the
state offices and the party committees
For twelve years Governor La Fol
lette has been at the head of a ma
chine operating literary bureau Du-
ring that time he has devoted his ef
forts and the machinery of his organi
cation TO the work of attempting tC
destroy all republicans who would no,
submit to his dictation.
In 1900 the l. aders of the Republi
can party in Wisconsin made the mis-
take of believing that harmony with
in the party could be restored BY
allowing Governor La Toilette to attain
the object of his ambition and secur,
the gubernatorial nomination. As .
result OF this error of judgment he
was permitted to dominate the stat,
convention through withdrawal q
opposition d he dictated the plat.
form and secured control of the stat.
central committee.
Since his election as governor b
the united support of all classes
Republicans he has bent every energ
to the effort TO establish himself firmly
In power In the state. He has use,
the appolntlve power to place in sub
ordinate offices men who will do hi.
will and has thus surrounded himsel
with al army of petty officials swhos
characters, as DR.. Wilder, one of hi
supporters, has acknowledged, ..ar,
obJectlonal and whose qualitic ltion.
are pitiful."
He has demonstrated, to quote tn,
same authority, that The works be9i
with lieutenants who obey withou
question" He has sacrificed the in
terests OF the state to strengthen hi,
personal political machine and his APP
polntees, whose salaries are paid from
The state treasury and who should
employed in the states business. ar.
now and for months have been en-
gagged in work intended to advance the
political interests Of the governor.
During the session of the legisla
ture in the winter of 1891 Governor
presumed to dictate to that body not
only the substance but the form O.,
laws to be enacted. Drawing authori-
ty from the party platform he hao
himself framed, he sought to usurI
the constitutional functions of a co
ordinate branch of the state govern
ment and threatened with politica
extinction those who opposed him.
Having failed to accomplish his pur
pose by threats, he sent to the legisla
ture an abusive veto message that has
no parallel in the history of the sta e.,
and for which there was no excus.
either in the character of the measur.
nor in the manner of its adoption.
He has advocated and still favors
paternalistic Legislation OF charac-
ter similar to that which drove enter
prises and capital out of Kansas anG
Nebraska during the reign of Popu-
lism in those states. He aims to be-
come supreme through his personal
machine and to vest in the state--him-
self-paternalistic powers by which
that supremacy may become absolute.
He has ignored the express instruc-
tions of the legislature copteined in a
resolution passed by both houses, and
has continued in force the old waste
full nnscientific aud Inaccurate meth
DDS Of accounting fol the receipts and
disbursements OF the several depart
Inents of the state government, for
which an approved substitute had been
prov ided by his predecessor.
While pretending to favor taxation
reform he has advocated the adoption
of no measure that was not destined to
Increase taxes. He voted the Frost
mortgage taxation bill, which was
drawn on lines approved by the learned
political economists, and which was
iesined to equalize taxation in some
degree.
Under his administration taxes have
been Increased. without objections
from him, end no effort his been made
to introduce reasonable methods of
economy, or to husband the financial
resources of the state.
His supporters in Milwaukee are
now ingaged in organizing secret polit-
ical clubs. the members of which are
oathbound, the meeting being guarded
from intrusion by sentries at the doors
and the members selected by ball bal
lots. The clubs are called debating
societies. - but have for their sole
purpose the advancement of the politi-
al fortunes of the "boss. -
1t was primarily to oppose the furth-
err acquisition of the power by this un-
un-American would be die
tator that the Wisconsin Republican
league was formed. The fact that a
majority of the Republican members
of the legislature belong to that or
ganization is sufficient guaranty that
the contest will be continued and that
it will succeed. The league will not
be frightened from its purpose by the
cry, LA Toilette or Democrat" nor
will it cease in it's efforts until the Re-
publican party is once more emaneia-
pied from ring rule and domination by
man whose methods are those of a |
south American dictator anC who aims
to force the enactment of Populistic
and paternalistic laws to the end that
the business interest of the state may
De made to pay tribute to him:-Mil-
Saukee Daily Sentinel.