The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-01-14


Der once presented himself at recep-
ton at Mr.. Blaine's house clad in green
and red carpet slippers. 1T is also a
tradition in that state that one new
member from Aroostook county went to
the estate house." as the Capitol build
ing is called in Maine, and asked to be
shown his room. He labored under the
delusion that the state not only paid
it's lawmakers, but found" them.
In that state the pay of legislators
is $3.50 for the session, but that
is usually only six weeks. In
as in Wisconsin-$500. But in
New York state lawmakers get $1,000.
Nobody takes an election to the legis-
lature in Madison for the money there
is in it. It is an expensive place to live
in, as all university towns are. Rents
are high; so, too, are commodities, if
we except farm products, which are
uniformly cheap all over Wisconsin. If
the Scion stops at a hotel and has
room to himself, he will be fortunate to
escape at SIS a month, with no deduc-
lions for the Sundays he is away from
Madison; and if he be a candidate for
speaker and has to have headquarters,
his bill can easily reach $40, $25, or $50
per day while the stress Of extra serv-
ice, etc., lasts, even in this little city OF
$4,000 people.
But the average member does not DO
it this way. He secures a room, well
warmed, for from So to S. week, and
takes his meals at a hotel, for which he
pays from 81 to 81 a week. Lawmak-
ers are fond Of attending the theaters
IL Sc, III 6o1~r1 an
era house here which catches most Of
the attractions that travel. The lob
bies of the hotels are popular resorts
for evenings, though toward the end Of
the session, when members grow anx-
ious to get back to their blowing, there
is much hard work done evenings in the
Capitol.
The big event of the early session is
the selection of a speaker, as to the out
come Of which struggle no one can
speak with certainty at the present
writing. There are five actual candi-
dates-Ray of Lacrosse, a lumberman
and an upright, much respected mem
Der of the last session; Jones of Mineral
Point, a Welshman, interested in mines,
and wealthy, and one of the most pop
ular men of the 1895 session; Buck
a furniture and casket manufacturer
and ardent friend of the State univer-
sity of which he is graduate; Arson
of Milwaukee, strong by reason Of the
big delegation back of him, no less than
by his genial qualities; and Pierce OF
Adams county, a man Of much promi-
nence in his section, whose candi-
dacy is being pushed tardily but
hard. Mr. Hall Of Dunn coun-
ty is confessedly the ablest
parliamentarian of them all, having
served seventeen terms in the Mime
sofa legislature, three Of them as speak
er. He is a wealthy lumberman,
bachelor and much dreaded by the cor
porations. His earnestness in reform,
notably in forcing railroads to pay the
state a larger revenue, and in abolish
ing the gift of passes, franks, etc., to
legislators, judges and other officials,
have made him more popular with the
people in other circles. He will doubt
less receive some votes for speaker
The election of a United States sena-
tor is about as important task as
often falls to a legislature, and this
duty the new Wisconsin body will at
tend to. The matter has attracted so
little attention for the reason that there
appears to be no opposition to ex-Sen-
ator Spooner's return to Washington.
It will be remembered he was there dur
ing the years 1885-1891, when, the DEM
ocrats obtaining the ascendancy in Wis
consin in 1890, William F. Villas sue
ceeded him. Colonel Spooner is about
to resume his old seat, apparently by
a unanimous vote of his party and
without the semblance of a contest.
There have been from time to time
filings at Senator Spooner even in Re-
publican papers with reference to his
connection with the Northern Pacific
railroad and other corporations; but
as the time of the legislative election
approaches no opposition has yet crys-
tallizexi. His election is assured
ORLANDO BURNETT.
Tor 1.oo,11kc Tho HnT-DTrD