River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-01-17
per CO q - d market yalue. in 80


he says may be slightly varied BY
| changing the order Of classification, ana
by extending the investigation over
period of several consecutive years.
I believe, however, that no substantial va
/ Ration in result viii be obtained by any
different method Of investigation "alcn
may be adopted The disclosures mere
/ made are positively startling, and unless
I these tables are shown 10 be radlcaiiy
/ wrong. they present situation Gaining
for prompt action on the part Of the
law making power OF the state ms
action should discriminate neither IN IA
/ vOr nor against any class or interest,
but each individual and every corpora
/ ton transacting business within the state
except such fraterual and other assocla-
| tiOns as are now expressly exempt from
4 taxation by law. should be required TO
pay a justly proportionate share OF the
taxes"
Primary Election LAW.
commissioned by the SURFACES OF the
| citizens of this state 10 represent them,
/ you win have neither in the session be-
I fore you nor In any official responsible
I ity which you may assume, more impor-
/ tant duty than that OF perfecting and
writing upon the statute books OF WIS
/ cOnsin a primary election law IL IS q
/ fundamental principle of this repuphc
/ that each citizen shall have equal voice
/ in government. This is recognized ana
I guaranteed TO him through the ballot.
! In "A representative democracy, where
I citizen cannot act for himself for any
/ reason, he must delegate his authority 10
/ the public official who acts for MN.
/ Since government with US, Is conducted
! by the representatives Of some poutlcal
/ party, the citizens voice in making ana
administering the laws Is expressed
through his party ballot. Hence, to pre-
9 A,4s s.vsf.isg rim
share in government, he must be as
sured of an equal voice in making his
party ballot.
For many years the evils of the eau
Gus and convention system have multi
piled and bafiled all attempts at iegls-
latiye control or correction, The reason
for this is elementary. The evils come not
from without but from within. The sys-
ten in all it's details is inherently bad.
1t not only favors, but logically and in
eVitably produces manipulation, Schem-
ing trickery, fraud and corruption. me
delegate elected in caucus Is nomnally
the agent OF the voter to act for him IN
convention. Too frequently he has his own
interests alone at heart, and, for this
reason has secured his election as a
delegate
The demand of the voter to-day is
clear and explicit. He asks that there be
restored to him the citizens right to vote
directly for the party nominee OF ms
choice. He asserts that denial of this
right, or doubt of his ability TO exercise
1t, is an Impeachment OF the principle
upon which state and national govern
mcnt Is based. There Is 70 valid OBJ
| lection which can be interposed to this
reasonable demand upon the part of the
! citizen, and | submit that the legislature
should primarily address itself 70 the
business Of framing law that shall ac-
cord to him, in full measure, the SOW
ereign power of the ballot. The plan OF
such legislation will not be found ditti-
! cult of practical application. the de-
tails should be plain and simple. The
! specific provisions OF such legislation are
to be determined by the legislature, not
| by the executive department Of the state
government. The legislation should be so
framed as to insure an equal voice in
| the selection of the candidates OF his
| party. without let or hindrance on the
| part of any man, accompanying TINS
should be such provisions as VIII insure
an accurate registration and determlna-
ton of the will of the people as expressed
in such primary election. Care should be
taken that sufficient time be given the
voter carefully to consider the character
and merits of each candidate seeking
| When this has been done, and not till
| then the mandate of the people, eX-
| pressed at the polls last November, will
have been obeyed
Education.
| PLAINLY our educational system is get
]
| justing. A committee with authority from
| the State Teachers association Is under
| instructions to ask from the legislatu
| announcement for county training
| schools to better qualify teachers for dis
| triCt schools, and for the extension Of
| the existing system of state aid to high
schools. In order to reach and improve
| the weak graded schools in the country.
and establish others where they are so
much needed l believe that legislative
action to meet this emergency In the life
cob or acrlNF
recommended"
University of Wisconsin.
Under the head of immediate and spe-
cia needs which will call for extra appro-
priations, the university authorities make
| most prominent a new building for the
| college OF agriculture, suitable equip
| ment for the new building of the col
! lege Of engineering and provision for the
school OF commerce. ! have no hesi-
1 fancy in commencing each of these pro-
4 posed improvements as worthy your APP
prevail but confess some doubt as to
| whether YOU will be able to honor all
| the worthy demands upon the taxing
power without imposing an onerous bur
/ den upon the tax paying power OF the
| state. For reasons somewhat similar 20
| those which prompt recommendations OF
| state aid to country schools. | am in
| Cliuod especially to favor every practical
| announcement to the growth Of the coll
| lege of agriculture without delay.
state Normal schools.
| by the report OF the board of regents
| Of normal schools I am led to the conclu-
! sion that this important branch Of edit
| cauonal work is making rapid progress
and that the several schools under the
/ management of this hoard are in a gen
| orally satisfactory condition with re-
| spect 10 their material needs. OF the
| $4,000 appropriated by the last legisla-
| ture for additions and repairs to build
inEs and equipment. only $4,000 has be-
come available. owing to the insutiiciency
OF the general fund Of the state to pro-
| vide for all legislative appropriations.
| Considerable loss TO the state normal school
| fund and the income fund has resulted
from a loan made nearly ten years ago
ana iuadequatelv secured against default
In payment. The regents made a SEEM
uunal trust funds should be protected
by legislative action against loss by such
loans made by the state.
state Institutions.
For many years the people OF Wiscon-
! slR have Had reason for just pride In the
enlightened care which the state has
given Go the afflicted classes Of its citi-
zenS, who are properly a state charge.
! While faulty details OF management In
some cases and individual official failures
in some instances have been revealed.
penal and reformatory institutions, as a
whole, has attracted widespread atten-
ton and commentator throughout the
country. and has furnished models for
many states, Occasional abuses as dis
-. Il .ha