The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-03-10
York declaration which was framed by

constitutional convention.
Now everybody knows that each
member Of such a convention is
usually star of the first mag
nituGe. a constitutional conven-
ton ranks even above the judiciary as
one of the features of government not
dominated by political methods. So
what a constitutional convention might
produce in the way of suppressing
pasteboards is a high standard for
legislature. body intensely human.
The New York amendment provides
that the state official who uses a pass
shall forfeit his office. That is clinch-
er. But our senate refused to have It
that way, and this provision was omit
ted. Some good men voted to omit it
the vote was % to 9-but Mr.. Hall says
it is imperative and cites Pennsylvania
where it is omitted and the offense
styled a misdemeanor Gas our senate
left it, thus entrusting to successive
legislatures the fixing of the penalty.
The Pennsylvania law is said to be q
farce.
There are other clauses which have
to do with the giving of testimony by
offenders; and the leaving of an open
door for the transportation of national
guardsmen at l cent a mile Ga matter
OF $4,000 saving a year to the state);
as to both of which there is a diversity
of opinion. A few legislators seem de-
sirious OF double-clinching the issue at
every point. Others are less worried.
We shall have an anti-pass law, but it
is not likely the outcome will wholly
please Mr.. Hail. who is most active in
the fray.
Notables Before Committees.
There are interesting things going on
at the capitol every day. In the after
noon the committees are at work in
their rooms. The chairman sits at the
head of long table, his associates at
the side, some with feet up and smok-
ing cigars, and lobbyists, reporters and
spectators filing the chairs. The sec
rotary of the committee, sometimes
relative and always an appointee of the
chairman, sits at a table of his own,
and in important hearings on insurance
or other corporation business where
money is no object, a typewriter girl
is there to take down in shorthand
what is said-the only female in the
room. We hear the best speakers in
the state at these committee meetings;
and as both sides are represented there
is often some brilliant cross-firing which
everybody enjoys. EX-Judge Dryer of
Milwaukee was speaking for the North
western Insurance Co. the other after
noon. He looks like ex-senator Villas,
and was formerly a federal district
judge until an offer of three or four
times the salary took him into the
insurance world as counsel
Addresses in the Evening.
Often in the evening there is some
thing well worth hearing. Tonight Su-
perintendent Harvey will gather both
branches of the legislature to hear him
and others in the matter of his pro-
posed reform of country schools.
The other night Senator McGillivray
held the senate chamber crowded with
people in advocacy of his bill to dis
tribute patronage of the state accord
ing to population Mac is one of the
liveliest Of the whole thirty-three. He
was born in Canada but has been in
Black River Falls since 1866. He is
manufacturer. He has been in the as
semby and senate continuously since
1890 and is identified with antitrust
bills and farmer legislation.
Ex-Gov. Peck and the Bell Boy.
1 found Ex-Governor Peck in the
Mushroom of hotel the other day.
He was talking with a bell boy he prob
ably had not seen for a year.
II thought you were going to get
out of this business the governor said.
you'll never amount to anything
climbing upstairs and carrying ice
water. You told me you were going
into business-going to get into a store
of some Sort
The boy looked half-ashamed, as if
he had buried his one talent and spent
the time since Governor Peck's depart
ure smoking cigarettes.
II didn't have the price" he stam-
mered. Peck buried his face and white
goatee in a towel and looked as if he
believed such a spiritless boy would
never be mayor of Milwaukee, to say
nothing of being a governor for four
years.
He told me he enjoyed lecturing and
the Southern Lyceum bureau was to
put him to work again in March. He
opened up in a Tennessee city and had
| 1000 people in a big auditorium. The
manager sent the jaitor to the back of
| the top gallery and he could hear every
word He was introduced by a Demo
cratic congressman. and such a hand
some audience he had never seen. His
subject was Boys" He is fond of
them. He says most people are par
ents Of boys and only one in hun
dred don't love boys. His books are
still selling and he has royalty of $50
| a month on the play in which the bad
| boy worries the grocer. Ex-Governor
Peck is the most unaffected good fellow
| in the world It is impossible not to
| love him.
Eau Claire's w. C. T. Z. Home.
A little pamphlet sent out by the
home to promote the chances of getting
| the $4,000 bears the suggestive catch
phrase:
1T is easy to turn our eyes away
| from ugly sights and to consider our
selves refined" One of Charles Kings
leys pearls of thought. The directors
| are one from each congressional dis
| t1ict. The wife of Editor Raymer of
| the Madison Democrat represents this
| cactiop The r1annphIet sets forth that