Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-01-16

tend civil-seryice methods in their various
| departments. There is an evident and a
very general desire for improved and more
buslness-llke methods in conducting city
affairs. 1t lies in your power to encourage
materially, by wise measures, the fur
therance of such reform.
Soldier and Student Vote.
| There is located within this state, es-
| tabhShed and maintained by the general
government, a home for disabled veteran
soldiers. This property is owned by the
| United States, and the right of the in
| mates OF the home to vote has some
/ times been questioned. Our laws should
render impossible any further doubt upon
! this subject. | earnestly recommend that
those inmates of the home, who are citi-
zens of the United States and who shall
have resided one year i'll the state, shall
| be expressly. authorized to vote at the
nearest election precinct. Men who have
| been disabled in the service of this re-
public ought not to be disfranchised upon
any purely technical grounds.
There is also a grave question as to
| the right Of students, otherwise quail
ned, to vote IN the community where the
college or seminary is located at which
they are prosecuting their studies. | see
no good reason why thousands of in
tellgent young men, spending nearly all
OF the year and generally several sue
ceSsive years in educational institutions
to exercise the right of franchise where
| they are obtaining their education. Very
many of them are unable, without an ex-
pendlture which they are unwilling to
to their homes to vote. There would seem
to. be no reason founded in public policy
! why the law should not be so changed
as to authorize such students to vote
! in the city, village or town wherein is
located the institution of learning which
they attend.
The State Board of Control.
The state board of control as now or
gained consists of six members. In case
OF an equal division upon any question
! there is no means of reaching a decision.
| | suggest to you the wisdom of making
| the board to consist of either FIVE or seven
members, that there may be a majority
| decision on all questions.
IL reorganization of the board should
be deemed by you advisable, / commend
to your attention the wisdom Of provid-
! ing either for q woman member of the
! board, or for woman visitor to work
| IN connection with the board In all
| the charitable, reformato and penal in
| SututlonS there are women whose needs
could much better be learned by one of
| their own sex.
An Apportionment Commission.
The present legislative apportionment
is very unsatisfactory in many respects
| What the people demand is an apDor-
tionment based fairly upon population
and territory, regardless of partisan de-
| mandS. l recommend therefore. that
| the Legislature provide for the aDDOint-
ment of a non-partisan commission to
prepare bill to submit to the Legislature
at the earliest possible day
There is growing demand among the
| Judges and others who are interested in
the administration of law, for a rear
rangement of the judicial circuits of
the state. Such a readjustment should
| take into consideration population and
territory, which are little regarded in
the present adjustment The change
should be effected, if at all, without
increasing the number OF circuits.
Forestry.
Measures may come before you bay
ing in view the preservation of the for
eStS of our state. The danger which
threatens not only our OWE state. but
the entire country, through the denuda-
dl ttn, OF our forest lands, is claiming the
attention of people everywhere. There
has been organized in Wisconsin a For
estry association to work in conjunction
with the American Forestry association
IN afouslng more active public interest
in the subject. The claims of these as
soclatlons are deserving of attention.
and doubt not that the measures to
come before you will receive the consid-
eration to which they are entitled
Road Improvement.
The subject Of the Improvement of
country roads is one which should inter-
est every citizen OF the state. 1t is of
special Importance, however, to farmers
and to those living in rural communities
A very active interest is being taken
and measures looking to a systematic
effort to improve the public highways
will probably come before you. The mat
ter Is of so general an interest that T
am assured it will be carefully considered
by yor
Report of Legislation Commission.
At the last session of the Legislature
the governor was authorized to appoint
a commission for the promotion of uni
formity Of legislation III the United
States The commission was apnointad
performed its labor, and its report viii
be submitted to you. [ bespeak for the
report your candid consideration. The
question of uniform legislation is one
which is claiming the attention of the bar
and the legal fraternity throughout the
country.
Labor and Capital.
Notwithstanding the widespread dis
tress which has resulted from industrial
stagnation, our state has been singularly
free from those manifestations of law
lessness which have brought discredit
upon several states. This fact bears
witness to the laW-abiding character of
our citizens. 1t emphasizes, also, the
ing body of the state to watch carefully
and impartially the interests of all
classes of citizens and to enact laws, as
they may become necessary, to meet the
changing industrial conditions, laws
which shall ensure to labor the just and
fair recompense of toll and at the same
time encourage capital in the develop
ment OF our enormous resources.
Blacklisting.
1t has been charged that there has
come to be among corporations employing
large numbers of men system of black |
listing, so called, under which an employer
having a grievance against a former en-
ploye advises or warns other employers
not to give employment to the person |
against whom the grievance exists While |
there may be cases in which incapacity |
or reckless disregard of duty by an en-
ploye, leading to his discharge Oh that
ground, might justify an employer IN
warning. other employers from taking such |
person into their service, or, where an |
employee has betrayed in dishonest |
manner trust. former employer
might be justified in protecting others
DV DrODpr notification. -