Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-03-11
SOLONS HARD AT WORK
Wisconsin Lawmakers Are Earn.
ing Their Salaries.
NUMEROUS MEASURES OF MOMENT.

Committee Poems Crowded Every After
noon with Men from All Over the State
In the Interest OF Certain Bills No Free
PASSES for the "s>ear Public Henry G.
Payne "a Frequent Visitor to Madison
"Unclc Hod" Taylor,
Madison, WIS, March 9.--The legis-
lature Is working as ihdustriously as
the most exacting taxpayer could wish.
Although ii was prophesied the session
would not do much of Importance, it
Is surprising What n number OF meas
ures are developing OF great moment
to large classes of our people, If not TO
the whole body of the population. The
committee rooms are crowded every aft
ernoon with noted men from all over
the state for the purpose of addressing
the committees. Occasionally there is
q special diversion, as on Inauguration
day, when the assemblymcn filed into
the senate chamberand all sang Amer
lea" and Star Spangled Banner" and
listened to an inspiring speech by Lieu
tenant Governor Baensch; but every
day there is something going on well
worth hearing.
Unfortunately for the dear public"
the free pass is not for them. One of
the members has made public his CORE
spondence with Mr., Ring, the repre-
sentative OF the Northwestern road,
who declined to furnish passes for his
constituents: and there seems to be no
reason to doubt that while members
and state officials may travel free, the
rest of US must pay.
Petitions from all over the state, cs-
pecially from the Maccabecs and other
fraternal organizations, make it clear
that the proposed insurance code Is
still cause of anxiety. The Modern
Woodmcn have high officials on the
ground to protest, and Colonel A. II.
HOLSTER, the highest official of the en-
tire order, Is a resident of this city. The
railroads are gathering some help from
unexpected sources In the matter OF
carrying bicycles free rs baggage.
Letter from Preacher.
No bin has been more pctitiOncd for,
but Il Milwaukee preacher went out of
MS WY 10 Nlllt II ltllcI 10 lllt lSSlS-
laturc, saying the measure was an in
justice to the railroad companies, and
unless the whcclmen bring more pres
sure to bear on the country members
than yet appears the bill will proba-
bly, fail The prospective scandal over
the medical bin does not take shape
yet. II was charged that u Milwaukee
member on the board of sanitation Of
fercd to insure u favorable report on
the bin (Which is aimed at non gradu-
ate physicians) for something under
500. The money was to he paid for
services as attorncy-that IL, the mem
Der would make Il speech before his
own committee on behalf of the bill.
The line between being an attorney"
for n bin for value received, and vot-
ing for price is difficult one to
draw, in fact, bribery Is one of the
hardest charges To prove.
How To XIII II Bill.
No one ventures to predict what will
become OF the bill to put the caucus
under official regulations or of the bill
to prevent corrupt practices I'm elections. |
The former Is pressed by n number OF
practical politicians and the latter by
the professional reformcrs; but the
end of the session draws nigh. The
most effective way 10 kill n bill is by
delay, The devil Is said to understand
the possibilities of postponemcnt. When
his imps suggest pleasure, temptations
or sorrow as devices To keep n man
from repentance he casts all their sug-
gcstions aside for the crafty and Sc
ductlvc appeal To the sinner, wait
az Il, rlh,t l,i 10, t,,I hal IN 1.l
there Is no policy so effective as delay. |
Can Hc Laid Over"
The bin may come from committee
with II favorable report. but It can he
laid over" on the request of Il single
member, Whom it turns up again in
the calendar, what can be more reason
able than to refer it to the judiciary
committee To ascertain II it Is constitu- |
tional. This means ten days. more de-
lay. Perhaps then some one amends it
into such confusion that members
think II should he printed before they
can vote intelligently upon 1t; or it Is
made a special order" perhaps Il
week ahead. Finally the last week of
the session arrives Every one is in Il
hurry To get homo and legislation Is
losing Its charm. VI the bin Is impor-
tant, it's suggested that a measure of
such CruCral moment should not be
rushed. or if the bin interests only Il
few. II Is pronounced trivial and Is lost
in the rush.
The hill to- forbid the sale Of liquor
within half mile of the state univer-
sity, tho normal schools and all the
high schools of the state. is of course
practical prohibition in its sweep and
can not pass. IL II had been drawn to
cover only university territory, 1t
might have become Il law. for this re-
form has long been agitatcd, But even
this proposition frightens some who fear
that the liquor interests may take re-
venge by assailiug the regular univer-
slty appropriations and the library
bills, The friends OF the latter more
over, think an undue alarm has been
raised about state finances and the cry
for economy exaggerated. As n matter
of fact, few states are in such good
shape rs Wisconsin, with no debt and
tritling deficit in the annual budget
The Governors Strong Hand.
That Governor Scofleld is exertng a
ST. b,, Ia, Isl t.N,, Il, ~,