THE REAL POWER IN STATE G. O. P.
The Real Power in State G. O. P. [From the HOKAH (Minn.) CHIEF] GULLICKSON and some others made the speeches and got the publicity, but the real power in Republican politics in Wisconsin never...
...The genial and convivial governor thinks it would be more like it to put the finger on the boys, keep most of the swag for the help of the state tickvt and send a small percentage to national headquarters for use in other states...
...Behind the scenes at the convention—and at all other times—it's "What does 'Pont' think...
...Those guys are beer sports," complained one bartender, who insists the New Dealers an: prone to loosen up more when in convention assembled...
...AND among his many accomplishments' tls said the governor demonstrated that he knows what goes on behind as well as in front of a bar...
...And "Pont" is the real handler of the state Republican campaign fund...
...And La Crosse saloon-keepers who, expecting big business when the political horde descended, hired extra barkeepers, were, in the main disappointed...
...And there was much talk during the convention about who was responsible for the development of Chairman Gullickson...
...And this young man "Pont" is quite a fellow, politically, and in many other ways...
...The party was a great success—especially m view of the fact that the governor paid for all he shook up and served...
...One evening of the convention His Excellency strolled in, owlishly observed the sweating antics of an overworked young bartender, briskly ordered him to step aside, peeled his coat, rolled up his sleeves, stepped behind the mahoganv and proceeded to dish up himself...
...But "drys" who look hopefully to the Republican party as a means to returning to the arid days when prohibition agents were prowling around your cellar, don't see much hope in Wisconsin while Heil is in...
...And some of the boys whom Don Gordon got to kick in to defray convention expense are still wondering where Don steered the delegates for entertainment...
...He's the boy who quietly ducks back and forth across Wisconsin, slipping into this office and that, wringing substantial contributions from normally tight-fisted manufacturers and industrialists who see in a return to power for the Grand Old Party relief from some of the New Dcalish program that has strengthened organized labor and cut corporate profits...
...CHIEF] GULLICKSON and some others made the speeches and got the publicity, but the real power in Republican politics in Wisconsin never showed publicly, at the recent GOP state convention in La Crosse...
...The Linker hotel buffet was a favorite gathering place for convention delegates...
...But the Republic ;uis fixed rwi\ thine up at I,a Crosse—all they gut now is corral enough vot>^ to stay In office...
...He just isn't built that way...
...He's brilliant, likeable, a swell speech maker—when he speaks —and has the real contacts "back east" where most of the Wisconsin Republican strategy is worked out...
...And they say the chunks of good old "dough'' Pierpont has ,taken from Wisconsin and shipped to the Republican national committee makes the regular state candidates groan for the Republican national committee slips back but a small percentage of the "take" to help the state ticket...
...or "We can't do anything until Pont okays it," etc., etc...
...The directing brain of the regular Republicans is Pierpont Wood, Janesville, Republican national committeeman, and what he says to the puppets he permits to parade in public goes...
...Finally it was pretty w, agreed that La Crosse's own Don Gordon was th...
...real discoverer...
...EVEN "Julius the Just" Heil put up a squawk on that, system duriirg the convention...
Vol. 10 • March 1940 • No. 12
