Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-31
PASSED A LIBEL LAW.
Assembly Does a Good Thing
for Badger Editors.
The MeGioal Law Finally Passes the
Lower House.

and sent Ii over to the Senate. The COM
mittee appointed to investigate charges
Of bribery in connection with the bill
reported generating MIR. FTink of Mil
waukee, who was alleged to be imph-
Gated. The event of the week was the
killing of the Whitehead bicycle baggage
bill. It was intended to compel the rail
roads to carry wheels free and the wheel
men of the state were deeply Interested
in it. The railroad committee reported
it for Indefinite p0Stn0nement and the
Senate killed it by Il vote of II to Is.
Not many important measures became
laws during the week, but Il number OF
measures were advanced in each house.
The Assembly passed Il new libel law
and the Senate passed a bill increasing
the taxes of street railroad companies.
The bill to compel the Wisconsin Teie-
phone company to connect its long-dls-
lance lines with the exchanges of local
companies was killed.
I.ieut.-Gov. Baensch has a job on bis
hands which will keep him busy for a
few DAYS With NJ. c.. Phillips Of Osh-
6osh he will revise Insurance Commits
sioner Ericke's code and get it into such
shape that It will stand some show of
going through. In the committee the
code was amended so many times that
nobody knew just what shape it was III
and upon motion of Senator Roenr Of
Milwaukee it was sent back to the COM
mission to be got into shape. Both gen
tlemen aided in drawing the bill and
are therefore familiar with its provisions
that have not been amended, but III spite
Of that they will have to work hard TO
finish the revision during next week.
It is expected that the confidence re-
-
get confidence in the code as he reports it,
and that when it comes from his hands it
will have a better show for passage.
There is no doubt that Judge Baensch
enjoys the confidence of the people and
their representatives to a greater degree
than most men IN public life. He has
been before the public for several years
now and has been found to be honorable
and upright in all his dealings. In ad
dition to that he has shown ability of q
high order and his work is not likely to
be questioned very much. The schooling
which Judge Baensch has had fits him
admirably for the high position which he
now holds. He is still young man, but
he has had wide experience in public af-
fairs. He was born in ManItOWOc on
June u, 1851, and has spent his life in
his native city. He went through the
common schools of Manitowoc and then
went TO work until he earned money
enough to take a course at the state uni
yersity. He graduated from the law
school and was admitted to practice in
1882. Since that time he has practiced
law steadily. but has been interested in
two or three newspapers. he was JUS
tice Of the peace from 1882 to 1884, city
clerk from 1885 to 1888, and county
Judge from 1888 to 1894. He was at one
time captain of the Rankin guards and
has been president of the Humane So
ciety. besides being president of the Mani
toW0c Building and Loan association, an
organization in which he takes a deep in
ferest lie was nominated for Congress
In 1892 and reduced the big Democratic
majority IN his district very materially.
He was elected ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS two
years ago and was a candidate for gov
ern0r in the last campaign. 1t is an open
question now whether he will land in the
governors chair finally, or in the United
States Senate.
It is not generally understood that the
Legislature viii have to pass the lnsur-
ance code III some shape or the state
will be without any insurance laws, but
that is the fact. Two years ago Messrs.
Sanborn and Bergman were authorized
TO revise the statutes of Wisconsin and
at the same time a commission was ap-
pointed to codify the insurance laws.
The revisers thought the commission
would report an insurance bill which
would pass and they left the insurance
laws out Of their revision. That being
the case this Legislature must adopt in
surance laws of some sort or there will
he none in the books. 1t is understood
that Judge Baensch and Mr. Phillips
will practically abandon Mr.. Frlcke's
code and report the present laws with
some slight changes. One or two feat
ures in the code are SO good that they
will graft them on to the present laws
and report them for passage.
The bicycle men of Madison are deeply
chacr;ned over the defeat Of the bill TO
compel railroads to carry wheels free; as
baggage There is talk of revenge" at
the nolls and it is not unlikely that the
Senato's action will have some effect po-
litically-. The bicycle men are thorough
" organized and if they stick together
they could make themselves felt 1t is
currently reported that they have been
promised redress for what they consider
their wrongs by certain gentlemen who
desire to be in power provided they will
give them their support. These gentle
men. who are ever on the alert for ma
teiial which they can turn to personal
account, are said to have already got q
hold upon the Wheelmen's organizations,
and if the report is true the wheel VIII
cut cutie a figure in the next campaign
in Wisconsin.
The newspapers of the state are IN
bIissful ignorance Of the fact. but there
IS ! bill before the Senate committee on
;udiciary in which they would have a
teep interest should it become a law.
Tnckiiy for them. it is very likely to be
killed in tie committee, because 1t is be-
loved to be too indefinite IN it's terms
r. he Of practical value. 1t IS the bill
to SUPPRESS obscene literature. and che
newspapers interest in it comes from Il
provision which forbids them to report
The proceedings in criminal cases I'm
der that provision a report of sensation
i nolice court case would be IN offense
~ which the proprietor or editor Of
the paper could be published. With such
: law on the statute books the glory CT
the police reporter wosld depart forever.
4 desire to spare the feelings Of the III
Giyidnal members is getting the Assem-
biz into trouble and putting the day OF
qdiournment into the distant future
nay after day bills are re-referred foI
no other reason than because some good
fellows feelings will be hurt if com
n:tfee recommendation for indefinite
rnstponement is allowed to stand. Their,
were 1T least half Il dozen such cases