Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-08-13

they lack the necessary courage to
take a manly, straight forward course
on the temperance question, and there
for resort to misrepresentation.
The republicans of Wisconsin are I'M
doubtedly going to conduct their can
vass this fall upon Gov Rusk's brill
liant record in putting down the Mil
waukee rebellion. Their candidates
for office whether state. legislative or
county-wiIl think that because their
brave Jerry did his simple duty on one
memorable occasion is a good and
sufficient reason why the people should
place them all in places Of honor and
emolument But if the democrats are
wise they will give them something
more to do than to boast over the vic
tory of Bay View. There are many
questions aside from feats of arms in
which the citizens Of the state are
deeply interested. Not least among
these, perhaps, is the extravaganza of
our legislature. 1t is notorious that
the present legislature, as it is more
republican, has been more eXtrayagant
than any Of its predecessors. This
fact is most plainly manifested in the
item Of legislative or session expenses.
The following is a summary of ex-
penSes made at the close of the last
session in April 1885:
SENATE
Chief Clerks departing ,733 10
Sergeant-at-arms department............. 1881 90
Clerks Of l,ll3 10
s2O,lo7 %
ASSEMBLY.
Chief clerks 50
Sergeant-at-arms department............. $500 %
Clerks of committees 1870 so
ss5473 90
RECAPITULATIOE.
senate ,lO7 %
Assembly D. 73 90
Clerks OF Joint comm ................ I29 50
Grand total $4,000 30
The above items are for employees
alone who, by the way, We're paid for
ninety days though the session lasted
but eighty-nine. There are many di-
rect expenses entaiIed by the state, in
consequence of a legislative session,
that do not come under this head
gas, fuel, stationery, wear and tear of
furniture and carpets, blue books and
all sorts of "plunder for members,
extra Watchmen, etc. which will foot
up the cost of maintaining a session to
about $4,000, or nearly $1,000 day.
The amount paid for clerical service
alone will be seen to be enormous.
The fact is that this is the result of
most Migrant abuse in the appoint
ment of scores upon scores of persons
principally young men to positions
on the pay roll, when they are no
more needed than the fifth wheel to Il
wagon. The members constantly
crowd the chief clerks, who have not
the ability to withstand the pressure,
there being no legal limit to the size
of the force they may employ; the
members want their wives, daughters,
sweethearts, and friends TO have fat
places at 50 day, and a chief clerk
who could successfully resist the i'm
portunity of the men who elected
them to their positions would be more
than mortal. The result is that the
members of the legislature whom Il
sense of personal pride should keep
from pressing members of their fami-
lies on the state pay roll, have relatives
i'll every department sons and neph-
ews as messengers, and women rela-
ives and friends as copyists. These
same men stand in their places upon
the floor and descant Indignantly
against the extravaganza which oh
tains iii our state institutions, and re
ligiouSly vote against what they de
nominate as - steals" yet they them
selves set a very bad example by sup
porting one of the most outrageous
steals to be found within the official
circles of the commonwealth. The
most expensive and eXtrayagant inSti-
tuition in Wisconsin is the legislature
itself; it needs reforming more than
any other. 1t is true that the business
of the Legislature should be conducted
on business principles.
For this fragrant waste of the peo-
Pies money the republican ma iority in
the legislature is directly responsible;
as the matter of expense was all under
republican control and all of the en-
ployes We're republicans, save and ex-
cept one solitary disguised prohibition
list. Voters should consider we'll the
showing presented above before voting
for republican Legislative candidates
this fail, If a republican legislature is
elected this fall, this extravaganza viii
go unrebuked, and the session to bt
held next winter may be expected to bt
even more eXtrayagant than the session
of 1885.