Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-20
COUNTY LINES TO GO
SENATE DISTRICTS TO BE MADE
REGARDLESS OF THEM.
NEW APPORTlONMENT SURE
Legislative Caucus Formally Votes in
Favor of One-Wholesale Variation
from the Committee Bill a Foregone
COnclusion-SeSsion of Several
Days Seems Certain.
Madison, Feb. Is.

Madison, Feb. Is.
At noon today the Wisconsin legis-
lature will be in full blast, and from
present indications its session will be at
least four days in length. Last nights
caucus Of the republican members at
least would seem to point that way.
While in so many words nothing was
said about ignoring the present bill for
the reapportionment of the state, the
whole action was indicative of such
course and, from private talks with
members, there is no doubt that the
prevailing sentiment is that way Lit
tie was done in the session. The meet
ing was called to order in the assembly
chamber by Chairman w. A Jones, of
the republican state central committee,
and nearly every republican member of
both houses was in his chair when the
roll was called. Mr.. Jones made a brief
explanation to the effect that the caucus
was called for the purpose of consider
ing the advisability of redistricting the
state, and also of discussing the new
bill to be reported today by the gov
ernor, the bill drawn by the special leg
islative apportionment committee. Pre-
vious to his making this address, all
save the republican Legislators were ex-
cluded from the room, it having been
decided to have the session a secret
one. He also suggested that a perma
nent organization be effected This
was done by the selection of Senator T.
D. Weeks, of Whitewater, as perma-
nent chairman, and Assemblyman Han
son, of Door county, as secretary. Then
the following resolution was adopted:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
caucus that a bill be passed to appor-
ton the state into senate and assembly
districts, which shall be fair and equit-
able and comply with the constitutional
requirements in all respects and that it
I shall be passed by the legislature as
speedily as is consistent with due and
! careful consideration of the same and
! that then an adjournment be had"
1t was next decided that a legislative
committee of twenty should be appoint
ed Immediately upon the asemblying of
I both houses today to look after legisla-
ton and be a conference committee.
Both parties will be represented on the
committee, but the majority of the
members will be republicans This is
the committee which will formulate the
/ final apportionment. With this action,
the committee adjourned.
In a separate caucus the assembly
elected it's old officers for the special
session, with the exception that, owing
to the absence OF B. F. Willard, of Chip
pewa Falls, J. F. Johnston of
| MOntfort, the former assistant sergeant
/ Of arms, was chosen for the position of
sergeant of arms, of the house. The
senate caucus meets this morning Fol-
! lowing are the officers of the two
houses: Senate, chief clerk, Walter L..
Hauser, Mondovi; sergeant at arms,
w. l.. Pettibone, of Dodge county; as
| sembly, speaker, George B. Burrows, of
Madison; chief clerk, w. A. NOVEL;, of
Milwaukee. A. R. Hall, of Dunn county,
was selected as caucus chairman of the
i assembly. 1t was also decided to limit
the employees of that body to assistants
/ for both the chief clerk and sergeant at
arms and to three messengers.
! Just what will be done at the session
cannot yet be predicted When it con-
venes this noon there will, it is said
be presented a three hundred word
message from the governor. 1t will,
however, be little more than an expla-
nation of the reasons for the
calling of the session. A copy
of the bill as recommended
by the legislative apportionment COM
mittee will accompany it. What shall
/ be done with the message is a matter
| ance Some think the best thing to do
! is to adjourn sine die after hearing
| the message ard remain under the
present apportionment. This idea will
! Of course not prevail. A bill is Ger
tain to be passed. That much the eau
Gus has already decreed. What it will
/ be is little mora than matter of con-
lecture, but this much is very prob
able indeed that county lines will be
! broken in forming senate districts and
| that very many changes in the dis
tricts as proposed in the committee bill
will be made. Some minor alterations
in assembly districts are also to be
effected. There is sCme prospect that
the new conception, which is now well
in hand, will go to the committee of
twenty as soon as the legislature con-
venes, and be reported back and passed
possibly this evening. But such eXpe-
dition is not at all probable. It is al
most a foregone conclusion, however,
that the job will all be done and the
bill be signed and officially published
this week.
Politicians began to blow in early
yesterday and in the morning,