Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19

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I was madly in love and wanted to
marry. E. w. Keyes, postmaster at
Madison and the Republican boss Of
the state, said 1 couldn't have the
nomination"
What happened?"
AZ hitched up my old Morgan mara.
Say, bred her daughter, and now have .
two of her granddaughters, and money
couldn't buy either of them. She lived
until she was "a years old, and was al
ways ready for a quick trip or heavy
load. Well, hitched her to borrowed
buggy with borrowed harness and ,
made house-to-house canvass. I was
nominated and elected. I agreed to
run the office without an assistant, and
kept my word. More men were con-
victed and sent to the petitentiary than
ever before in the same length of time.
But worked so hard that tainted at
my desk. 1 was reelected without
much effort, my private practice grew,
and for the first time in my life was
prosperous
How much money did you have
when you were married?"
Not much; not any. But had $500 a
year. Little by little 1 bought a library
and furnished my home. We would save
and get table or chair. And how
pleased we were. Go and look at it
you know, a hundred times a day.
Stand it in different places and cover
1T at night when we went to bed. Per-
sons who have not furnished house in
that way, those who have everything
given them, or can buy 1t in a lump
can't appreciate the full measure of
human JOY"
you were nominated for congress
when you were 29 years old, the poIiti-
clans still being against you. BY what
methods did you beat them?"
Again 1 went from house to house.
A college friend, whom loved, he was
afterWard my law partner, canvassed
the second largest county in the dis
trict in the same way. The bosses
hooted at me, saying L was an up
start and all that sort Of thing. New
ertheless, I was nominated and elected.
began my service In the house of
representatives during December, 1885,
and remained six years"
Did you do any talking?"
Not at first. When the Mills tariff
Dill was being discussed, John G.. Car
Isle furiously and ably attacked the
protective system. Thomas B. Reed
also delivered set speech, but made
no attempt to reply to Carlisle. I went
to him and Mckinley and told them IL
carlisle were not answered should
have some trouble in my district. We'll.
answer him YOURSELF Mckinley said.
l.
onload of books, locked myself UP and
prepared speech. Reed was speaker
of the next congress and put me on the
WaVS and means committee. 1 helped
to write the Mckinley bill, and at the
following election bit the dust with
scores of others. 1 hadn't money to pay
my bills and not even enough for the
railway fare of my wife and little
daughter to Wisconsin. Accordingly. I
went back to Madison alone, took up the
practice of law and soon could square
myself with the world and get my fani-
ly out of Washington"
Six years later you were an unsuc-
cessful candidate for the nomination,
for governor. In the meanwhile what
were you doing?"
Trying lawsuits, and I was success
ful was twice a candidate for gov
ernor before was nominated. Once NV
delegates were bought by the bosses.
But 1 kept at work I made I'D nv.
mind that the voters ought to choose
their candidates for office and not dele
gate that duty to conventions. Citizens
don't vote by proxy on election day.
Logically, they should not nominate by
proxy. That was the issue raised
made speeches whenever I could and
ag1tated the subject constantly. L
added other good things to my plat
form, including state control of the
railroads and just taxation. I never
quit. When believe am right go
on. no mater what occurs"
rs the primary law of Wisconsin sat.
isfactory?"
mo party, no faction Of any party
wants it repealed All nominations. Re-
publican and Democratic. are now made
at the same time by secret ballot. The
candidates of each party then come to-
gether and write a platform There can
be no lodging after that. When we had
conventions candidates often said that
platforms were not binding on them.
That was notoriously the case with the
members of the legislature. Now a
candidate for nomination is compelled
to go before the peop'e and tell what
he stands for personally, and he must
embody his view in the platform which
follows, or meet disaster at the polls.''