Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-12-09
TINE To RETURN
To LINCOLN IDEAS

Geo. P. Hambrecht Says Re-
publicans Should Awaken to
Gravity of Situation.
The following letter received last
week from George P. Hambrecht of
Grand Rapids, contains so much of
general interest, that with his per
mission, it is printed here in full:
Grand Rapids, Wis, Dec. L, 1909.
Hon. ]. L. Sturtevant,
Wausau, Wis,
Dear Mr.. Sturtevant:
| wish to acknowledge receipt of
marked copy of the Wausau Daily
Record-Herald, of November 9th,
1909, and to thank you for your
courtesy in sending it to me. | read
over your editorial with considerable
interest and / can say amen to all
the sentiments expressed in that edi-
torlal, except possibly your views on
the question of our primary election
law. However, you may be right
even i'm this matter I can see CON
siderable fonce to your argument for
the convention system, but l also
realize that any system of nomina-
tion will be open to some criticism,
and our endeavor should be to aid
hpro to that csvct ON, Wy fcb cffo,,cs tho
fewest temptations to political ma
nipulation, leaving the ultimate
choice for office as near to the peo-
pie as possible. | can see how the
supposed friends of the primary cleo
ton law are attempting to thwart
its fundamental purpose by getting
together as clique of self appoint
ed guardians of the peoples interest
to nominate a slate. [ look upon thl
tendency aus positively dangerous to
our form Of government, because it
lis not representa- in any sense OF
the word. | believe that the pri-
mary election law would work out
all right in the long run if the peo-
Pile would recognize it. as sacred in
stitution, and if the above mentioned
self appointed guardians would ac
cept it's mandate aus final and not
attempt to tinker with it's workings
or question for choice of the people
when once expressed. / look upon
the attempted repudiat ion of the re
suits of the primary election law, by
our last legislature, in so far as it
pertained to the election of United
States senator, as positively disgra &c
full, and it seems almost unbelieve-
able that this reputation should
come from the supposed friends OF
that law If this tendency to per
vert the will of the people is in
dulged in after the people have eX-
pressed themselves at the polls, then
by all means | believe it would be
much safer to return to the dele
gate system where at least the peo-
act for them. So much depends up
on the ultimate workings of the
primary election law that it is hard
to say now, with only one trial Wher'
it was repudiated by it's so-called
friends, whether it will work out to
the ultimate good of the people OR
not The peoples interests and real
representative government must he
sacredly guarded.
Republicans of the state of Wiscon-
sin to awake to the gravity of the
present situatio and to return to the
calm sober principles of Our party
as enunciated and exempliied by
Lincoln A campaign prosecuted
along the lines of sober reason, hon
esty of purpose, and devotion to our
free institutions, correcting errors
where we find them, appealing to
the reason of the electorate and not
to their prejudices, passions or sci
fishness, lis the only safe basis on
which our government can exist. In
the past, the Republican party has
stood for these ideas and its con
tinued success was largely due to
it's adherence to these principles. III
order ito command the continued re
spect Of the people for our party we
should eliminate demagoguary, hero
worship and the excessive use OF
money in politics.
Very truly yours,
GEO. P. Hambrecht.
I-Wausau Daily Record-Herald.
chSRERc SMITH