The Saint Paul globe., 1904-09-17
Mr.. PECK OUTL INES
WISCONSIN STATUS
Ex-Governor Tells Why He Be.
Iieves the State VIII Be Car
ried by the Democrats


Coy. George w. Peck, who is again the
Democratic nominee for governor of
Wisconsin. gave to the Brooklyn Eagle
correspondent today some of his rea-
sons for believing that the Democratic
state ticket and the Democratic electors
will carry Wisconsin. He declined to
make the Republican state quarrel the
basis Of his own statement He treated
the subject as one of state ami ma
tional policy, as other leaders Of the
Middle states Democracy have done,
eschewing personalities and certfining
his remarks strictly to the issue He
said
No person living outside of our state
can be expected to form any fair or ade-
without a word or two of explanation re-
garding the lines along which the pc.
litieal battles of the past have been
ments have all a significant bearing upon
the present fight. Consequently, all that /
may say of the past is pertinent to the
present
Up to the campaign of 1890 the Repub-
licans had been in complete control of the
state. Their reign had been absolute and
the election of Democrat to an impor-
tant state ofice was simply patriotic
dream.
Why Democrats Carried the State Twice
But a little before $780, change in the
party attitude of the people became appar-
ent. AT that time w. D. Hoard was gov
ernor of the state. He was conspicuously
ldentlfied with dairy and agricultural in
tereStS. For that reason. perhaps. ne was
not in close touch with the large and i'm
in the cities and larger towns of the
state. Gov. Hoard conceived that the
numerous parochial schools in Wisconsin
should be brought under control of the
state educational authorities. AS the peo-
pie maintaining these schools paid their
full share of taxes for the support of pub
lie schools and the state educational in
stftutions. and then. in addition to that.
maintained the parochial schools, they.
naturally resented the plan of Coy
Hoard as an interference with their prf-
vate rights and their religious views.
AT this time the Democrats of Milwau-
kee nominated me for the position of
mayor. While not much was said in the
campaign about the school issue, the Ger
mans ard other patrons of the parochial
schools took this occasion to express their
disapproval of the Republican attitude to-
had previously been. in the main. sup
porters of the Republican ticket; but this
time they gave Milwaukee Democratic
mayor by a good plurality.
Shortly afterward came the prelim-
inaries of the campaign of 1890. and the
Democratic mayor of Milwaukee was
chosen to head the state ticket of his
party. Up to that time the Republican
plurality in Wisconsin had been very
strong-somewhere in the neighborhood
of 10000 TO 10000. If my recollection
serves me right. In that campaign ma
tional issues were, to a very considerable
extent, lost sight of and the main interest
of the voters seemed to be centered in
state issues-and particularly the educa--
the state went Democratic the Demo-
cratic candidate for governor receiving
2S.320 plurality over his opponent
Democrats Kept Faith With People
Inside of a week from the time the
new legislature convened the Republican
parochial school measure was repealed in
a bill which / at once signed. Another
pledge the Democrats had made to the
people, of wisconsin was at once redeem
ed This was to prosecute former state
treasurers-all of them Republicans-an
their bondSmen, to the end of recovering
the moneys which these officials had re-
eelved as interest on state funds. These
moneys had been withheld from the state
treasury and used as private perquisites
/ had the pleasure of seeing some 100000
recovered to the state in this manner and
of seeing the people of Wisconsin reliey-
ed of paying taxes to this extent.
In 1892 the Democrats of this state hon.
ored me with denomination. An earnest
campaign was made and l was reelected
by a plurality of 5000, in even. figures.
The Democratic presidential electors car
ried the state by $500. In my second term
accomplished. To meet the emergencies of
the Civil war, Wisconsin, like other
Northern states in which the patriotism
of the people did not stand on ceremony,
advanced a large sum of money for pur
poses of national defense. This money
was taken from various state funds, edu-
cational and otherwise. The matter of Sc
curing reimbursement to the state had
languished. but the efforts made by the
Democratic administration of the state
resulting ia securing some S450,000 from
count. So far as possible this money
was returned to the various funds from
which it was taken, and every dollar
of it went back into the state treasury,
Wisconsin Important to Democracy
Beginning with the triumph of the Dem
sent two very able Democrats to the
United States senate. Mr.. Villas and Mr..
Mitchell. The complexion of the con-
gressional delegation from this state was
also greatly changed In fact. at one
time within this period, we had nine or
ten Democratic representatives in the ma
tional house.
It is true that in 1894 the Democratic
state ticket here was defeated; but l
think all fair-minded Republicans will
cheerfully admit that this was because
of the national tidal wave of Republican
ism that swept the country, and not be-
cause there was any. dissatisfaction with
the state administration given by the.
Democrats.
Ever since the Republican tidal wave
swept the state in 1894 the Democrats OF
Wisconsin have been about as much in
the stalwart and the half-breed
wings of the Republican party as they
have in their own affairS-and perhaps
more So They have been like the rest
i've young bucks of an Indian reservation
where peace and quiet reigned in their
own immediate locality Hearing that
there was war between two bands of an
other tribe they put on their paint and
went over to help the band that sent
the first runner to them asking for re-
cruits. They felt that there was moth
ing doing" in their own camp and they
were consequently privileged to work off
their fighting blood in the cause of an
other and hostile tribe. But when their
own tribe opened up war on the common
enemy they came back in a hurry and
began to do business on their own ac-
count.
Lively War On
This is just the situation of Wisconsin
Democrats today. They have been mix
ing up in the Republican factional fight
just because 1t has been fight and be-
cause things were quiet in their own
camp. Now, however. a lively war is on
against the common enemy, there is fight
ing to do against the tribe with which
they have been mixing up just for the
sake of a fight and / believe that they
will come back in body to do loyal bat
tie on their own account This is a
hon1ely Illustration. but it gets close home
to the situation here.
We shall be able to give them all the
fighting they want between now and No
vember. and believe that the chances for
victory are excellent. Certainly the out
look is decidedly hopeful. With the Demo-
Gratis fighting under their own leaders and
the Republicans fighting each other with
bitterness and a determination almost