Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-02-24
CAPITAL NOTES.
MADISON, February 2lst, 1891.

dawn about the time of adjourn
ment.
Scarcely any progress has yet
been made in disposing of the more
important matters. The three reso-
lutions to amend the Constitution
are still in the incipient stages.
That for biennial sessions has made
slight advance, and, it is thought
the majority favoring it is so large
that it viii be quickly passed when
, reached. That for female suffrage
will be fought over stnbbornly; the
forces for and against it being, it is
said quite evenly balanced; and It's
fate highly predetermined. The pro-
hibitionists confidently aim clear
majority i'll the Assembly, but antic-
ipate severe struggle in the Sen
ate, and admit the result to be doubt
full, although they are hopeful.
Little cry and no wool expresses
the situation relative to proposed
railroad legislation. With almost
every member Qnder obligations to
the railroads for passes furnished on
request to friends by the dozen or
score; the aggregate value of which
at usual rates no man can estimate;
it is hardly to be expected that any
legislation dlstastetul to the rail
roads will be enacted by their bene-
ticiaries. Among the growing evils of
Legislative sessions, none is more IN
becoming or violating than the pass
custom, which has increased in cX-
tent from year to year, until It's cor
rection is considered by many as
among most important public duties
of the hour. As REGULAR y rs the
sessions, each of the railroad compa
MES places in Madison an attorney,
armed with blank passes, which are
supplied to members apparently
without limit, to be filled in with
the names of whoever is suggested
to ride whithersoever they will.
Members having friends whom they
wish to treat to trips to Madison,
Milwaukee, St. Paul, Chicago or the
west, have only to express the wish
to the attorneyrcsident, and the
thing is done. In many instances
it is said members secure passes of
hundreds of dollars value. The
companies ask no questions; exact
no promises, and are apparently no
respecters of persons III dispensing
these favors. A significant fact,
however, is that in every case some
member must make personal appli-
cation to the attorney. If n private
citizen asks the attorney for u pass,
he is respectfully informed that the
favor may be granted, on personal
or written request Of some member.
It is reasonably believed that an nc
count is kept with each member of
passes received, which accounts in
the cases Of many are no doVOt SO
large that their publication Will not
be provoked, 10y any votes Of such
mcmbets on measures affecting rail
roads.
There as some evidence that the
scheme to attach Dane county to the
3D. Congressional District, and take
off Green, viii be successful although
the delegation from the southwest
is a unit in opposition to it. The
trouble seems to he that all districts
are aversc to being associated with
Dane, and that a combination of
other districts may be formed against
the I'd. The only reason advanced
from some counties to association
with Dane is that she's wont to dictate
and to exercise an oyershadowing
influence in the district Of which
she is part. If placed in the third
district, however, there is reason to
hope that harmony will prevail.
OmlnioRS silence is maintained as
to the probable result OF the lnvesu
CATION of the insane hospital, and
the friends of reform BEGIN to fear
that the opposition will be able to
render the labor and expense OF the
committe freitless of Commensurate
improvement.
AssemblymaR Sainbridge, Of La,
Fayette county. hiss introduced a bill
to make Railroad and Insurance
Commissioner elective by the peo-
pie. The central idea Of the bill is
supposed to be to provide State ot1-
GERS enough to insure one 70 each
Congressional District, ana contrib
ntn 70 narinnnv IN State conventions.