Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-10-11


of the opening of the campaign in Wau-
san by the democratic party. Up to
that date there had been no speeches
made in this city, since the tickets had
been placed in nomination. Friday
was positively the worst day, so far as
the weather was concerned, that has
been experienced in this section this
year The clouds were so heavy that
the electric lights had to DC turned on
in many places all day, and the rain
came down in torrents. This was the
condition not only all day Friday but
all during that night. Thus turned out
the day which was selected by the man
ayers of the democratic campaign of
this county, for ex-Gov Peck, of Wis
consin, now democratic candidate for
governor, and Hon. Morris Shepard, of
Texas, to speak upon the issues of the
campaign.
Notwithstanding the frightful weather
the opera house was well filled with a
very attentive as well as enthusiastic
audience. The stage was decorated
with ferns and palms on each side and
in the background was a large Ameri-
can flag, within the folds of which were
the pictures of Parker and Davis. At
O'Clock, Messrs. Geo. W. Peck, Morris
Shepard, Wells Nj. Ruggles and Judge
Marchetti took seats upon the rostrum.
Judge Marchetti presided and as an
Introductory spoke, substantially, as
follows
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
One of the means adopted by the
founders of this government by which
they sought to preserve, to themselves
and their posterity, the blessings of
liberty, was to require from public
servants a strict accountability for their
official acts, and they therefore prOvid-
ed for short terms of office, keeping in
the peonle the power, to change them at
will, at regularly recurring elections.
Experience has demonstrated the wis
dom of this system, which cannot be
departed from, without endangering
our entire system of government We
are again on the eve of an important
election, important because president
is to be elected, and the power of the
executive has grown, to such an extent
that it is now greater for good or evil
than the power welded by the king or
prime minister of England, and is near
ly as great as the power of the emperor
of Germany or the autocrat of Russia
Political discussions, which will enable
the voter to prepare himself to exercise
llic liSIb anu 0ubO W CdSG Ills fOlC Ill
accordance with his convictions are
not only unavoidable but also desirable.
For political information we are as
much dependent as ever on the rostrum,
or more so, because the great metro
politan press has become business,
as much as any other business, and
gives only such information as is for
their pecunlary interest The news
which we get of congressional actions
are not only meagre, but often the eX-
agerated, garbled or colored, as suits
the interest OF these great papers. For
these and other reasons, is il of much
interest to hear those questions upon
which parties differ, discussed or be-
bated by men, who like the speaker of
the evening, himself member of con
gress, speaks from personal knowledge
of what is going on in Washington.
The gentleman represents a district,
which for twenty years has been repre-
sented by David Culbertson, one of the
cleaneSt and ablest statesmen who ever
had seat in Congress. And we have
with us tonight, our candidate for
governor of this state, an office only
less in importance than that of presi-
dent, because state affairs concern us
directly Our candidate for Governor
10 uOb Ill vi etlOI WIFI IL DIIlidul anu
erratic mind; he has never been assisted
and is not now, by the corruption fund
of the old man of Marinette who has
deDauched our state, but northern Wis
consin more than any other part, and
the beneiiciafics of whose corruption
fund are now running all over the state,
prating about reform. Our candidate
is not one of those canting self righteous
individuals who go about the state,
bewailing the sins of other people. He
comes before you, not with a record of
great things said, but of great things
done; he is possessed of that great good
common sense, which is the first and
highest qualification for Il statesman,
and which article seems to have become
such rarity among republican leaders
During his four years of service about
half million dollars unlawfully with
held for years from the state treasury
against the protests of the democratic
party in the legislature, were recovered
and put back where the money be-
longed, in the peoples treasury; a
precedent was thereby established by
which about the same amount has
since accrued for the benefit of the
state. Where is there q republican or
any other man, who would undo what
was done under Gov. Feck in four
short years. | might speak of more
things done, but this is not my time to
speak, and | take great pleasure in
Introducing to you, Hon. George W.
Peck, who will be the next governor, if
the people of this state, knowing their
interest. will vote accordingly.
Gov Peck's speech was such as to
please all who heard it. After listening
to the remarks of Judge Marchetti,
who is a fluent speaker, Mr. Peck re-
marked that he had always been sorry
that he was not a lawyer, for lawyers
have the happy faculty of speaking
without notes, that he was not able to
do this, that he was simply journalist
and therefore better able to write down
his thoughts than to give them utter