Year: 1877

road managers, while an indignant
side glance is given to certain state
officials. One might almost think that
this intelligent Wis. Granger was
disappointed man; that he had real
~ supposed that the men at whom he
grumbles were expected, honestly to
perform certain acts intended to pro-
mote the public good; and that the
present Governor and the legislature
elected with him, were really friend
~ to the true interests of the people.
But Mr.. "Wisconsin Granger" have
you not made a mistake? Have these
men done anything at which we ought
to complain? Were not the state Off
cials of whom you complain elected
by the votes of s'Wisconsin Grang-
ers,' and was it not well understand
by every Intelligent man in the state
that, II elected, they would do pre-
cisely what they did do, viz: repeal
every law and part of law that the
railroad managers desired to have
changed! Have we then, any lust
ground of complaint against thems
Ii you hire man to SOW your fields
to noxious weeds, would you complain
because you could not harvest wheats
DO you expect bitter spring to send
forth sweet water? OF course not;
neither should we complain Of these
men for doing just what they were
elected to do. If we wish to have Just
and wholesome laws enacted, we must
elect men to do the work and no longer
act like fools and receive the ieers of
our enemies for our folly. The farm
ers of Wisconsin have the govern
mental power of the state in their
own hands, and might exercise that
power II they knew enough. We may
boast of our intelligence, but our enc
mics laugh us to scorn for folly. We
are paying enough in extortionate
freights and fares annually. to build
and equip a railroad from Lake Mich


igan to the Mississippi; and yet, with
the supreme court of this state and of


the United States in our favor, we


meekly surrender the law, our rights.


and our money into the hands Of our


enemies, and then turn and grumble


at them for receiving the gift. Is this


acting the part of wise men, nobly


contending for right and justice?


1t would be amusing, if it was not


disastrous, to see how ready the farm


ing class yield to the shallow argu-


ments of their enemies. If man be-


comes prominent in defence of popu-


lar rights the opposition cry out, she


wants an Office and the very men he


is laboring for will join in the cry; as


II the Offices were reserved for their


enemies; and those who are their


friends must forego all the ordinary


ambitions of the human heart.


The offices have got to be filled; is it


not better therefore they should be


TILED by those who take the side of


the people, rather than by those who


take side of their oppressorsl Sup


pose it to be true that politician es-
pouses the popular cause through


selfish or ambitious motives, is he


any worse than the politician who


takes the side of the rings and corpOr-


atIons for the same motivesa Should


you not encourage even selfish men to
defend your cause, rather than to Ia
Dor for your enemies. A great cor


poratlon does not stop to enquire into
the motives of it's tools; it does not
: expect them to be angels; all it asks is,
care they laboring on our side!" II
they are, itrewards them with money,
,, place and power. Why cannot the peo-
, pie do the same!


; 1t is customary to call the man who
} defends popular rights "a dema-
. gogue.' In the speech of the day
, this means a man who is seeking per-
: sonal advancement through the doc
e trines he breaches. Bnt strange to
say the people never apply the phrase
E to those who are advocating the cause


of their plunderous. And yet every


politician knows that man has ten
, times as much chance of wealth and


preferment if he takes sides against
the people as he has if he defends their
E rights. Why2 Because the people
are thoughtless and Indifferent; while
9 those who live on them are shrewd
! cunning, plotting men, who look ia,


ahead, and pack caucuses and conyen
3 tions to advance their friends, and
{ hire newspapers to break down their


enemies. The man who becomes
prominent in efforts to save the people
from ruin and degradation, must look


forward to abuse, misrepresentation


and the shades Of private life as his


reward.


al It will be difficult TO reform public


affairs in the United States until the
. people break loose from the old par.
4 ties and sustain only the newspapers
8 and public men who are positively and
| unequivocally their friends.