Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-03-05
OUR MADISON LETTER.
Railway Legislation Temperance Law
Biennial Sessions.

"I AZ "a Su D. Nu oHc pOe-
s4sses prophetic instinct enough to
tell where the Wisconsin Legislature
% drifting on the railway question
One week more will finish the work
3f the session, and the question which
brew the entire State into excite
ment, which made the farmers a unit
waging war against the extortion
If monopclies. is stlll unsetll,d-
There i no telling where We shall
,)me out IN this conflict. The rail-
rays nave power, and they exert
the most right among the Reform
ers. Their influence is cit in COM
mittees and on the floors of both
houses.
The question, a. | have repeatedly
said, is difficult to settle. Members
approach it with as much temerity as
they wo'd the appalling form OF ghost
in midnight darkness. Itisn won
der they face the question with some
misgivings. 1t is intricate and won
derfully perplexing; but the people
elected them to do their duty; they
solemnly pledged themselves to acquit
themselves like men they knew the
responsibility of the position in ar
raging themselves for the sake of the
people against these almost overpow-
ering corporations, and to raise the
white flag in the face of the enemy,
to quail before the task they were
chosen TO do, will show a cowardice
Of the lowest nature.
There has not been any material
change in the condition of railway
Legislation since last week. The
Senate passed very good bill es-
tablishing uniform rates and pre-
venting discrimination between local.
ties. The Assembly has passed a
commission bill, and establishing
maximum rates. To-iay the Assem-.
oily took up the same bill the Senate
passed last week, bat there was such
a disagreement in relation to it that
the matter was postponed until tomor-
row. This jangle is to be deplored
as it endangers he interests of the
people. They demand a good rail
way Law, one that is praoticsl and
one that will prevent extortionate
rates. Whether they will have such
law may be doubted.
This virlu ! defeat in the Assem-
bly, of the bill giving the people sys
/ TEN OF fair and uniform tariff rates on
railways, showed that the Reformers
were not entirely independent of rail
way influence the defeat of the en-
ploye bills by the same set of Reform
ers showed how completely they play
/ ed into the hands of these monopolies.
/ There is no excuse for their action on
these bills. They cannot yindicate
themselves before the people. They
must stand convicted Of yielding TO
the power and influence Of the mono
poles whose greed and oppression
know M limit A few Of the Reform.
ers voted for the bill, but the mass Of
them followed their leaders and vio-
lated their pledges TO the people.
The Temperance fight is over with,
and the Reformers have the field.
The Graham law has been repealed,
and the Reformers Code oftemperance
morals is in force. The bill is any
thing but easy to understand. The
/ Sunday Clause was put on in the
Senate by the Reformers, to mitigate
somewhat the disgrace in which they
fell in the Assembly. The bill passed
the Senate this morning by a strict
party voto-17 to Ex-senator Quinn
by, Republican, voting with the Re
formers
A Joint Resolution has passed both
branches of the Legislature providing
for biennial sessions Of the Legislative,
the amendment Of the constitution to
carry out the provisions of the bill to
be submitted to the people at the next
general elections. Ms.