Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-06-20
Deep Water Way Law.

The Milwaukee Telegraph in its last
editorial upon the above subject. We
are heartily in accord with the senti
ments therein expressed, especially in
regard to the legislature and the Gov
ernor:
So Frank Flower is not to be Wiscon-
sins commissioner of the deep water
ways. 1t is all right to say sharp,
singing things about Frank and the
lunacy of enacting deep water ways
law, but the law was enacted by the
legal authorities of the state, and the
governor signed the bill It is true 1t
was enacted because Frank Flower is q
hustler and had pull on senators and
representatives. The bill was passed
because Frank Flower and his friends
wanted it passed in order to give a
position to Frank Flower in which
Frank thought he could do the state
good service as we'll as supply himself
with pin-money. There ought not to
be any sneering at Flower. If anybody
is to be condemned condemn the legis-
lature that passed the bill and the
governor who signed it. If the
legislature is indignant over the matter
let it single out Senator Tom Mills, the
father of the bill, and who was its chief
champion, and give HIM a generous
roast over an oven full of hot Goals, but
let Frank Flower alone. The report
that Governor Upham does not propose
to carry out the law by appointing a
commissioner, lacks confirmation, and
undoubtedly is without foundation.
There is really no good excuse for such
action. The governor will be censured
less by appointing a commissioner than
he will if he fails to do so. There are
great many people in Wisconsin who
believe that the deep water ways
scheme is feasible, and that it is only a
question Of time when it will be carried
out. There are some who think that a
man of great energy, ready writer, a
general hustler, might hasten the carry
Flower is ready writer; there are no
he is a hustler and he would not be
deferred from going as far as it is posi-
BILE for human being to 60 because of
Over-modesty, in pushing the enter
prise. It would be in the power of the
governor to restrain his impetuosity in
case he took it into his mind to visit all
of the crowned heads of Europe and
interview them on the subject of deep
waterways, thus running up a fabulous
expense account; we say 1t would be In
the power of the governor to prevent
Mr.. Flower from going into such
extravaganza, consequently the talk
about trips to Europe and great ex-
penses is simply nonsense.
The legitimate expenses of the deep
waterways commissioner ought not to
exceed 81 900 year. If at the end of
two years, or when the legislature meets
in 1897 it is found that the office is of
no earthly good to the state, the legis-
lature could unravel it without much
trouble, and the state would not have
been bankrupted by the expenditure of
S., 800 which it would have paid Mr..
Flower in salary and expenses. During
that time his ready pen and brilliant
mind would have given the state
advertising worth five times as much as
the state would have paid him. There
is scarcely paper in the land, or a
welcome to its columns the best efforts
of Frank Flower. This we have said in
Justice to man who has shown great
capacity as writer, who has made the
state an admirable statistician, and who
had the nerve to take our legislature
and the governor under his arm and
churn them into giving down a law
creating an office, as he and everybody
else supposed, in his interest. We are
not clear that there was warrant for the
law. Probably there was not, but that
is not the question. The legislature
passed the bill; Governor Upham signed
it. 1t would be a two-penny piece Of
business, in order to avoid appointing
Mr.. Flower, to leave the office vacant.
To appoint any other than Mr.. Flower
would create no small sized storm, and
the chances are that the governor would
be the greater sufferer. We really be-
lieve that the incest way out of bad
Job. if you please to call it that, is to
name Mr.. Flower for the position and
let the molasses run-for two years, any
way.
The office which the last legislature
created by passing the "Deep Water
Way" law is wholly useless as far as
practical results are concerned to the
people of the state. The legislature
made a mistake in passing the law and
the Governor was found wanting in
signing it. He is now in an attitude to
be criticised whether he makes the
appointment or not, and justly SO. The
republican party will have many mis-
takes to answer for on account of an