The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-30

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Wisconsin, has Just enjoyed. for the nrsl
time IN tueuty years, the luxury Of . Dem
ocratie legislsturs. Like those who IN
other states indulged IN the same mad
freak, the Wisconsin Republicans who
were recalcitrant last fall, and contributed
to this result, hare already Tued il, and BE-
GIN to realize that IL vas easisr to tall into
the pit than II viii b to extricaxs them
selves from It.
This Democratic legislature commenced
its session with bIare Of trumpets pledg-
. ing economy and retrenchment. II retires
led By > penny whistle for which the tax
payers viii have to pay most extravagant-
". II went in with . salvo Of Honesty
and reform" professions. It goes out to
the tune Of the "Rogue's March" with
stentorian chorus by . deceived and N
outraged people.
One Of the slogans by which the Demo-
Gratis secured control vas m Outcry against
Republican extrayagance in the creation
Of unnecessary Offices. None Of these have
been molested, except to Gil them with
Democrats, and the list e longsr than ever
before. They promised 70 abolish the state
treasury agency, the state veterinarian,
the food and dairy commission, the farm
ers' institutes and the charities board. All
failed except the last, which is to be sue
ceeded BY new board composed Of Dem
ocrsts.
Il passed, however. . Law giving public
funds to support dependent children IN
sectarian schools, which law explicitly de-
mics to the public authorities control over
such schools. It refused proper appro-
priations for many state institutions. It
cut down the appropriation for represen-
tation Of the state at the Worlds fair to
. sum 20 nisgardly that one Of the states
commissioners has resigned in disgust
and others are disposed TO do the Same.
Nevertheless the total appropriation
not including $l4 900 for expenses Of the
board Of control, or $4,000 for legislative
expenses-amount to 1881, 1859, against
$780,, S58.06 by the Republicans whose al
legged extravagencs the Democrats had 30
vociferously condemned, and had gained
power by doing so.
There was one thing that this model leg
islature did not forget or neglect. It made
an apportionment Of the state for congress
sional and legislative purposes which puts
all previous gerrymandering in any Of the
states to utter shame and confusion.
There Is 'spromiscuousness" about it
which nothing but statewide earthquake
or Democratic gerrymander could effect.
Here = where the Republicans who went
wild last fall viii find the difficulty Of cor
recting their error. II would have been
easy enough - the districts stood or on .
fair superintendent, to have corrected the
evils of their Whimsical pet. But Repub-
lican stronghoids have been carved,
pitched and tossed on the one hand, and
consolidated on the other, until it win No
quire moro than an ordinary reaction to
restore them to power. There u, however.
room for reasonable hope that this legis-
lature has been 20 false to its pledges and
so outrageous in its proceedings that there
viii be enough Of decent and disguised
Democrats to help the Republicans out Of
the dilemma into which members Of their
own party brought them. and from which
these latter do not deserve to be extricated.
Wisconsin Republicans, along with
those of Michigan, illinois, Iowa, Mime
sofa, Nebraska and Kansas have been
taught the lesson that in politics there u
nothing so safe ~ to stick to their colors.
It u TO Be hoped they will heed 1t.