The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-10-17
A Campaign In Quarantine.

JUST W present heHOSld~ county is pass
ing through one Of the unusual things
that just happen in politics. A cam
paign in quarantine is something new
and novel It's sort of in keeping with
the idea that politics is adjourned for
the war, but the politicians who have
been accustomed to make their strong
est stock in trade fearful appeal to
cheering audiences, are going to have
to find a new way to the hearts of the
people. Influenza seems to have put
the knock out blow on campaigning
The state board Of health and city
boards in nearly every community in
Wisconsin have clamped down the lid
on public assemblages. They have
told the people that they must not get
together in public forums to discuss
politics or anything else. They have
laid down this rule so that it is not go
ing to broken and it looks now as if
the quarantine would be strictly main
tanned until some time after the people
of the state have solemnly registered
their will at the ballot boxes on the
first Tuesday in November.
So far as Kenosha county is con-
cerned q campaign in quarantine does
not matter much. Most Of the people
of the city and county are pretty well
acquainted with men who are seeking
to land themselves in county Offices.
They know pretty well the faults as
well as the virtues of these men and
they could decide between the candi-
dates without a great deal of discus
sion of merits or demerits The thrifty
candidate will probably welcome the
campaign in quarantine. 1T is going
to eliminate the necessity of expend-
ing money for bands of music and halls
for public gatherings Of course a
lot of men running for Office of state
and congressional tickets are going to
object strenuously to the maintaining
Of the quarantine. They are going to
seek to have it lifted in order to give
them a chance to blow their political
bugles and beat their political drums.
What these people should do is to let
the people know just where they stand
The important thing in the campaign
has not changed any since the primary
election was held and most of the can
didates told the people Of the county
where they stood before the primary
There is no use of going over the same
grounds again. If the candidates want
to make the announcement that they
have not changed their minds since the
primary was hcSAs~welI and good. They
can make thi$ Ssss2ouncement on the
billboards or If they want to through
the public press The people can be
convinced just as well by the written
word as by the spoken word.
The appeal to the sympathies is not
necessarily part Of any campaign
The fellow who expects to move his
audience with an appeal for personal
sympathy is not entitled to great deal
of consideration anyway. Records are
are things that count now and pretty
nearly every man who is seeking an
Office is on record and what is more
pretty nearly every one who might pos
sibly vote for him has had chance
to know just what this record is All
the talking any of the candidates can
do would not lift a blemish or erase
blur on the record. Right now the
important thing to know about every
candidate is that he stands by our
country. His own personal ambitions
should not be of any interest to the
voters.
The campaign in quarantine is going
to be the first real campaign in which
the people are going to be permitted to
do their own thinking. It's worth
while once in a while to let the people
take the responsibility. To let them
figure out their own course as voter
without having some one influence
them by honeyed words and grand elo-
quent phrases
OF course some of these fellows are
going to be convinced that the nation
is going to the demnition bow vows I'M
less LHey dE5 PCIHlttSu w rd1l cOllC-
one q political liar or political crook.
Most people do not care to hear such
Shings They have made a personal
census of the political liars and the
political crooks and they 90 not need
to be told.
The only thing that is necessary is
for people to see to it that they vote
intelligently. Look up the records of
the men seeking Office. Find out if
they are intelligent enough to hold the
office they seek and If their past rec
ords show that they viii serve the
people Of the county, the state and the
nation honestly and Loyalty. 1t doesn t
matter SO much about what party a
man belongs to as it does what he has
in him and how much Of the stuff he
has in him win be given to the service
of the people. With a national crisis
facing us the thing to look for now is
men and not political parties. After
this is all over these will be plenty
of time for the reorganization of po-
IT,