Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-12

cond administration with a futil at
tempt TO initiate the big Bull Moose,
the grand past master of the big stick
Such an attempt to WELD an autocrat-
ic power can be justified only when it
is done in the INTEREST OF THE
PEOPLE. Governor McGoyern did not
exercise such a power in the interest
of the people; he made this rash and
raw attempt in the interest only
of himself and his meager Bull Mooss
following.
On a charge OF undue political &C
tivity he gave State Insurance Com
missioner Ekern notice about nine O.
cock in the morning of last January
| 6, that he would be given until shortly
tefore noon of that day, opportunity
I to show why he should not be dis
missed from office. To show why,
| it was quite essential that Mr. Ekern
| get together his own witnesses At
| six minutes to twelve O'Clock the
/ hearing was interrupted, before sever
al of Mr.. Ekern's most important wit
nesses had been able to testify, by
| the Governor order that Mr. Ekern
was dismi Used from office. This is
/ what Governor McGovern calls Justice
| Such a conception of justice by a Gov
ernor of Wisconsin can only be a
source of humiliation and regret to
/ the proud and justice-loving citizens
of this state.
| The simple fact is the Governor
was playing politics and he was pres
eG for time He was afraid of the
clock. Six minutes to twalve;-at
twelve o'clock the legislature would
be in session and with the Iegisla-
ture in session the Governor could
! not remove the insurance commi ssion
er without the consent Of the senate.
So he fired him; fired him because
he did not dare submit his case eth
er to full trial with Mr.. Ekern's wit
nesses testifying or to the senate of
the state for review. 1t is a long
time since this state has witnessed
such an attempt to play cheap and I'm
worthy politics.
Added to this when Mr. Ekern bat
thing for his rights and the states
rights, refused to surrender his of
flee under such an obviously unfair
mandate the Governor directed the
superintendent of public properties tc
seize the insurance commi ssioner's
office by force. The Governor order
ed the use of the ak in the capitol
of Wisconsin,; the Bull Moose, indeed
was loose. But there were courts in
Wisconsin and the courts stepped in.
Aside from all this humiliating
spectacle the Intelligent voter sees il
! Nh Ekern the ablest insurance COM
missioner Wisconsin ever had and
they see in Governor McGovern an
executive trying by force to deprive
the people of Wisconsin of the ser
vices of this able insurance commits
sioner, that he, the Governor, might
build up here through such sacrifi
) ces a Bull Moose political machine
that would guarantee the advance
) ment of his own political fortunes.
That's the whole case, outside the
legal scholarship developed in the
courts review of the technical as
poets of the case.-Madis State
Journal.
We reproduce the above editorial
from the Madison State Journal, a
daily newspaper, that is one of the
y leading Progressive Republican news
papers of the State. 1t reviews the
Ekern case exactly and expresses tht
, sentiment of all fair minded repubi-
; cans of all factions. The Governor
is playing politics with the United
/ States Senatorship as his desired
! goal. In this he will fail The peo-
pie see too plainly what he is after.
) When the women get after him in
dead earnest, then the prohibit onista
: and temperance people, with the Sta
wart and Progressive Republicans at
: ter his scalp, there will only be a few
Bull Moses to come to his rescue.
Mack you can't fool the people with
such tactics They read between the
lines.