Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-22
The Legislature Of 1880.

The twenty third session OF the
Legislature of Wisconsin will con.
vene in the Capitol IN this city, at
noon of Wednesday. 1t is usual to
predict short session, but expert
ence proves that it takes at least ten
weeks to dispose of the routine work,
no matter what its Importance, and
there is no reason to suppose that
the present will prove an exception
to other Legislatures, in this respect.
But that we are to have quiet, bust.
ness-like session, there is no doubt.
The membership il both houses is
fully equal in intelligence aud legis.
lative experience, to the average OF
law-making bodies that have previ.
ously met here; few questions Of gen.
eral Importance will arise TO excite
discussion or outside pressure, or
hinder business. 1t is probable that
slight furry may be raised at the
outset, by the Rock county delega.
ton, who have been elected on that
issue, By introducing and persistently
supporting,a bill for the institution
of capital punishment In this State !;
the quick succession of the Mack,
Baumgarten and Fogarty tragedies
in that county, have created decid.
ed local sentiment in favor of the
hanging penalty for murder in the
first degree, and the members from
Rock will doubtless be backed by
enough others TO make the contest
between the humanitarians and the
advocates of the hangman, a rather
lively one; the defeat of the measure
is however, decidedly probable, though
"Old Rock" may manage to get
through a special law for home use.
The granger element will NO doubt
renew its old warfare upon the pres.
ent legal rate of interest, and the
question will again be aired. The
ADVOCATES of biennialism promise to
be on hand again, but many of those
who voted for the scheme last year,
and are returned again, have changed
their minds, and the annualists do
not appear to be alarmed. The re.
vised statutes of 1878 have been in
operation long enough to call out
numerous efforts to change them, and
reasonably large swarm OF bills
will no doubt be set loose in both
Houses, early in the session. The
logging interests win desire the usual
special legislation, in the conduct of
dams and beoms on our northern
streams and rivers, and, in fact, there
promises to be, Judging from the de-
mands of the country press, reas.
onably large rift of local and special
measures ready for introduction and
the members, new as we'll as old, are
expected to come to town the next
two days, duly laden down with man.
uscript bills, which will tend to rem.
der committee membership some.
thing of bore, and far from sine.
cure.
There is no United States Senator
to elect this year, no unusually great
questions of State import to consid-
err probably only business of the
dryest character to transact, but that
the session will be pleasant one
there appears to be no doubt. The
members who have to make Madison
their home for the next ten weeks,
will find our public hostelries and our
private families ready to receive
them with cordial welcome, and
Madisonians a unit in the endeavor
to so meet and deal with tho honor
able gentlemen who are to be their
guests, as to send them home in
March with the conviction that they
would like to dwell here, in the tents
OF the righteous, forever.-State Jour.
nal.