The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-12-06
The Factions Passing From the
Abusive Stage.
THE PEOPLE WANT THE TRUTH
Fresh Tinkering with Game Laws m
evitab1e-Rural Mail Delivery
Triples in Three Years.

disposition to get the issues to the
front-tO abandon, or at least minim-
ize, the personal abuse which has di
yerted the hundreds of fractional sheets,
on one side or the other for some ten
months, and talk about things con
Ocratic paper, nevertheless one that by
adrOitness and a marvellous news ca
pacity, has crowded itself into posi-
ton Of great influence in Republic
all cOuncilS-this paper cOnvulsed
things last week by calling on the
stalwarts to do something except throw
stones at the governor. Its idea seems
to be that the people want sober dis
cussion of issues, and there is likeli-
hood of getting it from both factions
from now on.
1t is well known that Governor
LaFOilettc is as much a nomination
refOrmer as ever, and that matter will
likely be urged. Of course, the years
of kicking against conventions which
were manipulated by handful, and
delegates who did not remember the
little ones at home" have not been
wiped out of recollection, and the lead
er who has a remedy for chat sort of
thing can get very near the people
the subject. 1t may not be the Stew
ems bill or any other specific pro-
gramme that will kindle a response,
but the evils of the caucus system are
a very live issue wherever you get an
intelligent company of American citi-
zens together, and it will not be set
tied until it is settled right.
Tax Question Looms Up.
The tax question also looms up The
refusal of the eleventh floor manage
ment to mention the matter, it is said,
struck Henry c.. Payne as a silly alb
Anyway, the Milwaukee Journal calls
On the stalwarts to at least say wheth-
er they know there is such a subject
engrOssing the minds of men. There
is Il theory urged on citizens wavering
i'll their allegiance between the fac
lions that the eleventh story has a
contingent of men who yield to none
the desire to uphold the state tax COM
mission, and that they will seek to
control the movement When one
comes to think of it, Whitehead ard
Judge Orion are probably at heart as
drastic tax reformers as any of US.
Yet the stalwart movement in it's lit
cry bureau thus far has not mentioned
the subject The likelihood is that,
as in all aggregations of men, there is
difference not only of opinion, but of
Self-interest. The wealthy men in the
movement are content with things as
they are; the younger, ambitious fell
lows have no corporation stock to be
taxed and they are eager to push for
ward the standards under which the
people wish to march. These men do
not propose to get divorced from the
people who lave future honOrs to con-
fer merely because they themselves
have joined or been led into joining an
anti-LaFOllette crusade. The wisdom
of associating the stalwart cause in the
minds of the people with tax reform
has lately been urged on the leaders,
p even to the Xtent of anticipating Gov
ernOr LaFOllette's expected speeches
by a hearty Endorsement of the state
tax commission. 1t was laughed at
by some, who pointed to the apathy
and opposition of the last legislature,
though it was elected as a running
mate to Il tax reform governor. 9th
erS were not able to reason how it
could be done. \ few of the deep ones
including Mr.. Payne, are said to be still
thinking. The fact is that the gov
ernor, by his inaugural message and
the Haugen appointment, left some
thing to be desired in his record as q
tax refOrmer, though the career of a
public man will live down an amazing
number of plumbers; while The stall
warts on their side have unQuestiCna-
bly, got some men who could talk the
issue acceptably and sincerely. But
roughly speaking, at present writing
If you should stop a farmer in Bur
nett or Villas county and ask him who
was working to tighten his taxes he
would say Governor LaFollette,'
and if you should ask him who is 1.-THE
corporations friend" l suspect he
would refer you to the Herman build,
ing. But it is unjust to say all the
anti-LaFollette men are for knocking
out the recommendations of the tax
commission.
Hunting Season Over.
The hunting season is over. Some
dozen people are reported to have lost
their lives and no doubt the $4,000
hunters captured couple of thousand
deer. SO much has been said of the