The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-04-12

In What Form Will II Put Prim iry
Elections?
SPEND SUNDAY II MADISON
Lawmakers Hard at Worb-Trying to
Keep Down Appropriations
How Committees Work.

though there were twenty abSentees or
the 100 assemblymen Saturday and
even more Monday evening. Easter
Sunday saw some Of the lawmakers
at church.
There is more and more talk Of adj
tournament as April skies become
clearer; and a tentative resolution is
in, naming May t as the final date;
but that is merely prod. 1t is evil
dent work cannot be cleared up by
that date.
Madison diversions are the election
of two university rofcssOrs-Profes-
scr Bull, engineering faculty, as may
or, and Dr. Ely, the economist as
side supervisor in the town Of Madi-
sOl.
On April 1G there will be a process
sion and some speeches, the occasion
being the bringing back Of the states
flags from the new library building
to the capitol. There are many veter-
ans, of course, in the legislature ana
Senator Burns was conspicuous in the
Spanish war.
a Committee at Work.
Much Of the work of the legislature
is done in committee rooms afternoons.
The chairman sits at the head or a
long baize covered table, his fellows
taking easy positions about it, some
of them with feet up, and many OF
them smoking. Each committee has
a clerk who keeps a record ana the
bills to be considered are taken from
a handsome box inscribed with the
name of the chairman. About the
walls sit newspaper men, IOungers ana
those interested in the discussion.
Sometimes delegations attend near
ing and the room is well filled. When
the crush is great, adjournment is ia
ken to the assembly. Occasionally a
speaker gets in warm discussion with
opponents. rasped by the fear that he
is making an impression on the com
mittee But, as a rule, the talking is
simple presentation of facts. Often
the speaker is himself a lawmaker
who has introduced a bill at the re-
quest of a constituent and feels
obliged to tell what the bill is about,
although he is often frank to say he
has no personal interest III the meas
ure.
Vetoes Attract Attention.
Governor LaFOllette has attracted
some attention by a bunch of five
vetOes in one day. Cleveland's sue
cess was attributed on the start to
his fearlessness in vetOing bills. 1t
certainly attracts attention. Of course
members whose bills are vetoed do
not like it. However, it is often pos
sible to so amend a bill after it's veto
as to eliminate the objection.
One of the vetoes secures members
of police and fire department from
removal without assigning the cause.
Special legislation is a frequent cause
for veto and Governor LaFOllette has
already inStanced it. 1t is a favOrite
trick for Milwaukee OfficehOlders, una
BILE to get their salaries raised at home,
to come to Madison. Sometimes Mil
waukee has not sufficient law to au-
thorize an increase; in these cases the
vetOes indicate that the city would do
we'll to secure legal authority. At all
events. the legislature, removed from
the scene, is in poor position to
iuge of whether copyists, etc, are
paid too much or too little.
Speaking of salaries, there are a
number of bills to increase them in
the cities Chief Jansen of Milwau-
kee has $4,000 a year and his friends
want $1,000 for him. Chief Jansen
said he is occasionally offered brides,
once by two Chicago aldermen with
So. 800 if he would let some women
free. The fire chief also wants an in
crease.
Contrary to expectation the bar
bers' commission bill is going forward
all the time and the dancing mas
tiers have not lost hope. An assem-
bly, bill is out of committee which
compels license for the latter by coun-
ty clerks
Woman Suffrage Succeeds in Assembly.
Woman suffrage won out in the as
sembly, although thirty-three men
voted against it to fOrty-nine for. Da-
vid Evans Of Washaura rural
member who talks easily and is taken
more seriously than he once was, made
long speech and frankly said he
wanted the vote for his six daughters.
The assembly had a bowling laugh
over Johnston whose wife was seated
by his side when he voted for the bill,
though he seemed to lack enthusiasm.
Another member. Smith, who also had
his wife with him. voted against the
bill without paling his cheek.
| see that the New Jersey legiSla-
ture makes it a crime for women to
wear birds CT plumage on their hats.
The Wisconsin bill for a woman fac
tory inspector is still alive With
Mrs. LaFollette actively interested in
the largest field for women there are
likely to be some substantial strokes
in the way Of progress along this line
before LaFollettes graduate from state
administration.
The bill to punish heavily the adj
ministering of drugs with criminal in
tent is also acceptable, the idea being
to prevent in this state such crimes
as the recent murder of a girl in New
Jersey.
The cigarette bill died in the senate
by vote of Is to II. The rule com
polling an aye and nay vote on the re
quest of one-siXth of the members
present is fortunate for the electorate
at home. Without this rule bills il
which men and women over the state
are keenly interested would be quietly
disposed of and no one held RESPONSE
BILE. Mr.. Overlook of Door county will
always be remembered as having made
a hard fight for this reform.
Mr.. Cady is apparently not Wild.
I. a. III