Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-02
THE RIGHT STANDARD.

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way usually proceeds first, from FALSE
notion Or standard in our minds. &c
where we viii, look at men in all Their
relation whether in business, farming
politics or religion, and we will see that
be mali who does things well, carries
! with him in his mind, a clear, clean,
exact iiea or standard, of how the thing
should be dons Then in addition, we
! ind That he has large endowment Of
force or executive ability, and he de-
iyhts in working ny to the standard.
. But first of all every man must have
he right idea "a things, before he can
do things rightly.
What we need the most just now In
politics and matters of government
from the township up through the state
10 the nation, is an idea Of standard or
honesty and public virtue in the voter.
Il is because the common man has
lowered his standard Of official honesty;
because he has been willing to excuse
political dishonesty in his party and
! party leaders, II 1t only helped ''our
tide TO win, " that we have been flooded
with rascality in officials all over the
and. The American voter must begin
% understand that loose trifil;. ideas
Of party honesty win produce the same
ieas in government he must under
tand that official dishonesty Is first
brought about by party dishonesty;
trickery, cheating. bribing, and all the
long train Of evils that now affiict the
country, are caused by political system
that leads up to 1t. Give the politician
chance to gain in securing nomina.
ton, by cheating in the caucus, and he
viii cheat He Is after success. All
&oficial rascality has been made by pol.
itical rascality.
The source Of all government Is the
party, and all government dishonesty
lean be traced 10 the party source. II
We have <cvernment We must have par
ties. Ii ought TO be the highest aim OF
the voter to keep his party honest.
Hence the necessity Of every man hay.
Ing q standard Of political honesty to
guide and hold him in the exercise Of
his political duties
One reason why Governor La Toilette
has met W To opposition from the
corrupt 20. iticians in his own party ia
because his ideas aud standards Of party
honesty and official rectitude are not
their standards See how they fought
the anti-pass law which had for its OBJ
1ect the avoidance Of corruption of Of
icials through the form Of bribery.
Then note how thsy fought the law
against lobbying in the legislature.
Both Of these measures came from the
group Of men like A. r. Hall, and
others who have stood around Cover
nor LaFollette. Then when the cover
nor In his message dared to rebllke the
corrupt practices through which Ger
tain lobbying politicians have defeated
laws in the interest Of the people, note
what howl has gone mp all over the
state from the low standard men in
both parties. Birds Of a feather f1ek
together. II is natural 1Less ua-
clean birds ilgree with enc another
secretly, but they seek % divide aud
mislead honest men. Il l. the old
maxim cs Caesar Divide and Con-
quor." The same conflict ia on in re-
gard 20 the primary election law The
law Is designed to give the intellectual
voter more power over his own choice
In the party cancas. It takes away
much of the power Of the sharp I'M
scrupuious politician. II Is built on
the standard Of higher party honesty.
For that reason it ought TO have the
support of all honest voters, republi-
cans and democrats, Who want 10 see
honest politics prevail II is clearly in
their interest For that reason 1t will
be opposed by all politicians who think
10 their right 30 herd the people like
~AN~lN A1A t4lstAG tANii way " AASItaAg
methods.
and so Ii Is with the demand La Fol
lette Is making for railroad commits
sioc. and the better control Of the PEG
pie over all corporations, II we exam.
inc al these measures Governor La Fol.
lette has put forth and ad vocated, we
win find that from the bottom to the
top they are in the interest Of the com
mon people; In the interest of the many
against the few; in the interest Of the
honest voter against the dishonest poll
tician; in the interest of higher stand.
ard of morality and the conduct Of
party affairs, and Official rectitude
1t Ia no wonder that bribing. prohig-
ate politicians oppose these measures
aud the governor. 1t is no wonder sast
selfish corporate capital oppose them.
II is no wonder that newspapers con-
trolled by these influences are fighting
the governor. His standard of party
and official honesty don't suit them.
Why should it:--Former Governor
Hoard in jefferson Dairyman.