River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-23


its triumphs, have sorrowed in its de-
feats. | have deplored more than it is
possible to express to YOU the absolutism
and the methods which have character
lied the last few years of administra-
ton in Wisconsin. Great applause.) |
have voted its tickets and supported
them on the stump--sometimes the SUI
preme test of party loyalty daughter
and great applauSe): but it was not diff
fcult TO see that if persisted in the time
must come which would bring with it
the crisis which confronted you on yes
terday and which with all my heart and
soul [ hoped might be averted by some
means compatible with loyalty to the in
telligent Republican constituencies whose
commissions you bear and compatible
with that moral courage and spirit which
alone redeems one from the just charge
of pusillanimity and treachery. (Great
applause.)
"You made every conceivable effort
within the limit of manly and honorable
endeavor (applausel, and when you found
alas, that it could ever be so in Wis
consin-that men were not only deprived
of a prima facie right evidenced by duly
authenticated credentials, constituting
majority of the convention, were not
permitted to sit, but were unseated pri-
marily, not by the convention but by
committee, and the accredited delegates
entitled to sit not only denied that right
but denied a right to come into the con-
vention to speak in defense of their con-
stituepcies, you decided, not l, what duty
and self-respect required of you. Great
applause and cries of 'good.0 You made
your decision. / am here today, gentle
men of the convention, to endorse your
action. (Great applause.) / have cast
my political fortunes-I am without po-
litical ambition--in with you, to the end.
Great applause.) This convention is not
a mass meeting, it is not a voluntary as
ISOLATION Qaughter) of disgruntled boilers
or disgruntled citizens. (Cries of mo,
no.D 1t is a convention of regularly
elected and duly credentialed Repub-
licans of Wisconsin. Great applause.)
1t is not a boiling convention, unless
majority can bolt minority. (Great
applause.) Gentlemen, this convention is
not inspired by the personal ambition of
anyone in it. (Cries of true, true.o 1t
is not inspired by struggle for power.
1t is inspired by loyalty to representative
government. (Great applause,)
This is q government of the people,
Being government of the people it is a
government by majorities and it is of
necessity a government of parties; and
he who seeks to strangle the voice of
the majority of the people, whether in a
political convention or anywhere else, is
guilty of moral treason to our political
system of government. Great APP
plause.)
"Now, gentlemen, the question, If there
remain any, as to the regularity of this
convention and the rights of its ticket
under the law, will be tested.
Cries of good, good
MEN sometimes Of late years have
repudiated the idea that we have had
for the last forty years in Wisconsin rep
resentative government Qaughter); that
we have had, they suggest, government
by corporations. False as it all is, it is
so monumental in its impudence as ito
be absolutely bewildering. There is one
thing the people will not have and that
is government by committee. Great APP
plause)
But gentlemen, 1 must not detain
you. (Cries of go one go on; go on
John.O
1.-THE men who founded the state, the
men who drafted its constitution, the men
who builded the structure upon the solid
foundation of representative government,
were neither fools nor knaves; and for
one } say that he is a divinely APP
poin,ed prophet daughter and great APP
plause) who will lead lie people Of this
magnificent state up out of the darkness
onto the mountain top, and give them the
first glimpse they have ever had of repre-
sentative government, is too much.
(Great applause)
ITO say that the people of this state,
with their long line of splendid governors,
with Randall, and Harvey can't name
them all-(Cries of 'Fairchild0 Fairchild;
no one should forget that gallant man
(Cries of Jerry RuskO and Rusk and
Washburn and Scofeld and all the rest;
with the men whose names you lind on
the legislative lists from the beginning,
in the House and the Senate, were all
either ignorant or Indifferent to the form
of our government and to the genius OF
our institutions, and that the people all
these years have been subject to the
tyranny of corporations and deprived OF
real government, impeaches their in
tegrity to an extent of being an unpar-
donable insult. Am wrong? (Cries
of mo, no.
"Now, gentlemen Of the convention, |
came here with no studied words to speak
to you. You are weary from the stress
and strain Of this crisis, and no man can
properly long detain you. You will APP
sin, an intelligent people, who learned
before | was born what their in
terest is and what Republican gov
eminent is. Great applause) They
will listen to you, because you go
to them upon the solid foundation
of eternal principle and right. They VIII
listen to you because they arc weary,
weary, weary Qaughter) of the incessant
struggle, and the daily incursion Of an
army of their employees, paid out of their
pockets, to teach them what their duties
are as electors. Great applause.) They
are tired Of it, / have faith in the peo-
pie. Some things / never allow myself
to doubt One is my faith in the people
(applause); their intelligence, and their
desire FOR the right: and their desire for
peace. They know that this long con-
tinued term Of distractions, of factional-
ism, of denunciation, of bitterness, is not
necessary in this state in order to secure
good government; and they care more for
that than they do for men.
another thing / never have doubted
myself nor have / ever permitted any
man at home or abroad to challenge with
out instant rejoinder, and that is the
white fame Of the commonwealth of
Wisconsin.
Great appiause.)
''Now gentlemen of the convention,
happily there is one thing upon which
we all agree in this convention, and in
the rump convention (waiving his hand
toward the gymnasium and throughout
the Republican ranks in the state, and
that is our desire and our purpose that
Theodore Roosevelt of New York shall
he nominated to succeed himself as Pres
ident. and he triumpha ntly elected.
IT cannot take the time to speak of him.
He seized the reins of government as
they fell from the dear hand of one Of the
sweetest, noblest and manifest men who
ever was President Of the United States,
William Mckinley. (Great applause.)
And from the moment the responsibilities
of the presidency were placed upon him
land / have by the generosity Of the Re-
publicans of this state served near him),
he has without Wearying, in season and