, 1874-08-24
WISCONSIN,.
The Reform Movement and
the Railway Question.
WAC Arc Responsible for Tho Enact
mcnt Of tho Potter Law?
No Desire on tho Part Of the Reform
ers to Damage the Railroads.

No Desire on tho Part Of the Reform
ers to Damage The Railroads.
The 'Rnilway-Issue in tho Ap~
pronclllng Election.
Correspondence Of Tic Chicaqu Tribune.
MILWAUKEE, Aug. %, 1a14.
Wien tho State officers elected by the Reform
party were inaugnratod. nt the beginning Of Tho
year, tho leading politicians of aGaliaon seemed
~howildorod and amazed. .rhoy had confidently
'oxpGctod that Washburn would 10 continued In
Office. Even, Democrats at. tho Capital Of tho
State had woIkol to hayp Washbnrn placed at
tho head OF the Reform ticket. It WAS imposs-
ble, they gald, to beat him. Nhen tho leaders of
tho Keform moyemont Hclcctcd'a platu and IT'LL
pretending farmor for the head of their ticket,
the corrupt Madison lsogcncy, composed about
oqunlly Of Democrats aud Republicans. laugh-
cd at tito very idea Of his election. Aftor tho
Inauguration Of tito Goyornor-olcct. these sa,ne
politicians concluded TINT thoy would tako pos
aosBlon OF 1ls Excollency md run hin In tho
interest Of their private schon,os. Coy. Taylor
proved to be worry tongh-wlIcd man. As d
fncctious Rerormor Expressed 1t, "IIe STOOD fl
two acres Of boots. aud all tho politicians III the
State couldn't trip him up." l1o nlado bis own
appointments, and proceeded in hia own way:
His mcsaago-ono OF tho best thu! over omanatoil
from State Executivo-waa not wholly written
BY hmGelf, got 1t contained only Ills own ijcas.
To tho principles cuuncIatcd III tho platform Of
tho '1loforrn rnrty. and to tho idcns OF his mcs-
sage, ho has ronlaiucl stcadfastly true, 1Io has
: p!owed hts own furrow md driven his own team.
TIE orMEn srArE OFFICIALS
hare been equally true to the movement that
placed then1 unexpectedly in power. The "war-
horse" Dcmocrnts, who nsolcntly claimed tho
victory MS t6eir own, wore rcpelled, and their
ptetouHlons woro ignored. "Ol1-luera" wcro
Urged upon tho attention Of tho Stato officers
for appointments on account Of long fidelity to
tive pa,ty." They responded TINT there could
BIO no question Of fidelity to party no longor
in existence. ignoring MI auch considerations,
they selected their clerks and ussstatits wthso}o
roicrcnco to tho efficiency and economy Of tho
service. Titus fur they hare performed their
dutica we'll, and arc entitled to tho gratitude Of
tho peopio OF WISCONSIN. All Of them arc geu-
tlomen us ability, und not one Of thcm is con-
epieuous ua politician.
THE STATE IE1isLATUnE.
Wien the Representatives elected Dy tho peo-
pie assembled ut Madison, thero was n aharp
struggle between tho loado,s Of tho "tock-
rootod" Democracy, and tho genuine leaders Of
tho Reform faoycment to sccuro tie asccntoncy
III the organization Of tho Assembly. Tho Son-
ato was still Republican, by one majority In tho
Assembly there WAS large majority Of ncforn-
era. This division Of political sentiment was not
only unfortunate for tho Reform movement. but
also couspicuousty detrimental to the public ILL
forest. A gamo Of legislative oucllre was imme-
diatoy commenced. The staao played for was
thsz publics favor,
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
Eyory member Of tho Legislature seemed to
be under tho ,mp,ession that nil In Ind to do iu
order to reach tho acmo Of any politicians a,1,-
! bitton WIS to Eet in bill giving tho rnilways
particular fits" The RcpublicanH who lad
done nothing, during tho twonty snars OF their
asceuflcncy in tao State, to protect tho poople
against tho determinations and cxtorttonH Of
railway companies. wcle seized with suddon
zeal to otlt-11erod tic lcforlncls in measures
1evelcd at tho corporations. The railway-lobbY.
their own way at Madison, suddenly aud uncx-
pectediy found Themselves powcilcss. Any,
thing recommended by them sas sure ,los to bo
done. Tho milwaukee, & st. Paul Company
2 had uHed all its influence to clort tlo
anti-Republfcau ticket, and supposed that tho
Reform members would bo like Efatefnl wax in
their hauas, In this they woro foarfnlly dlsap-
pointed. Thoy found, to their chaeri'. tllat tho
to bo.
TIE nEronMEny coSsunyAr1yE.
While tho Rcftrm noihLcfs Of ths Legis|a-
tuYe welc unanimous in maintaining tho piiuc,-
pic that the 6tate has tho right to supervise mud
control corporations of Its own creation, they
were opposed to measures destructive ct or en-
daugerng ono Of the great interests Of
sronsiblo to the people for tho character
Of ra1lway~legisation. On tho contrary, the
Republicans, knowing that sioy. wore RESPONSE
bic only in minor degree, sought 10 cmbalrass
tier opponents by measures plainly outrageous
and vndetivo iii their nat1re Early In the scs-
zion. tho Ncfor1rcrs nlaturcd n measure thut
=" provided for tho appointment Of Hallway Conn.,
misaioness, with power to Investigate tho affairs
aud management Of tha different roads ia tlls
Stale. mud to report faola on which t. hase nec-
i essary lcslelatlon in the future. That measuro
j, fixed. no arbitrary tariff Of rates aud
:. farea. It simply provided thai railways
= tariffs Of juno. 1872. 1t also empowered the
Commissioners TO prevent the companies from
imposing upon tho neoplo extoltionato or dis
eliminating ratcs. Ihat measure. known us tho
8 bill OF the Select Railway Committee. pnssed the
Assembly by M overwhelming majority, although
the leading Republicans voted against It. Tile
Republican Senate promptly and obstinatolY ro-
jected tho bill. ln the neantimo 1t matuicd
bill Of its own. now known Us the Potter net,
pnasca 1t by partisan yoto, adhered to it, aud
refused to adopt any other measure. It huH
bcon said by q leading leformer IN tho S,ato,
that Tho PUtt0r Dill Whe cQncclfE1 III ClltCGI
siu, and born in Republican ini{tuity." Nhetor-
ical as tuo phrase H. 1t 10 nevertheless literally
truo,
WHICH HORN OF TUE DILEMMA?
Tho Roforners felt that they were driven into
corner. Should they ro1ect tho miEclIlovoua
Seuate bill, mud 70 homo to their constituents
without pasAing any measure OF restrictive leg
istation or should they accept Tho Potter bill,
" md tako tho Consequences 1t il u well-hnow1l
fact that certain nopubllcan Senators, WHO woro
opposed tn al restrictive Legislation, votod for
tic dauigned!y-oS aggeratca Potter measure. It
ia also auscopthlo Of positive proof TINT
certau Of theao Republican Sonstors bosought
Rtformols in that branch OF tho Logisia-
;" t,,ro to movo reconsideration after tho
bill had paescd to . third tcntlug Tho Roforn,
Senators, aB el1llf1 in partY-tactlcs aa tAonl-
solves, Of couruo refused. and pcrt,uently told
them to move reconsideration OF thor owl
bill. The Reform leaaers held MI anxious con-
6ultatiQn aud concluded to put tho IQtteg I'LL