Bumper in Dairyland
by Tome Ender of the Dane County LP

On February 18th I drove with two others from Madison to Milwaukee to hear Jacob G. "Bumper" Hornberger speaker to the Wisconsin forum. We had a long drive, and a little bit of trouble finding the Milwaukee Athletic Club as it was the first time any of us had attended a Wisconsin Forum meeting. Our trouble was due to our poor planning - it isn't a difficult place to find if one has good directions.

I have heard "Bumper" speak before. In '96 he gave an exceptionally rousing keynote address at the Libertarian Party (LP) National convention. He kicked off a superb list of speakers there. I've also heard him on the radio and have seen him on The Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) videotapes. At the '98 LP National convention he gave another talk in which he attempted to make a special outreach to Hispanic C-Span viewers. In all of these cases he was a very dynamic and spirited speaker. I subscribe to his FFF publication, Freedom Daily, and am never disappointed with it.

The Milwaukee Athletic Club is a very high quality setting for the Wisconsin Forum. The building itself exudes a classical flavor with its polished wood and high ceilings. The valet parking isn't too highly priced and they took good care of my old beat-up van. It all sets a fine atmosphere for a thoughtful talk.

When we arrived people were having drinks, which weren't too outlandishly priced, and talking with each other in small groups throughout the meeting room. Before long we were all seated at dinner table arranged about the room.

The audience was a good company of both Wisconsin Libertarians and others. There were three couple and a friend at my table. Unlike most of the audience, our table was two to one Libertarians. I think the rest of the room was more the other way around, with conservative people in the majority, with a strong minority of libertarians and a sprinkling of "liberals."

After we were seated dinner was served. The food was superb and helped make the occasion more enjoyable. The main course was the best Chicken Cordon Bleu I have ever had with perfectly cooked broccoli and a helping of rice.

After the meal Bob Collison introduced "Bumper". Unlike the speeches I've heard "Bumper" give in the past, this was a quieter and more cozy talk - perhaps adjusted to the size of the audience of about seventy people rather than the several hundred usually at LP conventions. Nonetheless, it was just as persuasive, if not more so. "Bumper" outlined the uncompromising libertarianism that I've come to expect from his talks and writing, rooted in the American heritages of liberty, self-reliance and constitutionally limited government.

He attacked the income tax, the "socialistic welfare state," anti-immigration policies, our government-run and tax financed "public schooling" and other aspects of today's welfare/warfare imperial America. It was pure uncompromising libertarianism and it was very good to hear. He handled a broad field of questions from the audience and seemed to satisfy almost all of them with his answers.

After the talk many of us went to a Milwaukee club and had an even less formal discussion among ourselves and with "Bumper" about bother his prospects for the LP Presidential nomination and the libertarian movement in general. It was a very enjoyable evening. I plan to attend more Wisconsin Forum evens in the future.