Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-26
TWO REPUBLICAN TICKETS.

TWO REPUBLICAN TICKETS.
The fight of the factions which had
been going on in the ranks OF the Re-
publican party In Wisconsin from the
4th OF July, 1893, when Hon. Robert
M. LaFollette delivered a memorable
speech In Mineral Point, resulted In
a rupture OF the state convention Mt
Madison last week. Two tickets were
nominated-on headed by Governor
LaFollette and the other by former
Congressman Cook. The action OF
the Stalwarts, under the Leadership OF
Senators Spooner and Quarles and
Congressman Babcock In revolving
against their overload and master
and setting up n standard OF their
own will be far reaching, and it's effect
will be felt In Wisconsin politics for
many years TO come. The end Is not
In sight.
Ellis b. Usher, keen observer OF
the great fracas, writes for the Mil
waukee journal some very interesting
matter In regard to the Republican
split and what may follow. From
one of his recent letters we reprint
the following:
"As the days go by, the greater
becomes the astonishment OF the Re-
publicans that their party IL split In
two In Wisconsin.
Had Senator Spooner, Congress-
man Babcock and that kind of Re-
publicans had their say, there would
have been submission TO the Half
Breed faction.
ut is true that through Philip l..
Spooner's organization, the Stalwart
politicians did all In their power to
get control of the state convention,
but when they failed they would have
quit, but could not do SO.
ut IL an open secret that u meeting
was held AZ Madison Wednesday
morning In which Mr.. Spooner, Mr..
Quarles and other Stalwarts active In
politics were told plainly that the end
had been reached; that the Stalwart
delegates to this convention would no
longer submit to leadership which
counseed slavery to LaFolotte; that
the senators and congressman, and all
other federal Office holders could do
as they pleased, but that the Stawart
delegates were going TO. organize n
separate movement with or without
the aid and comfort Of the Stalwart
politicians.
ut was In the last ditch that
Spooner surrendered. When he did
take his sword out, he got " welcome
ms great as II Is possible to give "
man. IL was cry from the heart
that had hungered for four years. 1t
must have convinced the senator that
those who had so long urged him to
speak knew what they were talking
about; that blast from his bugle was
all that had been needed TO put his
men In trim for " death struggle with
N man who was contrasting for the
generalship that "John c." has held,
at least since the Sawyer days, 1t
was dramatic moment, and every
man present was thrilled, HE could
have carried IL all by speaking even
four weeks ago" said one business
man,
iHN oppphII WIN tIpNUl1u Nv WIG
hotel that night was not the Spooner
OF the morning. Struggling against the
inevitable, he looked old and gray,
and WAS irritable beyond concealment.
At night, he had become youthful, his
eye was bright, aud there was an air
about him that u man has when, after
n struggle, he has done the right
thing
political phrophesy Is danger
Gus indulgence. This Is guess
based on the facts as they appear at
this moment: The LaFollette ticket
will apper on the official ballot as the
regular Republican ticket, The Stall
wart ticket will appear as "Conserva-
tive Republican, or something like
that, and the fight will be made on
state officers. LaFollette will DO de-
feated only by u Democrat. The
Republican who really believes that
the interest of the state demands the
retirement of the governor will not
cast half ballot against him by
voting for Cook or some other man,
when he can command II full ballot by
voting directly for the Democrat.
Everybody recollects how the Palmer
and Buckner vote was dissipated the
last ten days OF the campaign OF 1896
when this fact was forced upon them.
at often looked as II the Half
Breeds were studying to irritate their
opponents, but this was probably
owing to the suspicious nature Of all
the Half Breeds when they are dealing
with Stalwarts. They are certain that
every Stalwart has hoofs and horns.
1T all comes down mt this time to
the courts. Courts have always
fought shy OF political questions
How far will the Wisconsin courts go
into this historical contest?'