Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-04-01
The Price of HARMONY"

representatives. of the Republican party
in Wisconsin met In state convention
to accomplish an avowed and unmis-
taxable purpose. There was neither
question nor doubt about what the
convention was going to do. That was
as well known before the convention
met as it was after it had separated.
The party had new leader, one who
stood for certain principles of gov
eminent in which the great mass of
the party believed: hence he had be-
come the party's leader, and hence he
was chosen for it's standard bearer in
the state, as Mckinley had been chosen
for it's standard bearer in the nation.
The principles which had so appealed
to the party that they were adopted,
without opposition, as the party plat
form in this state, were those of simple
justice as between individuals and as
between individuals and corporations,
in the matter Of paying taxes; and the
right Of every individual voter to a
voice in the selection Of candidates on
his party ticket. There never was a
simpler platform written by the con-
vention OF any party; and there never
was one written that meant more for
the wellbeing OF state. It promised
the people OF Wisconsin that if the
Republican party was again given the
conduct OF the affairs of government,
these principles should be enacted into
law. The party was successful at the
election, and afterwards it failed to do
what 1t had promised to do. Ordinarily,
and applying the rules that would be
applied to individuals who had broken
their pledge, the party should have
been retired from power, but the party
was not in the wrong. 1t had been
cheated out Of the fruits of it's victory,
and by the same influences that had
controlled the policies of all the legis-
latures of this state, for many years.
1t never makes any difference with
these influences which party is in
power. They are notin politics and at
tending to matters of legislation be-
cause they are specially interested in
the welfare Of the people of the state.
They are first, last and all the time
for themselves. The state of Wis
consin has been largely governed by
men who are not citizens of the state,
and who have no vote, of their own,
in the state. They are the men who
compose and control the great corpor-
ations, the railroads, the telegraph
lines, the express companies, the Sleep
ing car companies, the insurance COM
panies, the telephone companies, the
street railway lines, the gas and cleo
trio lighting companies, and who have
money invested in the manufacturing
industries Of the state. The material
interests of these men are great in
wisconsin, and they are able, because
of them, to WELD vast influence in
the political affairs of the state. That
they have on many an occasion been
able to control the action of the state
legislature, no well-informed man will
question. These men who do not live
in Wisconsin, but who govern Wiscon-
sin from their eastern Offices, did not
approve the action of the Republican
state convention of 1900. They did
not like the man who was nominated
Tor governor, considering him "un-
SAFE" and, although they do not put
much faith in platform promises any
way, they did not approve the platform
upon which this "unsafe" candidate
for governor had been nominated. But
they did not dare to oppose 1t 10 the
election, that year. They were holder
two years later. When the legislature
OF 1901 met, it had been organized for
the defeat Of the measures that had
been promised by the state convention,
and the pledges that had been ratified
BY more then 100000 plurality, were
trampled upon, and came to naught.
The professional legislators and the
lobby went to Madison to work for
the interests of their employers, and |
did 1t. These elements did not com.
pose all of the opposition to the plat
form promises; but they dominated it.
Two years later, ana after such an
effort to defeat him and the measure
he has always stood for, Gov. La
Toilette, the steadfast, answering
champion of the peoples right to rule.
was renominated, and the platform Of
two years before was reaffirmed with
out any word Of change. There was
to change. Wisconsin Repub-
licans no more changed their
principles in 1902 than they did in
1862 What they had declared was
right; and what they had declared
they reiterated.
This was not case of arbitrariness.
It was not an exhibition of one-man
power over other men. It is an in
suit to the intelligence and unswerv-
ng purpose of the great mass of Wis.
'onsin people to say, as has been sol
,ften said, that it was. The voters
II Wisconsin believed in what they
we're trying to accomplish, and they
believe 1t yet.
After three years of warfare unon
he avowed policy of the party, the