Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-01-28


a committee TO investigate and report
IN number and compensation of capitol
employees came up. Senator Munson
thought that under the rules the reso-
luton should be referred to the COM
mittee on state affairs and moved it
be sent there. A long debate ensued.
! Senator Roehr and Senators Youmans
and Putnam standing with Timme and
! Senator bennett with Munson. 1t fin
ally followed Timmes desire
In the assembly A. R. Halls
anti-pass resolution was antagon-
lied by d. F. Jones of
Sparta who made motion that the
resolution be referred to the judiciary
committee. In support of this propo-
sItion he made a speech which indi-
Gated that he is one of the strong men
of the present session. He speaks
easily and elegantly He opposed the
adoption of the resolution at this time
because 1t set up facts to which no
member could subscribe without evil
dence. He did not know that the peo-
pie OF the state, 10000 to 1000. had
| Vobed against the pass system; that the
whole press and nearly all the county
! boards had taken like position, nor
/ did he think that it was the settled pol
/ icy of the republican party to oppose
! passes. he was not aware of any
/ universal popular clamor against this
so-ca}led evil. 1t might exist, but he
| was not cognizant of it. Besides. he
saw no good reason fer the appoint
! ment of q special committee, as was
| contemplated, to prepare such meas
ures as might be Necessary in the
/ premises. The assembly already had
/ committees for every reasonable pur-
/ pose. The members We're, he thought
intelligent enough to draft all neces~
sary bills. Ii they were not, then
committee to aid inConpetents was in
order. But Mr.. Hall was not an in
competent. He was an able man and
an experienced legislator. He (Jones)
objected to him throwing his own re-
sponsibilties on the shoulders of
committee. Furthermore, he believed
the right mode of procedure was to
amend the constitution forbidding the
granting OF passes, He gravely
doubted whether the legislature had
power to pass a law telling a member
he could not accept a pass any more
than it could forbid beggar from lc-
cepting a gratuity from the hand of q
man on the street. New York, he said,
had amended its constitution to meet
the case. He promised that, if the
matter took the proper course, he
should give it unprecedented considera-
ton.
Mr. Hall, answering, said he desired
to shirk no responsibility; that the peo-
pie had voted $4,000 to 1000 against
passes and that fact was on the records
Oh the legislature of 1895; that the press
and county boards were against the
pass, this the members themselves
knew; that the plank in the republican
state platform was fairly adopted after
he (Mr. HalD had been "sat down up
on" that the state convention refused
to kill that plank by referring it to
committee and that the plank was
adopted by a nearly unanimous vote.
Mr.. Hall said he had no disposition to
press the resolution at this time In
amendment was the only sure method
of suppressing the pass evil.
Mr. McGrath, who was a member of
the republican state convention made
a statement that at least one-third of
the delegates had left the hall when
the anti-pass plank was considered and
he believed that of those remaining
M Nth
on it, He did not believe that this
was fair and full consideration.
Mr.. w. A. Jones declared the matter
was not judicial but one of mere com
mon sense about which the members
were able to have a proper off-hand
opinion. He sustained all that Mr..
Hall had said as to the legislative sit
uation two years ago. He cared moth
ing for ancient history as to what the
republican state convention had done.
The whole scheme to refer was merely
a subterfuge to kill the resolution. eve
might as we'll face the music first as
last" said he with emphasis.
Mr.. Rutherford called for the pre-
vious question and Mr.. Polachek
Mr.. d. F. Jones thought his motion
to refer took precedence. The chair
overruled him. Mr.. Hall explained
that under the new rules a matter
tabled could be taken up at any time
by majority vote, hence he did not
object to that procedure. Then
the Polacheck motion to table pre-
vailed vive voce.
Bills introduced We're as follows: by
Mr.. Wylie, appropriating $4,000 to the
Wisconsin State Agricultural society;
by Mr.. Peterson. including the ragweed
among noxious weeds; by Mr.. Policy,
requiring of assessors to make crop
report to town clerks in August instead
Of July; by Mr. Minch. requiring ply
sicians and midwives to register with
&C unity clerks and providing that once
year the clerk shall furnish the state
board of health with lists of such reg