Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-09-23
THE PLATFORM CONVENTION.

Inc PLATFORM conventions OF the
several political parties of Wiscon-
sin were held in Madison last Tues
day and Wednesday, to formulate
pledges of policy upon which to go
before the people for support in the
present campaign. The work of the
Prohibition and Social-Democrat con-
ventions was purely perfunctory,
their platforms having been prepared
in advance by their central organiza-
tions, but those Of the Republicans
and Democrats were different. The
candidates for governor upon both of
them are strong conservatives, while
the candidates for u. S. Senator
upon each are equally as strong pro-
gressives, and The remainder of the
tickets are somewhat mixed for
other state officers. The contending
factions were each determined, if
possible, to make the wording Of the
platform fit the views they favored
and the result was a compromise not
entirely satisfactory to either side.
Mr.. Philip, as the republican
party's candidate for governor, came
before the convention with a state
ment of his position, in the interest
of harmony and getting together for
the party, instead of presenting a
minority report and carrying the fight
TO the convention floor, after being
defeated in what he desired from the
resolutions committee, thus paving
the way to better feeling among all
factions
Immediately following the majority
report he took the floor and made the
following statement:
''As a member of your committee
on resolutions, voted for the plat
form that is submitted to you by
your chairman. The platform, how
ever, does not cover all the subjects
that l wished to submit to you l
offered a resolution which declared
for party conventions. Your COM
mittee rejected it. | want TO state,
for the purpose of the record and for
the benefit of the public, that upon
that subject, / still adhere to the
provisions of the platform of the
convention that nominated me on
June %.
In my primary campaign urged
the people of the state to vote
against several constitutional amend
ments that will be submitted to the
vote of the people in November.
The plank In my primary platform
declared against the initiative, ref
'erendum and recall and the amend
ments affecting the insurance depart
ment which, if adopted, will permit
the state of Wisconsin to engage in
the insurance business and permit
that department to involve the state
IN debt. | offered my platform upon
these questions to your committee on
resolutions, which rejected them. l
wish to state publicly and for the
purpose of the record, that my at
titude upon these questions has been
in no wise changed and that l shall
continue my campaign against the
adoption of these amendments. Of
the amendments that will be offered
l approve of the one which recognizer
the right of the people to home rule
IN matters of local concern and |
pledge myself to urge its adoption. +"
Time was when the platform of a
party was made first and the candi-
date afterward chosen must be in ac-
cord Herewith and flight it out on
that lIne," but in these modern days
of advanced" political ideas and
grOtesque methods of platform max
ing. clever manipulating may compel
a man who has won his nomination
upon platform of one kind to run
for election upon another kind, a
very uncertain method of doing bust
ness.