River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-05-02
MADISON LETTER.
A Backward Look and Look Forward.
Representatives in the Legislature
Whom Do They Represent?

I
TO serve the people find il more profit
| able TO serve other masters and tn,
people, who pay the bills and stant
| the brunt OF evil legislation, have los
confidence IN their agents, and fee
safer when they are at home, aili
their power for evil is at an end
When Boss Wall sat in the man
| ayers chairand directed the Legislation
of the state there was a protest al
over the state, which resulted in tn,
election of legislature of which
much better things were expected
1t is doubtful if the change wa
satisfactory co the average either
who voted for the change. The center
of power and influence was simpl,
shifted from the shoulders of Bos
Wall to those of the corporation
attorneys and the Milwaukee Brewers
| Association. The responsibility ant
shame have been transferred from
| the Democratic party TO the Republi
can party, and it must answer for i
at the next election. There are mani
good Republicans who fear that the
verdict of the people will be that Thu
party has been found wanting
Where will they then turn for al
| organization through which they may
make their wishes known, with an,
| degree of certainty that such wishe
will be carried out in a spirit of homo
and loyalty by the representative
whom they may select? There is M
| possibility that any party outside o
the two great parties will deyelol
sufficient strength to elect a majority
of the legislature. There is a grea1
probability that the detection of dis
gusted Republicans may throw tn,
power back into Democratic hands
without betterment of the situation
or cure of the evils. There is one
other way in which the voters MAJ
secure honest and honorable repre-
sentatives by electing men of theil
| own, or any party, who have eithe
proven themselves honorable by
service i'm the legislature, or who are
of such known character and PROFIT,
as to warrant that they will represent
their constituents rather than tn,
railroads and brewing companies
after they shall have reached Madison
OF the one hundred members of the
Assembly at this last session there
were between thirty and forty whC
merited the name of representative
of the people. The rest either repre-
sented the lobby, or were so set upoT
engineering schemes, jobs and local
bills that they traded their vote:
upon questions affecting the whole
people for votes in favor of theiI
personal and private schemes. Thus
we see votes given against the bill tC
protect the veterans in the Milwaukee
Soldiers Home from robbery, death
and rruption-traded for votes in
favor of a Normal School at a certain
point. This was probably the worst
trading that was done-Swappine
murder and debauchery for higher
education-but there was a great
deal of such swapping, all to the
manifest hurt of the people at large
for the benefit of individuals, localities
and corporations. Itmay be said fOl
the credit of Pierce counJy-s repre-
sentatiyes, Mr.. Lord in the Assembly
and Mr.. WoodwOrth in the Senate,
that their votes were always cast in
the interest of the general welfare OF
the people. 1t is true that Pierce
county had no particular axe TO grind
but il is very certain, from the record
these men made, that they held to the
broad truth that the hundred and
thirty members are elected to legislate
for the whole state, and not for the
one hundred and thirty localities from
which they may happen e. hail. When
the entire legislature, or working
majority of it, holds this opinion, the
days of the lobbyist are mum bered.
There were two bills killed last
winter which will not stay killed.
The one is woman suffrage, the other
the abolition of the pass. Both these
questions came up in the form OF
amendments to the Constitution
They were both defeated b. the same
influence-the railroad lobby. The
Milwaukee Brewers Association were
interested in killing the former
because woman suffrage means less
saloons in Wisconsin, and less saloons
means curtailed sales of beer. So the
beer lobby called on the railroad lobby
for help, and the submission was
denied. The anti-pass amendment
was likewise and in like manner
killed. The railroad lobbyists claim
that they wish to have the pass
business done away with; but they do
not. They do not wish TO grant
passes to the public, but they do not
want any amendment that Will forbid
legislators, judges and state officer:
accepting them. They are in favor OF
law that will compel" them tc
give passes to the above classes as a
part of their pay" For, Just SC
long as members and other officers
travel on passes, however they may
be obtained, so long will the interests
of the railroads be paramount to the
interest of the public. But they dc
not want a straight amendment, OF
law, calling of this cheap and sure
means OF corruption. The amend
ment was not submitted. The
peoples servants" were afraid tC
trust their constituents to vote on
the question. Those districts which
sent the men who distrusted theil
masters may take hand in settling
| the question two years from now by
settling the members at home
Pierce county will not have to call Its
memb ers TO account.
The official statement of the eX
penses of the legislature for clerks
messengers, etc, shows that II
required 23S people to wait on the 13d
members, and that il cost the state
| S54, 464. 7S to pay this force. Every
mem Der knows that the work could bt
done with one-half the number OF
employees, and at one-third the ex
pense: but as each member is besiegec
| by at least Two hundred applicants fol-
places. il is little wonder that he puts
| one out of each hundred to work
The only wonder is that he does not
nut on four or five attendants fOl
| each member. At the rate of pro
| erosion in this direction made during
| the past ten years it will not b,
surprising if there are ten employees
| to each member at the session of 1901
| The history of this session, as O
| every session, proves the wisdom O
SO ding the best men to the legisla
| tIre and of keeping them there /
| they prove faithful. Dunn county i
reaping the benefit of this course o
| action. Mr.. Hall is an acknowledged
| leader. and while the lobby and TIN
| combinations were able to defeat hin
| this session, there is no doubt IN
returns To his constituents Stronge
than ever, and that he viii be re
turned on the strength Of his recorI
and eventually carry his point. Fo
first termer" Mr.. Lord made al
enyiable record. His votes wer
always in the interest of sound anS
honest legislation, and were Away
right. He watched the course 0
legislation so closely that he knew Tn
matter and intent of every genera
bill, and if there were any jobs in TIN
special and local bills he knew 1t, an
voted TO kill them. If the Republi
cans of Pierce county consult thei
best interests they viii returl
Freeman Lord two years from now
ond his nreSant pxperience will full