The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1901-03-20
INTEREST IN APPORTIONMENT
Lobby is Beginning to Take a Hand in
the Matter of Carving out The
Districts.-Other Legislation
of Interest,
(From our own Correspondent

OF visits from a number of distin-
culshed Wisconsin p9rsonages.
Among the faces that have been
seen about the capital, are those of
|. Stephenson, Ex-Governors Peck
and Upham, and Congressman Bar
ney, Miner and Cooper. The con-
gressmen have been here in the in
terest of the new apportionment,
which at present is occupying so
much of the time of the legislature.
A report has been agreed upon by
the joint committee, and it is known
that the congressman mentioned do
not favor it. The redistrictiny
scheme as formulated and agreed to
by the committee was presented in
bill form to both houses of the legis
lature Friday morning. It was not
referred to any committee, SO will
be put upon the calendar and rush
ed through as soon as possible. In
the meantime efforts will be made to
amend the place, as several of the
senators and assem- blymen are adj
verse to it and are.reSio ting stubborn
ly. Senator Riorden has charge of
the matter, being chairman of the
joint committee. He says: Eve
have endeavored to submit as eouit-
able and as just plan as possible;
to suit all, is out of the question"
Bill number $50 assembly, intro
duced by Mr. Stevens. and known as
the corrupt practice act, has at
tracted cons derabIe attention the
past week. 1t is a copy of similar
laws in vogue in some of the eastern
states, and was drawn by Prof. c..
N. Aregary, of the University law
school, The particular section of
the bill that has encount tered the
most objections is No. 4, and reads
as. follows:
Sec. 4. Every person who shall,
directly or indirectly; by himself or
by any other person in his behalf,
make use of, or threaten TO make
use of, any force, violence or re-
straint, or infict, or threaten to in
fiict, by himself or by any other per-
son, any temporal or spiritual in
jury, damage, harm or loss upon, or
against any person, in order to in
duce or compel such person to vote
or refrain from voting at any cleo
ton, or who shall by abduction,
duress or any fraudulent device or
contrivence, impede or prevent the
free exercise of the franchise in any
election, or shall thereby compel,
induce or prevail upon any elector,
either to give or refrain from giving
his vote at any election. shall be
guilty of misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof, shall be punish
ed by Imprisonment in the county
Jail, not less than one month nor
more than one year.
1t has been charged by some that
Gov. LaFollette is the real author
of the bill: | wish to say that the
accusation is false in every par
ticular. 1t is merely the idle dream
of some yellow correspondent who
is here primarily to stir up conten-
ton, and fan the flame of estrang.
ment which they maintain exists
between the legislature and the
admins tration. Ore can easily dis.
Germ howe yer that this sort of stuff
! by most of the members of the leg
iislature is taken exactly for what il
is worth Says member OF the
lower house, who is at present serv
ing his third term in that body:
'the present session beats any
ever saw for ''yellow journalism.
The bill referred to is receiving
the consideration of the assem- bly,
committee on privileges and cleo
tions, and will probably be reported
during the coming week 1t is
quest ionable whether it will ever
become law.
A. r. Hall resolution declaring
for constitutional amendment
providing methods for voting other
than by ballot, has passed the as
sembly, and will be taken up by the
senate this week The bill nrOvidaS