Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-01-19

AS / believe it will. il will put an end to this
long-standng controversy between the state
and the United States. Will quiet the title
| H. a great many farms and homes, and will
eliminate the troubles constantly growing
out of the cases in which the state has the
| legal title and the Indian has the permanent
right Of occupancy, which has led to cOntro-
versies over timber and other values.
1t has seemed to me that the popular will
upon the pass subject, says the governor. can
only be expressed by legislation which will de-
strOy the system root and branch. ana ellmi-
nate from it,, at least so far as state officials
are concerned as far as II can be done by
| legislation. the possibility of any fayors di-
rectly or indirectly in the matter. There
| fore. believe that the legislation should
not be restricted to the giving of passes by
the corporations indicated. or their accept
ance by public official for his own use, but
| that the prohibition should extend to any
person upon the request of public officials.
In this view the law should prohlOlt the
granting of passes. or the acceptance OF
passes or franks. to or by public officials, and
franks facilities of any kind to any per-
son, directly or indirectly upon the request
OF any public official. One of the platform
declarations Is sufficiently broad to extend
the prohibition to the granting to, or ac-
ceptance by, mayors, aldermen and other
public officials of Municipalities All that
/ nave said upon the subject in its relation
to state officials certainly applies to all mu-
nicipal authorities who have duties to per
form. legislative or otherwise, with refer
ence to local franchises. I recommend that
an adequate constitutional amendment be
submitted to the people in order that If
adopted. the prohibition shall be a part Of
the permanent law of the state. beyond
reach of legislative modification or repeal
and that there be promptly enacted legis
| lation covering the same ground. to be In
| force until it shall have been superseded by
! constitutional amendment.
| Both the leading political parties in con
! yention also declared for the enactment OF
called the Legislative lobby and to protect
| the members of each body from malign in
! tluences 1t is not supposed that 1t was
or could be intended to preclude, If 1t were
! possible so to do by legislative enactment,
| the people from communicating to their rep
resentatives, either at the capital or other
| wise. their wishes or wants as to legislation.
! Every citizen has the right. which cannot be
| taken away from him or her, to ask for or
| to oppose legislation, and to present in
! proper manner the reasons for his or her
! cOntentiOn The platform declarations are
| evidently not intended to isolate the legis-
| lature from its constituency. 70 do so would
| be to destroy in a considerable measure its
| representative capacity. Members Of the
| legislature like the executive are but agents
| of the people, charged with the duty of car
rying out, within the limits of the constitu-
zion, the will of the people properly
pressed. The evil sought to be reached Is
| to remove from the Legislature the sup
| posed danger of undue influence resulting
! either in the defeat of needed legislation or
| the enactment of vicious legislation. just
| what form efficient legislation for the pur-
pose Indicated can take without doing harm
| as well good | confess my inability at this
| time TO see. The legislature can pass no law
| which will prevent persons from coming to
or residing in the capital city during the
session of the Legislature. The Legislature
many years ago passed laws, still in force
intended to protect legislation against not
only corrupt influences, but against inilu-
cnces not strictly corrupt, but sinister be
causc secret. These the governor quotes and
odds 1t is quite clear that the penalty pro
vded Is inadequate. No greater offense against
our system of government, unless ii be trca-
son. can well be conceived than the de-
an ohense, when proven, is not adequately
punished by fine. one convicted of 1t should
be made to bear the degradation of impris
Onment The statutes exclude from the right
of suffrage every person convicted Of bribery.
The enforcement of portion of these stat
utes, in so far as they relate to legislation,
depends very greatly upon the cooperation
of members of the Legislature. ordinarily
the offense of bribery or improper influence
is secret. Those who bride or are brlbed are
not likely to tell of IL. Those who are un.
duly or improperly influenced if they are
conscious of it, are not likely to give pub
LEFTY to the fact The best deterrent, far
as 1t relates to public officials, is the GER
talnty of prompt exposure and punishment.
Each house has the matter mainly in its
own hands. Every member of the Legislature
improperly approached should unhesitatingly
make 1t known as not only an insult to him
self, an Offense against the people, but an
attack Upon the dignity and honor of the
body of which he is n member. Every mem
Der of Il body charged with the duties of leg
, iSlatiOu who knows of the exercise of undue
lnIluCicN or mas gOOu reason TO DelleNe 1t,
owes a solemn duty to himself to the peo-
; pie, and to the house of which he is a mem
Der. 20 make known the fact. and to set in
motion the invest sgating powers of the body.
The conccament by member of such a body
! Of the TACT or wellgrounded suspicion, of
corruption or attempted corruption, is not
auCh 'cNs helnouS ohense against popular
, government than the ohense of being cor
iuptly influenced 1t is entirely within the
province of each house to determine who
/ shall be admitted to the floor and who shall
| bp pNclu1pd The aXprpfcp nj that
each house is evidenced by the standing rules
of each body. 1t is within the power of each
body. II is within the power of each house
to modify and strengthen or weaken these
rules at will, and manifestly the power to
enforce them, and the extent of their en-
! fOrcement rests with each house. After a II,
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 surest safeguard is
to be found in an enlightened public opinion
among the people aud the election of men to
public trust beyond question of undoubted
integrity and of ability to enable them to
ana 10 srurn IL. | am not aware of any
| ground for impeachment of Legislative in
| tegrity | necessarily leave the whole mat
| ter to your honorable body to devise such
further measures. IL any are deemed neces-
| sary, as to you may seem best. with the as
suranCe of my earnest cooperation within
the limits of my constitutional authority In
the premises.
After declaring that In time OF general
prosperity INt luiS incIt II uloTc uceu LOT
a close scrutiny of appropriations and
Watchfulness of public expenditures than
when Il general financial stringency makes
the necessity for economy to each an indi-
vidual matter. Gov Scoteld concludes a
document of remarkable length aud com
pcteneSS,
Yesterday both houses organized at
noon for the 44th session of the legis-
ture and the states as agreed upon at
the republican caucuses Tuesday went
through, l.. w. Thayer of Ripon was
chosen president pro TEN of the senate.
c. A. Pettibone of Oconomo-
woe sergeant-at-arms and w.
HouSer of Mondovi chief
clerk There are only 'emo-
Gratis in the senate and they NAMED no
: candidates. The usual standing COM
mittees were appointed, the judiciary
being headed by LamoreuX. state af-
: fairs by McGillivray finance by
Roehr, railroads by Withee. education