Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-28

Madison, March Ex-Governor La
Toilette sent his first veto to the
legislature when he returned TO the
senate the bill eXempting from taxa
ton the grounds and buildings OF the
Milwaukee industrial exposition. In
his message the governor says: my
reasons for returning the bill are that
| IN my Judgment its provisions are in
conflict with that portion of the con
st1tution which prohibits the legisla-
ure from enacting any special legisla-
| ton or private laws for the assessment
or collection of taxes Senator
O'NeIFs bill providing for one woman
member on the board of normal
| regents was passed and Senator
Mlller's bill designed to confer the
title of colonel upon Capt. Curtis. in
| structor in military science at the
university, was also passed. Senator
Whitehead's bill prohibiting the dock
ing OF horses was likewise passed.
An assembly bill was concurred in a.
hitting deformed children to the
Sparta state school. Mr.. Spratt's bin
to pension members of police and fire
departments was sent back to a COM
mlttee. After one of the bitterest
fights in the history of Wisconsin
politics, the primary election bill
passed the assembly. Closing a CON
test consuming the entire week and
involving the use by both sides of the
most desperate methods known to
parliamentary practice, it passed by q
vote OF 81 to 48 or majority of three.
One man, Assemblyman Esau of Mil
Waukee, was brought from a sick bed,
and Assemblyman Herman Miller of
Marathon, was brought from the
death-bed Of his son to vote against
the measure. 1t was announced from
the floor of the house that Mr.. Miller
had postponed the funeral Of his son
one day in order to vote mo" on this
important question. The debate was
long and intereting inasmuch as the
principal speech for the bill was made
by Assemblyman Cady of Wood who
was supposed to be against it until
Few days ago, and that he should
lead the discussion for the measure
was great surprise E. Ray
Stevens, author of the measure, ex.
planned its provisions at great length.
MIR. McCabe, democratic member
from Milwaukee, said he was not CD
posing the measure on partisan
grounds but because he wanted to
satisfy his own conscience Then he
began an effort which involved some
OF the shrewdest parliamentary
practice ever seen on the floor of the
assembly, to have the bill so amended
that it would be submitted to a vote
or the people for ratification at the
next election. In this he was baff1ed
Assemblyman Cady spoke from the
position of man who had changed
his mind. He said he had made IN
MS mind when the bill was first intro
duced not to vote for it, but the
amended measure was so fair that he
was now going to vote for it. AS
semblymen Keene and Barker OF Mil
waukee said that they had received no
petitions, letters or requests of any
Kind from their constituents that thew
should vote for primary election
bill, and that they therefore felt no
obligation to vote for the measure
against their personal views on the
matter. E. A Williams and Assem- |
oyman Si-kworth spoke briefly along |
the same lines, and these were |
practically all the arguments adyanc. |
ed against the measure. Assembly. |
men David Evans Of Waushara and |
Sturdevant from Clark also spoke for |
1t. Then came the vote to pass as
follows:
Ayes-Ainsworth, Anderson. An. |
drew, Babb, Brunson, Cady, Clark.
Coapman, Cook, Dahl, Erickson.
Evans, David, Jr., Fenelon, Frost. Gal |
away, Gilman, Hall, Hanson, Henry,
Hodglns, Holland, Johnson, H, Jones.
hrumrey, Lane, Lenroot, Mccormick,
McGiH, Mcmillan, Manuel, Middleton.
oVerbeck, Price, Rankl, Roe, Rogers.