Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-01-19

I
II has seemed to me that the popular VIII
upon the pass subject, says the governor,
can only be expressed by legislation which
| Will destroy the system root and branch,
| ard eliminate from it, at least SO far as
| state officials are concerned. as far as 1t eau
! be dorr by legislation, the possibility of any
! fnyUTs directly or Indirectly III the ltter.
Therefore, believe that the Legislation
should not be restricted To the giving of
| passes by the corporations Indicated. or
th"ir acceptance by IL 2u9Iic Qlhclal for his
own use but that the prohibition should ex.
| tend 10 any person upon the request of pub
! lie oHiciuls. In this view the law should
| prohibit the granting Of passes or the nc-
| cPptance Of passes or franks, 70 or by pub
| Ne officials. and also the granting Of trans
pHrtaiilu Of franks or facilities of any kind,
! 10 any person directly or indirectly, upon
| the request OF any puDlic Official. one of the
| plotform declarations Is sufficiently broad
| to extend the prohibition TO the
granting 10 Or acceptance by, may
ors, aldermen and other public ON; OIL,
| upon the subject IN its relation to state oil
ciaIs certainly applies TO AL municipal an.
| ihorltlcs vino have duties to perform. lcgis-
| lnlirc or otherwise, with rcfcInucc TO
| local franchises recommend that an
| adequate constitutional amendment be sub
| mittcd to the people In order that, II adopt
| ed, the prohibition shnl be part OF the per
mnnont Law of the state, beyond reach OF ley
| slntivc modification or repeal and that
/ there be promptly cnHC1ed legislation cover
| Ing the same ground. to be IN force until II
ShnlI nave Dbrn SUpeFHeIFu ny CoHSlitutloHul
amendment.
Both the leading political parties in con
vcntlOn also declared for the enactment Of
legislation adeguai" to destroy what Is called
the Legislative lobby and TO protect the mem
brrs of each body from malign Influences. II
Is not supposed that 1t WINS or could be In
tended to preclude If 1t were possible so to
do by Legislative enactment, the people from
either at the capitol or otherwise thci,
wishes or wants rs to legislation. Every
citizen has the right, which cannot be taken
away from him or her, to ask for or to OPP
pose legislation, ana to present IN proper
manner the reasons for his or her conten
ton The platform declarations are cvi'
IDENTIFY not Intended to isolnte the Legislature
from It's constituency. To do 50 would be
10 destroy in n considerable measure It's rep.
rcsentntlVe capacity. Members Of the legls
lAture, like the executive are but agents OF
the people. charged with the duty of carry
ing ont, within the limits of the constitution
the win cf the people properly expressed.
The evil sought to be reached Is to remove
from the Legislature the supposed danger OF
undue influence resulting either In the defeat
Of needed legislation or the enactment OF
vicious Legislation, Just what form of ELI
Client legislation Far the purpose indicated
can take without doing harm as well nA
good, | confess my inability to at this time
to see. The legislature cnn pass no law
which viii prevent persons from coming to
or residing In the capitol city during the
session Of the legislature. The Legislature
mnny years ago passed laws. still In force
intended to protect legislation against not
only corrupt Influences, but against innu.
encca not strictly corrupt, but sinister be.
cause secret These the governor quotes ana
adds II Is quite clear that the penalty pru
vldcd IL inadequate. No greater offcnse
against our system OF government. unless
II be treason, can well be conceived than the
deliberate corruption Of publ" servants
such an otiensc, when proven, Is not adc
qnalcly punished by fine One convicted Of
It should be mad" TO benr the degradation
,ti IuI pAu nnI uf nj ny u, fp,fr
the right of suffrage every person convicted
of bribery. The enforcement of II portion OF
these statutes, In so far as they relate to
legislation. depends very greatly upon the
cooperation OF members Of the Legislature.
ordinarily the oifensc of bribery or improper
influence Is secret Those who bride or are
hrh"d nre not likely to tell Of 1t. Those who
are unduly or improperly influenced. II they
nrc conscious of It,, nrr not likely to give
publicity to the fact The best drIcrreht, 50
far ny 1t relates TO public officials, Is the
certainty of prompt exposure and punish
mcnl, Each house has the matter mainly
IN It's own hands Every member of the leg
Slnturr improperly approached should nm
hrsIintingly make 1t known az not only an
insult TO himself. an oifense against the Deo.
pie, but nm attack upon the dignity ana
honor Of The body of which he Is n member.
Every member of II body charged with the
duties of legislation. who knows of the cXer-
els" Of undue influences. or hns good reason
To believe 1t, owes n solemn duty to himself.
to the people, and to the house Of which he
~ NltihDef. To MAKE Known tue IaCl ana To
set In motion the nvcstgnting powers of the
body, The concrumcnt by member of such
body of the fnct, ar we'll grounded Slispi'
rlon, of corruption or attempted corruption,
IL not n much less hclnouS oilCnsr against
popular government than the olfcnsr Of be
Ing cOrruptly Influenced
II is entirely within the province of each
house to determine who shall be admitted
to the floor and who shall be excluded. The
exercise OF that power by each house is
rNdrn"rd by the standing rules Of each body.
II is within the power OF each '.nsc to modl.
fy and strengthen or weaken ,ncSc rules AT
WILL and mnnifrStly the power TO enforce
them and the extent of their enforcement
rests with each house. Aftcr all, aside
from the fearless exercise of the powers
given to each house to protect Its honor and
dignity and legislation against undue or
Improper influence, the snrrst safeguard Is
10 b. round In mn enlightened public opinion
among the people and the election OF men 10
public trust beyond question of undouhtcd
integrity and of ability to enable them To
detect the approach of insldlous influence
and to Spurn II. am not aware of any
ground for impeachment of legislative intcg-
ritN necessarily leave the whole matter
90 your honorable body to devise such fur
thcr measures, II amy are deemed necessary,
rs Ia YOU may seem best. with the assurance
of my earnest cu operation within the limits
ut my constitutional authority in the prem
isrS.
Nitcr declaring that in IL time of gen,
rrni prosperity like this there is more need
tor n close ScruttN of appropriations and
wntchCuInesS of public expenditures than
Whru n general financial stringrncy makes
jhr ucccsSltt fot economy to each an indi.
Nidual matter COY, Scoheld concludes
document af r"markahlr length and com
ptUt3ntHS.
Yesterday both houses organized at
noon for the attn session Of the legls-
ture and the states as agreed upon al
the republican Caucuses Tuesday Wen
through. l.. w. Thayer OF Ripon was
nhnsnn nrnslAnnL nrn tom OF lhn snnnle