Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-08-26


nomination for governor at the coming
state convention, and it is your right to
ask me to define, to some extent at
least, my position upon the questions
that are now under consideration IN
this state. 1t is pleasant duty for ME
to give you as frankly and as candldly
as | can my views upon these matters.
| appreciate more than | can tell you the
kindly expression you have given OF
your confidence and trust In me.
"Onr campaign must necessarily
largely be taken up with the discussion
of state issues, but we should not aban-
don those fundamentals of the Dem
ocratic creed that are always with us
and that are pressing for attention as
much in this campaign as In any other
in the late Republican convention
certain school book concerns sought
the defeat of Professor Harvey, an
eminent educator of this state. They
agreed with those close to the Republic
can throne that they would pay GER
tain sum, 5000, into the Republican
campaign fund and would contribute
something like $4,000 besides to thai
campaign fund to aid in the ELECTION OF
their chosen candidate. The Bargain
was carried out Professor Harvey was
defeated; the money was paid, and sup
posedly the balance of the contract viii
be performed api the cause of purity
and reform be aided by the balance OF
this corruption fund.
1.-The truth of this charge has been
asserted under the signature of two
leading Republicans of the state, Sena
tor Stout of Menomonie, man of high
character and standing, and Mr.. Buck
staff of Oshkosh, of like character and
standing They have demanded an in
vestigation of the charges, as have hun
dreds of Republicans throughout the
state who value the good name OF
their party The answers so far from
the beneficiaries of this corruption
fund have been sneers and silly pallia-
tons.
The Republican party in Wisconsin
has been having riotous tit of hyster
les and owes its CONFUSION to the
genius and ambition of one man, whose
name it is unnecessary to mention.
Like the doctor in the story who first
threw his patients into fits preparatory
to curing them of whatever ills theywert
heir to Governor La Toilette first gives
his party an awful dose of fits as pre-
paration for curing it of all its disabili
ties He has taken out patent on two
things-first, equal taxation, and, sec
ond the primary election law which he
has framed.
''This new model will supersede the
spectacle of Satan rebuking sin as a
figure of speech. So federal officials
are invited to pass under the rod OF
else pass out.
The only persons who are uncondi
tionally invited to enter the temple are
those who are suavely denominated
"Fair-minded Democrats. Flatterine
gifts of fair, well-seeming words are
rendered to these for purposes of pres
ent hospitality cnly. Such guests dc
not have to give the password and the
grand hailing sign before being admit
ted to the vestal mysteries of la Fol
lettism. They are loved unconditional.
ly, for themselves alone temporarily
A Democrat who can feel at home in
the La Toilette camp cannot feel al
home in the Democratic party-per-
haps cannot feel at home anywhere
except in country where credulity and
a large capacity for being goldbricked
are talents that command a premium.
"He and his followers roar loudly
over the inequalities of state taxation
but they have not even soft whisper OF
blame for the greater inequality OF
federal taxation. His party whips
drove the ice taxlaw through the legis
lature and OVERRIDE the plainest limita
ton of constitutional law. They might
have borrowed this law from the octroi
ridden Latin countries of Europe. This
measure, by the terms of which ice cut
in the state and taken into another
state must pay and export tax, was
worthy only of a mush- Drained, fifteenth
cen:u y statesman.
REFERS TO FROST MORTGAGE LAW.
His followers in the convention re.
fused to admit into the platform a
plank declaring for a reformation OF
the tariff when such modification of the
tariff is being advocated by tens OF
thousands of Republicans in this and
other states. He vetoed the Frost
mortgage law, which was prepared by
the state tax commission and which was
passed by the legislature for the pur-
pose of enabling one who mortgaged
his land to be taxed only upon the
value of his interest in the land, which
interest was to be found by deducting
the amount of the mortgage from the
value of the land. The mortgage was
also taxed under this law.
He has refused to adopt proper
system of bookkeeping in the various de-
partments of state government, al
though law compelling this is in force,
and the measure was strongly advocat-
ed by his predecessor in Office. This
law if reinforced would stop ten thousand
wrongful leakages of public money.
would end ten thousand abuses that ex-
list in reference to the public funds and
property of the state. Such a reform
must be adopted to save the state from
the misuse of public money and proper
ty by Incompetent or careless or dis
honest officials.
EQUAL TAXATION AN OLD CRY.
"As to the first, it is an old fad of
political parties. Memory runs not
back to the time when it was not a
familiar plank in party platforms. 1t
is good mouth-tilling, chesty-toned
phrase, but must be pardoned if fail
to attach to it in Governor La Follette's
platform any newer or different mean
ing than it has had in any of the 10000
platforms where it has appeared be.
fore
Republicans of Wisconsin whose
party loyalty has never been questioned
lind that they must be born again and
be rebaptized at the new font of repub-
licanism before they can sit IN the
councils of the party Even Senator
Spooner, with his great ability ard his
rich and varied experience in public
life, his long service to his party and
his service to his country in its time Of
peril, must needs submit to this new
test of party fealty and have his
Republicanism reminted with this
new device before it can be-
come legal tender in the party.
To change the metaphor, the fatted calf
is ready for him if he will come home
and take probationary service for
awhile with his younger brother, who
rules the roast.
1T nay be said of Senator Spooner
in passing that Democrats have never
that he was not loyal TO
his parry.
Wv &, all zealots and fanatics the
end iustifies the means. Fanaticism,
in politics or religion, never
stops 10 hold parley with themortalites.
II IS the creature Of shy overpow-ring
passion, that rides ruthlessly. obedient