Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-01-27
PERTINENT CONGRESSIONAL POINTS,
Article Contributed by weIi-Rnown Republican Of
the County.

/. district is waging hot, and Verno
! county is waking up to the importanc
of the contest. The coltesting partie
: are hrlng up their forces for the battl
Isoon to be fought Joseph W. Babcoch
? the pi esent incumbent, who for the pas
! 12 years las monopolized the position
|, is again after the lob, which ha
proven 70 remunerative to the wealth
lumberman. He is politician Of tn
slippery kind, whose every move on th
political eheckerboard Is made with on
! object in view-that of furthering tn
political future of Bah Many post
masters, census enumerators, rural mai
deliverers, all who get railroad passe
from "Bab" with my compliments,
and all other appointees of Babcock
and they are numerous, for this pull
is what has made our congressman truly
great-this whole push of fayorites ar
supposed to work and pray for 10 Bah
cock.
Ex-Sheriff Minshall that Princo oi
Stalwarts, and opponent Of Governor
La Toilette aud his principles is devot
ing his entir5 time, eA 4rgy, and influence
promoting Babcock's interest in Vernon
county. People know the antipathy oi
this gentleman on the questions of pri.
mary election, railroad taxation and
other issues of the past two campaigns
His influence will not, therefore, set the
| world afire with Babcock enthusi asm.
Other gentlemen are securing the
| country on collections, working life
insurance, hoop-poles, giving legal ad-
vice and incidentally look after Bah
| cocks interests. These eiements--an
unlimited amount of money to buy news
| papers and hire men to carry the town
| with full control of the congressional
/ committee, so the convention can be
| callei ae the most opportune time
| These are the breastworks behind which
IL. w. Babcock is entrenched and will
defend his right to denomination for
/ the seventh term he has dominated
| the politics of the Third congressional
district for years past and kept the peo-
pie at bay. He has called congressional
| conventions before the state corven-
| kions in order that he might have tree
hands to meddle in the gubernatorial
| fight. He has brought delegations from
his home county Of Juneau in opposi-
| ton TO La Toilette, when the balance Of
| the district was all enthusiastic for the
governor and the honest principles ad-
vocated by him. Hal the congressional
conventions been held after these state
conventions Babcock would have landed
'high and dry" and some candidate
nominated who was in sympathy with
the republicans OF the district
II is indeed amusing to read the VII
roqua "Republican's" praise of Bah
cock The sheet that six years ago de-
nounced Babcock, his barrel" aid his
! methods, (at the time when G. J. Smith
was candidate for the same Office, and
when he was also editor -in-chief of the
Republican in the vilest and most
bitter terms, is now praising their lord
and master and attacking in an un-
worthy way, our local candidate. IL
| would be interesting reading IL the Re
l publican" wou.d print its present arti-
Giles of praise and the former vicious at
i tacks, all written with the same hand,
side by side. Ii would create some de-
mand for the paper. and might tempo
| rarily increase the scant subscription
| list even,of the Republican" type.
washington would miss Babcock, F"
| save the Republican Yes, no doubt
| some parties in Washington would miss
| him. There are a great many con
| tracts" TO be let in the District OF Co
lumbia, and "Bab" is no doubt q dandy
to let contracts. Water, hight, street
ap1 steam railroad legislation, street
work, etc. ALI these are under 'Babs
supervision. What splendid opportu-
nity for a man of the Babcock typel
but should Babcock retire from
| congress who would then champion the
cause of the brewers The railroads
would lose q most faithful member end
bosom friend, both in legislative mat
/ ters. and their contracts with the gov
ernnent for carrying the mails would
b. less remunerative IL they did not get
| Babcock's tons of musty literature to
weigh, when they had their weighing
days. The Republican, a sheet man
aged by the chairman Of the county
prohibition committee, championing the
cause of Jo Babcock What fine COM
| binationl One column edited by the
Women's Chr stian Temperance Union,
and another column advocating the
nomination Of the brewery lobbyist for
congress-
Does the Republican know that
during the campaign for Z 5. senator
six years ago, when w Babcock was
a candidate for that position, that prom
inent ministers of the gospel from Dis
| trict of Columbia protested against the
nomination of "Bab" because he was
not fit for the position on account OF
his temperance views, and other good
| reasops9
Doss the Republican" remember
that Babcock's election to the U. S. SEN
ate was urged by certain interested
gentlemen in Viroqus for the reason
| that this election would remove him
| further from the people" as 1t was
claimed then that he did not associate
and keep in touch with the people OF
his district Will not the Republican .
| in it's praise of Babcock inform its read
ers what t. s statement Of national re-
noun has done for the Thir congress
sional district, except the appointment
of Z s. Goodell as Postmaster General
for Vernon county, and inatalling him
as his political manipulation Bahcoek 8
chief shouters in Viroqua City are stall
warts who bolted the regular republi'
can nominee for Governor and cast their
votes for Dave" Rose-a man who
called Pres Mckinley blatant dema-
gogue" aud who boasted Of his saying
that dying for principle is all rot A
fine push" to champion the cause Of a
republican candidate for congress
Barring his appointments and the dis
tribution Of free seeds, free books and
fee passes, what has this eminent
statesman done for this district
Does he favor primary election law,
giving TO every voter an opportunity to
nominate tbs candidate of his own
choice for all Uficesf
Does be favor railroad commission
for Wisconsin with power to regulate
freight rates and prohibit discrimina-
| tion2