River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-08-23
Hon. w. D. Connor's Address
at Milwaukee Banquet
NO PESSIN!ST OR ALARMIST
Believes that With All the Past
Achievements of this Country
it is Strong Enough to Reg
ulate and Control Every
Corporation and Indi-
vidual Within its
Borders

y
some great POLITICAL upheaval. Each
epoch in America has been character
lied by some mighty achievement,
which has brought about a better
government, broader ideas of citizen
ship, greater liberty to the people and
firmer conviction in the minds of
thinking men the world over that the
American republic is a permanent in
stitution.
1.-THE last quarter of century has
been a period of great agricultural,
industrial and commercial develop
ment. We have had practically moth
ing to distract the attention of our
citizens from their civil pursuits. Ev-
clearing of the forests, the opening up
of new agricultural districts, and the
establishment of industrial enter
prises. The country has been COW
cred with a network of railways, unit
ing every section of the nation, and
numberless cities have arisen, like
magic, in every part of the country.
The natural resources of the land
have been rapidly developed. The
people have been so intent in the pur-
suit of wealth that they have neg
lected their full duties as citizens
This has permitted, in many of our
municipalities, and in both state and
national legislature, designing men to
Sc 1ure the control of the legislative
bodies and to SO shape legislation that
private and corporate interests have
profited at the expense of an unsus-
pecting public. The very laxity OF
the laws has permitted the combina-
tons of capital, which have for their
purpose the control of many of the
common necessities of life and the
natural resources of the country.
Many schemes promoted by public
officials have been engineered
through congress, giving to corpora
tons, in which they were personally
interested, large tracts of government
land and other public property, with
out returning adequate compensation
to the public treasury. The Indian
lands and Indian timber have been
considered suitable property for bar
ter and trade by some men in official
positions. Within recent years mem
bers of congress have not hesitated
to speculate in stocks, the price of
which would be Influenced by their
vote on the legislation then pending
in congress.
"The tariff laws have been changed
or threatened with change in order to
affect the value of certain commodi-
ties for the purpose of giving those
in authority to make the laws
chance to enrich themselves. In some
instances special features have been
incorporated into the law for the ben
eft of special interests and personal
profit.
"Our state laws have permitted
numerous corporations to organize
under the sanction and authority of
the law with no restriction to pro-
tect the public against the unscrupu-
lous methods of their promoters.
Many wrongs have been permitted to
creep into the body polite while our
citizens have been engrossed in de-
ve1oping the resources of this virgin
country. Wealth has accumulated at
an enormous rate. 1t has brought
with it perplexing and difficult preb-
lens which must be faced.
Though there are wrongs in our
system of government, firmly be-
lieve that evil is the exception and
not the rule, and that, in the main.
public officials have been true to the
responsibilities entrusted to their
care.
1.-THE present time is one of the
most important in the history of the
country. Great questions, the out
growth of the policy that has been
pursued during the past, must now be
met and solved by the people. The
present conditions are not the result
of day. Evil has crept into our
National system because, for a long
period of years the people have been
more or less Indifferent to the affairs
of the country. Nothing today is
more vital to the welfare of the state
and nation than that every citizen
should be brought to realize the ne
cessity of making a personal and in
dependent study of the important
questions that are presenting them
selves for solution. 1t is not new
laws that this country is so much in
need of as it is the fixing in the mind
of every man the necessity of taking
a personal interest in the affairs of
their city, state, and nation, in order
that those who are entrusted with the
making and enforcing of the laws
may be held to the rigid fulfllment
of their duties.
1.-THE exposure of graft and corrup-
ton in the large cities the last few
years has done much to create doubt
as to the future of our institutions.
A few men have forgotten the obliga-
ton of public office entrusted to
their keeping and have used the Of |
fee for their own benefit. 1t would |
seem, in some instances, that civic |
pride had died in the American heart, |
that the principles for which the
blood of our fore fathers was sired |
are no longer held sacred.
eff in the future municipalities |
deem it advisable to acquire the local I
public utilities, and if the operation of |
these utilities by the municipality e |