The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-09-01

| Crush in building Trades.
AS showing the stress of competi-
| ton in the building trades, when the
| directors of the Y. NJ G.. A of Kenosha
| met the other evening to open bids on
| their new $4,000 structure they found
| eight bids for carpentry, all but two be-
| Ing local; eleven for masonry, six for
| cut stone work, six for plaster work,
| eight for galvanized iron and tin, two
| for mill work, three for roofing, five
| for painting, five for plumbing, four
| for electric work, ten for heating, five
| for tile and marble work and five for
| structural iron work. In the face of
| conditions like these the combining"
| spirit would seem to be not only inev
| liable but beneficial.
Madison Wants 1000 Singers.
| Every two years the Saengerfest of
| the northwest is held sOmewheres.
| Last year it met in Davenport. Next
year it will meet in Burlington. Two
| years hence 1902) it may meet in
| Madison, if this city sends big enough
delegation and works up enough en-
| thusiasm to capture it. 1t seems in
| 1902 the local (MadisOn) MaennechOr
celebrates it's golden jubilee $50 years..
| 1t would, therefore, be a fitting time
| to bring this great aggregation Of sing
ers to Madison. The singers alone to
| these conventions number 1000, to say
| nothing Of their families and the Wis
| itors they attract. If Wisconsin cap
lures it, it will be the grandest musical
event in the history Of the state. Gin
| cinnati concluded recently the Saenger-
| fest Of the North American Bund. Two
| thousand male singers made tremen-
dously impressive chorus and one
hears the like but a few times in
lifetime. The fest lasts four days.
Madison would be obliged to furnish
board and lodging for 1000 people at
least for four days, in addition to the
many thousands of single-day tourists.
Originally saengerfests consisted OF
gathering of singers who met to enjoy
the old songs of the Fatherland, with
which went a picnic. Then soloists
were added. A children's chorus OF
say 1000 voices is feature. The saen-
gerfest was held in Madison in 1881,
when there were not more than 4OO
| singers. Watertown had it in 1875 and
1885. Lacrosse had it in 1888 and 1894.
Liquor Power Introduces Slavery.
An ominOus instance of the power
of the brewing interest in Wisconsin
| is reported from Dodgeville. The rail-
way agent at that place-a faithful en-
ploye of twelve years standing - in
response to the demand of the biggest
of the Milwaukee brewing companies
| was discharged
The facts in brief are these: At the
spring election the city voted no Ii
cense Tracy l.. Peck, the railway
agent, voted with the nO-license major
ity. The usual struggle to enforce the
law and to make it of no avail ensued.
The liquor men soon put things in
such shape that there was no city mar
shall to enforce the laws. Then clt1-
zens' league was formed to enforce the
law.
Punished for Reform Work
Among those active in the work was
the railroad agent The saloon men
boosted that they would get him dis
charged and soon after they were hap
py in showing a letter from high
| railroad official in Milwaukee to the
agent in which it was stated that the
big brewer was greatly displeased with
the Dodgeville railway agent and that
a change must be made in the position
on penalty of shipping beer in some
other way. The agent was notified to
meet the division superintendent at
Baraboo There he was Informed that
although held in the highest esteem by
his employers, under the circumstances
he must resign or be discharged. He
chose the former
Here's "a Chance for Statesmen.
It is a story to make the blood boil.
1t speaks of tyranny on the part of the
brewer and contemplate weakness on
the part of the railroad company. It
is an expression of the dreaded money
pOWer"-a peremptOry, insolent COM
mand' to obey, irrespective Of every
consideration of citizenship and man
hood. Such dealings are off the same
piece as the silent terror of Ku KluX-
ism.
The strength and glory Of American
citizenship has been the unfettered in
dividual in the right to his opinions,
his ballot, his personal conduct. Every
man a king! This brewing company
seeks to make every man vassal. And
yet if you tried to interview the pub
lie men of the state on the subject OF
this new form Of slavery, they will de-
cline to speak for publication. | doubt
if even NJ LaFollette cares to open up
the disagreeable subject in his speech
at Marinette on Labor Day.
Republican "NIentions" for Governor
The three most important Republic
an mentions" at present, apart from
Governor Scofeld, are Ira Bradford of
Augusta, Fred bennett, the furniture
| manufacturer of Port Washington, and
W. A. Jones, Of Mineral Point, the IN
dian commissioner. Mr. Bradford is
a lawyer of Eau Claire county, and he
is openly in the field, writing letters to
his friends relative to the matter. He
was speaker of the assembly in 1881.
His section has not had a governor
since the days of Cadwallader Wash
burn 1S72-1874. Mr.. Bradford nom
mated Governor Scofeld at the last
convention, but he is fair, just man
without any crotchets to repel people
and it is said by his friends will be
acceptable to all factions.
Unless ex-Lieut Gov. Baensch