Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-08-14
SOLONS' CONFERENCE.
The Republican fractional Fight
in the State Has Been
Intensified.
GOV. LAFoLLETTE WILL MOVE
Counter Movement when He Gets His
Strength-Mucb Work Laid Out
for Supreme Court.

-ladiS0n, WIS, aug. lo.-Ihe NIL
waukee >rence widens the gulf
between IL factions of the Republic
an party. While there were not any
considerable additions to the ranks Of
the anti-LaF GILLETTE men; that Is, nearly
all who were present were conspicu-
Gus last winter for their same attitude,
yet the conference relterates the fact
and must be taken as unmistakable
evidence of a fight over the renomina-
ton of the governor. While thus far
he Is not officially mentioned by name
rs one of the purposes" of the con-
ference, no one doubts what II meals.
Its relation to the senatorshlp is less
clear While many of the gathering
are earnest Spooner men, there was
less talk of it being primarily Spoon
err defense movement" and some of the
senator's friends are not altogether as
sured. Senator Quarles was much In
evidence. The LaFollette men say the
junior senator Is afraid Governor La
Toilette will want to succeed him in
1904, and would relish seeing LaFol
lett discredlted now. What ever the
cause, Nc. Quarles is out flat-footed In
long int erviews against LaFollette,
char. Org him with being a "one-man
govern or" and Populist! Senator
Jones of Waulesha talks the same
way the Others are less communica-
tive.
The administration forces talk
brayely. 1t is nearly year to conven-
ton time. The expectation of the La
Foil cite men is that when the stall
warts" attempt to nominate somebody,
chickering's will begin among them
selves; and If 1t is so that Mr.. Pfister
IS the handspring of things, some of
tine conferrees will later resist. 1t Is
conceded that there were fine men and
loyal Republicans in the Milwaukee
COnfereA ce, and the LaFollette men,
confident that the revolt Is worked up
Tor selfish ends, are content TO Let time
work oue he snarls. Governor LhFol-
lette is not blameless In the matter, tCG
he showed lack of tact and pliability
last winter in dealing with some of
the legislators. Senator Riordan and
men who enjoy public confidence have
versions of interviews with him which
they often tell to show how arbitrary
and compulsive the governor was. And
1t is the after-glow of their hurt pride
that more than any thing else has
worked up this whole revolt
| 1t pays to be genial and conciliatory.
II one insists on overwhelming man
by superior personality, he must be
CAREFUL in selecting his man.
But the governor has not had his say
yet. When he gets his strength and
hold on the state again he will teach
the eleventh-story fellows a lot of
things. Wisconsin Republicans for
years struggled to shake off
Milwaukee domination In the party, but
no one before LaFollette was IDLE to
do 1t. When he makes his appeal for
Endorsement 1t will no doubt kindle
echoes.
suprs:ne Court and State Issues.
The supreme court will have an un-
usual number of cases of a public
character to take up when 1t meets
three weeks hence. One thinks at once
of the Gates county organization case
and the Portage levee relief, which
will be pressed to immediate hearing.
Then, too, there are the New Rich
mond relief claim and the Kelley cure
orders contention. Three of these mat
tiers are thrown into the courts by
Attorney General Hicks, who ruled the
legislation ON which they are based un-
constitutional Had there been only
one such appropriation, it is likely
enough the attorney general would
have let 1t pass by, but the series of
drains on the treasury was so extern
sive "a total of 100000 involved that
he evidently deems it desirable that the
drift of this paternaIistie legislation
should be reviewed by the supreme
court. The Kelley cure orders date
back to 1895, when the legislature
passed the act that allowed counties to
pay bills for drink victims at the Keel
ey cure at Waukesha. not to exceed
$40 per case. This act the supreme
court knocked out The claims which
the home" had against the counties
were largely disposed of to Milwaukee
and other newspapers in return for ad-
vertising and they hold them now.
1t Is said they were sold for some
90 to 60 cents on the dollar. The eff.
fort of the last legislature was to legal
lie them. But the attorney generals
opinion puts the issues once more be-
fore the supreme court, where the gold
cure has already been twice.
New Railroad to Superior.
Mr.. Gates. for whom the county Is
named. has no fears for the outcome OF
legislation. He has just bought lands
from II. W. Sage and d. L. Simons ag-
g-egating about $4,000 acres and lying
In Chippewa, Gates and Price counties
and elsewhere. He is hopeful of an
extension OF the st. Paul road from a
polns In Clark county northward to tEs
lake throuuh ChfnpaU-a Gates and