Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-16
Madison Matters.

| Especial Correspondence of THE HERALD)
In starting out this week, let me ask
to make correction, due TO Senator
Kidd. in regard to his action on the
Science Hall bill. Senator Kidd is men,
toned as the champion of the entire
| bill, which is a mistake, evidently
misleading of Senator Hudd'S name,
who, with Senator Jonas, was the most
conspicuous champion of the entire bill.
Senator Kidd opposed the part relating
| to the gymnasium, on the ground that
| it was not economical to construct
gymnasium at the present session when
the University has asked for a Science
Hall, machine shops and apparatus.
We should have mentioned last week
the lively debate which took place on
| Friday evening, April 3, over the bill
| to provide for the establishment of
station to experiment in the production
of sorghum and sugar. The bill has
| been faithfully lobbied by Mr. Williams,
of narrow-gauge railroad fame in Grant
| county. Senator James championcd it
by producing many plausible argu-
ments concerning the future profitable
development of Wisconsin as a sugar
state. He was seconded by Senators
Comstock, Reed, Ginty and Ring. Sem
ator Kidd forcibly opposed the bill, as
it would involve the state in an expense
of about $4,000; and this session had
| been marked by too many demands
upon the state treasury. He was sus-
tanned by Senators Jonas, Wiley, Nc
| Donald and Ware. '.The committee on
claims had recommended its indefinite
postponement, but Senator James made
strong effort to defeat that PROPOSE
ton and have the bill passed." says the
State Journal, and adds: ale made
some very plausible and telling points
in its favor. Senator Comstock related
his experience in sorghum raising, which
on the whole had been encouraging and
successful. and he thought the passage
of the bill might prove highly advan-
tageous to our material interests. He
| alluded to the very successful expert
ments of Prof. Swenson in the produc-
ton of sugar from sorghum, upon the
university farm, and to his further sue
cess in Kansas. Senators Ring, Ginty
and Reed also favored the bill. Sena-
tors Kidd, Jonas, Wiley, Mcdonald and
Ware opposed the bill, the latter sena-
tor clinching the argument against it
by abiding to the large number of APP
preparations which had been made at
this session. This bill, if passed, would
involve in the end an expenditure of
$4,000 in an experiment, the success
of which was very problematical, and
he minated very strongly that it was
simply job put up to help out a pair
of bankrupt individuals. If the bust
ness could be made as profitable as was
| claimed by some of the senators, it
would need no aid from the state and
it should be left to stand upon its own
merits, particularly while the legislature
had found so many other and more
legitimate ways of using the public
treasure. The bill was defeated two to
one.'' The bill sought to establish the
farm of Messrs. Williams and Flynn as
an agricultural station for experiments
in sugar and tobacco-raislng.
Mr.. Reed made motion to recon-
slider the vote by which Mr.. Wares
resolution for recalling from the gov
! ernor the one-mill tax bill, was laid on
the table. President Minor ruled that
it would require a two-thirds vote to
effect that purpose, but the senator
thought differently and appealed from
the ruling of the chair. The ruling was
sustained by vote of IS to 10. Sena-
tor Ware afterwards attempted to ac-
complish the same purpose by the intro
| duction of new resolution calling for
the return of the bill, but this brought
on motions to adjourn, for call of the
house, to suspend the call and other
| filibustering tactics, amidst which the
senate adjourned.
The numerous bills to appropriate
sums OF money to the persons injured
and to the families of those killed by
the falling of the south wing of the
capitol have been suspended indefinite
ly. These bills have aroused much
sympathy for those persons, but the
committees and both houses have been
of the opinion that the state was not re-
| sponsibie for the disaster of November
8, 1888.
Two new counties are created. For
est county was made from parts of Lam
glade, Lincoln and Oconto; but the
| name was afterwards changed to and is
| now Fairchild county Oneida county
was also made from a part Of Lincoln
county, so that Lincoln county
| now has but twenty-five towns instead
of the ninety she had at the beginning
of the legislature.
The contractors who had charge of
the construction of the south wing of
the capitol have been allowed 81, 900
for extra work. They also had a bill
introduced to appropriate $4,000 to
them for losses sustained at the time of
the crash, claiming that the state archi-
tect was at fault, but the bill was killed.
Last Monday, Hon Z. d. Coe re-
ceiyed an anonymous letter. evidently
written by one of the young ladies who
had been discharged from the clerks
force three days before. The letter
threatened Mr.. Coe in strong terms; but
from reading il, one can hardly tell