Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-02-09

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making laws.
1t is important to have an efficient
chief clerk. Speakers are chosen some
times who have no knowledge of par
liamentary rules. The speaker sits
just above the clerk, and it is the COM
monest thing in the world to hear the
clerk coach speakers. especially as the
session advances, when as a compile
ment the speaker calls member from
the floor to take the chair
Enjoys the biggest Salary.
The chief clerk has the biggest SAL
ary-$S00 for the session-whie men,
bers receive but $500; in addition to
which he receives $50 for his services
in opening the session. A clerk of one
session, though he be succeeded by
some one else, gets his $50 for coming
to Madison and getting the body of 100
men organized Again, he pays out an
average OF 5000 a month for the serv-
ices of those under him, between $11 900
and $4,000 for the session.
Served Eight Terms as Clerk.
| Legislatures have been meeting in the
state since 1S4S There have been forty
four sessions, counting the present; and
one clerk, L. w. Young Of Sank coun-
ty, served eight terms in succession,
from 1866 to 1873. They were all an
nual sessions, for the biennial practice
did not begin until 1888. Young after
| wards became county judge and died
about five years ago. He was prompt,
accurate Official and commanded great
| success; in fact, most of the chief clerks
have we'll filled the bill, for it is i'm
| perative that there should be some one
| competent at hand in legislative pro-
| cedure.
For after all the jokes and filings at
| -maldng, the fact remains that
there Is a big volume of accurate,
| critically careful work to be done in
the way Of records, printing and daily
proceedings. There have been rare
notable exceptions, clerks who failed to
meet the requirements and even worse,
who Disguised people by reason of ia
milar ways with the young women
who owed these officials their appoint
ment, but happily. this most repellant
side of political power is infrequent.
David Atwood, the noble editor of the
Madison State Journal, and who died
| in 1889, was an assembly clerk in 1855;
the year before Byron Paine, after
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like work in the assembly. While f.
w. Young broke all assembly records
with his eight sessions l.. H. d. Crane
served four sessions GS5S-6D; as did
John S. Dean Of Madison, succeeding
him and during the war Mr.. Dean
was a brother of Fliab Dean, a we'll
| known Madison man, now advanced
| in years and broken in health Il. d.
Coe. the Whitewater statesman. who Is
| held in such esteem by all men and
who now administers pensions from the
| Milwaukee federal office, was another
| four-term official CS2, 'S5, 49, 'S9).
A Funny Man and IL Governor.
George W. Peck, afterwards governor
| and eternally a humorist, had his fling
| as chief clerk in 1874 at the time when
j. II. Waggoner, the Oconto editor, was
| putting in his last of three years as
senate chief clerk. The chief clerk
during the Democratic days of Peck
| was George w. Forth, who had been
Milwaukees city clerk and was after
wards it's postmaster. He served two
terms. John e. Eldred Of Milwaukee
served three terms QS79-SD.
Winslow A. Novel;, the present clerk,
Is an ideal official and is now on his
fourth term, though eighteen years
elapsed between his first QS7O and his
second uS95). Win is no feverish,
ELUSIVE STRIPPING, for he has four mar
ried daughters and four grandchildren,
and is always calm even when speakers
lose their heads; and he was SO years
old on the day that January in it's
death struggles groaned. He was born
in New Hampshire. but spent his book
keeping youth in New York city. COW
ing to Milwaukee In 1863. NotwtH-
standing Mr.. Nowell's peaceful and ir-
relevant manner, and his prominence
in the Reformatory league he has
knocked off some persimmons from the
political tree while sauntering down the
corridor of life's opportunities. includ-
ing aldermanic honors. the commission
| ership OF public works the deputy mar
shalship and postmastership of the
Cream City.
A Room Full OF Girls.
The chief clerk has about him
large staff and Mr.. NOVEL; insists on
ability in the higher places. He dis
likes to have mud-turtles to do the
responsible work, however much the
politicians may succeed In getting more
modest IoStS lOT dblt-bouleu TplutlNeS
and political helpers. Mr.. Nowells vet
eran assistant clerk is Editor Coon OF
Edgerton, an efficient. Industrious and
courteous official There are two jour
nal clerks, and two bookkeepers, and
these sit with Mr.. Novel;. Editor
Frazier of Viola is the proof reader
who lives most of the time in the
Democrat composing room where the
bills introduced are set up" and all
the other state printing, and where they
have wonderful man named Casserly,
| who got acquainted with the states
official printing just previous to or
shortly after the flood.
When the bills are introduced they
are printed and go to the committee
and II ordered to n third reading (Which
means they are likely to become laws)
| they are ordered also to he engrossed
which means written out by hand, and
when they are passed. they are "en-
| crossed which means n still more
elaborate copy on parchment fit to be
| signed by the Legislative officers and
| the governor and filed with the Sec