Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-02-11
STATE CAPITAL GOSSIP
Spooner, La Toilette and the
Leading Law Makers.
THE CORPORATIONS MUST PAY.


Tax on the People slow Much DO Lob
byists Receive?-How the Executive Pro-
notes Bills-A Permanent Commission
to Revise the statutes Why Special SEES
sions of the Legislature Are Brief.
Madison, Wis, Feb. 9.--The pressure
for more money for state purposes is
so urgent that it is not impossible some
Of the corporations may be brought t.
time by this legislature, notwithstand-
ing the lobby While the enemies" Of
the railroads would seem to he few and
impotent from the collapse of the first
assault to abolish the free pass, 1t was
significant that 50 good d man a. Jones
Of iowa county stood by Hall, the re-
former, who used to stand alone More
over, the governor and state treasurer
need the money. While the railroads
are paying a good deal Of money into
TIL" state treasury, the Big Four"
corporationsnCXt in Order-sleeping car,
telegraph, telephone and express COM
panIcs-ar cunfessedly escaping pref
ty lightly For instance, the sleeping
cars paid Wisconsin a trinc over $500
y
for one nights use of one of the thirty
two compartments in a single car. OF
course, it is ridiculous. 1t is said the
state Of Indiana has $4,000 from this
source alone. So too, telegraph com
paniCS, which state officials think ought
to turn into the state treasury SOmp-
thing like 10000 or $50,0 600 II year, es-
cape with small fraction of that
amount There are a number of bills
already Introduced and although the
campaign Is started somewhat tardly,
new sources of revenue will probably
be struck in these corporations, for the
Republican managers will dread to i'm
pose q state tax on the people.
Personnel of the the Two Houses.
As the session goes on, one is more
ana more pleased with the personnel
of the two houses. Not only are the
leaders in both chambers clean ntelli-
gent men. hut the rank and file are well
disposed and include n good many for
whom n political future is assured
There has been none Of that sly, UNDER
hand bargaining and even braZen add
Vocacy of bad bills which have been
known in the past one cannot but
feel that If Governor ScOiicld has the
nerve and command, supplemented by
u realization of his opportunity, that
he can put through this legislature al
most any sort of measure he wants
He could not ask for better body of
men to work with. Civil service re-
form ought to he an easy thing to aC-
cumplish with the half dozen leaders
in each house avOwod champions of the
measure. In the Democratic minority
are some men who will stand by wise
reforms.
The governor Is always q strong ele-
ment in law making, although he never
shows himself upon the floor 1t is the
custom for the executive when he wish
es to see a member to send for him, al
though many of the members haunt the
governors office without being sent for
They are all Interested in appointments
for somebody. If none are in sight
now, they know others will be before
long, So it comes about that the mem
hcrs are very respectful In the presence
of the executive. When he expresses
interest in any measure the member
understands whore his path of wisdom
lies. Governor l'pham used to boast
that in getting the university historical
library bill through the legislature for
six weeks all members who had axes to
grind We're requested tn state their at
titude ON that bill.
Congrat ulation to Spooncr.
Senator Spooner will be in Washing
ton promptly on March 4. President
elect Mckinley has told him there would
be special session, and it will proba-
bly, be projected into juno. The SEN
ator has not yet caught up with ac-
Acknowledgement of the pleasant things
said and written to him on the occa-
sion of his election. one would he sur
prsed at the hundreds of messages, let
ters and kilograms and Communica-
lions from across the sea. He tells me
that he does not want to go back to
his old Committce-Claims; nor does he
want to sit as member of the COM
mol council of the District of Columbia.
He evidently desires to be in the midst
of hard fighting at Tits next session.
The committees of the senate unlike
the appointed committees of the house.
are chosen by the senators themselves.
through committee, OF course posi-
tons on this committee are much
sought for because the committeeman
look out to provide well for themselves.
As the old saying is. Its poor car
yer who cannot have second Joint"
Senator Sp0oner says that the tariff is
perhaps the most urgent matter to Wis
consin men The tobacco, lumber and
agricultural interests, and the wool
men have already LIT him know they
have large hopes of the new congress.
lie will keep his hold ON his law praC-
tice while in Washington. During his
first term he was quite free 70 be a
statesman all the time. hut he says now
he cannot afford not to practice law
during the vacations Of congress. And
II is doubtful If professional statesmen
would give us any better service. The
senator Is guarded as to his opinions
of the new cabinet, He regards Will
lam NJ Evarts as the ideal secretary of
state. 1t will he remembered he served
In Hayes cabinet. In fact the admira-
ton OF Spooner for this veteran is quite
He usually goes to see
him when In New York. though he is
SO years old and hard Of hearing. Ev-
arts strength lay in his caution every
diplomatic move was safeguarded.
Would tdorn the oabnu.
senator Spooner has a high regard for
Andrew II, White the eN-presideut OF