Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-27
KILL COUNTY LINES
LEGISLATORS WILL PROCEED TO
DO 1T.
TIP FROM THE EXECUTIVE
Governor Said to Have Concluded That
County Autonomy Is not Sacred-At-
torney General Clear on the Cues
tion-Legislature Adjourns- New
Committee at Work.
Madison. February %.

Madison, February %
All the work Of the legislature so
far has been labor lost. At least this
is true as far as the bill providing for
the senate districts is concerned. At
torney General w. II. Mylrea arrived
in the city last night ard after confer
ring with Governor Upham it was an
nounced from the executive chamber
that, having studied the bill, Mr.. Myl-
rea has decided that it is unconStitu-
tional and that the governor on his ad-
vice would veto it should it be passed
by the legislature. This was a
victory for the opponents of the bill
as the news spread among the mem
bers, and they at once decided that
there was no course except to pass a
new BILL or let the present law stand
This news was quickly passed around
among the members and an adjourn
ment was Immediately decided upon
until Tuesday night at s o'clock. The
formal motion to this effect was made
in the assembly chamber by Mr. d. O.
Mahoney, and when it was made AS
semblyman De Croft asked if the con-
ference committee knew any more now
than it did during the day when the
members had supported the bill. The
reply was in the affirmative
The attorney generals decision
means the drawing of a bill with
broken county lines, as that is the only
way in which the measure can be
changed which will make the districts
as nearly alike as possible in popula.
ton, and his is what the opinion Of
the attorney general means. In Other
words it is that the population unit
must be protected rather than county
lines. The new bill will probably in.
clude a wide wrecking of county lines
in an endeavOr all around to obtain
equality of population. Senator
Spensley wants a division of Gran
county, but Senator Baxter, represent
/ ing that county, fatty declares that ht
will beat that plan even if the exist
ing apportionment has to stand The
bill that will be born when the solon
/ again get at work will possibly be new
from BelOit to Bayfield,, and from Mil
waukee to the Mississippi. Assembly
districts may be freely ripped asunde
! in view of the changed circumstance
(but this is not likely. and the reor
/ ganiZatiOn Of senate districts will pro
. ceed on a basis so new that not ever
a Roentgen ray could discover it's re
/ semblance to the measure over which
a weeks caterwauling has occurred
/ Not on your shadow
At the meeting of the apportionmen
committee held last night, Senators
Stout, Weeks and Thayer and AS
semblymen Treat, Ray, Rosenkrani
/ and O'Neill were appointed a sub-com
mittee to draft a new apportiOnmen
bill. They commenced at once anC
will probably remain in session unit
/ Tuesday
In an interview last night after tht
! session, Attorney General Mylrea wa
wary, and declared he had not said tn
/ senate bill as drawn was unconstitu
tional. What [ did say" said Mr.
Mylrea, was that a bill which VIC
lated the proximate limit rule, was un
CONSTITUTIONAL; that is to say, the dis
tricts must have as near an equal pop
ulatiOn as possible. County lines
should be broken rather than violate
this rule. l never saw the bill and sc
could not have possibly called it I'm,
constitutional" The prescription here
! given by. Mr. Mylrea, however, fits the
alleged flaws in the old senate bill sc
thoroughly that he might quite as vel
/ have said that bill was meant.