Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-05-15
LAWMAKERS GO HOME.
Sessions This Week viii Be
Attended by Few Mem.
bers.
CHAOS MARES THE CLOSING
Senators Ra1aliate for Governor La
Foilette's Structures on Failure to
Enact Primary Elections.

Practically the end was last Satur-
day noon, three days being allowed
the governor to consider bills passed
by both branches. However, the SEES
sions this week are of dozen mem-
beers or SO only, who go through the
form of meeting and adjourning.
The close Saturday was in keeping
with the whole unsatisfactory session.
Members nave been leaving for two
or three days without permission, and
there was no quorum In the assem-
bly, for some hours before the noon
adjournment By passing the word
not to question the presence or quor-
um. however, the issue was not
raised and a number OF bills got
through that way Where appropria-
tons are involve there must be at
least sixty assemblymen voting and
twenty-one senators. Therefore, the
only way TO pass such bills, as to
which the two branches had been
wrangling, was for one or both
branches to recede or adhere to
amendments bringing the disagree
ment back to some common point OF
agreement at which the bill was in
form to go to the governor for action.
The bill establishing a $4,000 for
estry systeA failed through lack OF q
sufficient attendance in the assembly
u pass, bills involving an appropria-
ton.
Uniform bookkeeping Established.
1t is a cause for congratulation that
the Bartz Gilman system of uniform
state accounting is enacted by law.
For this Governor Schofield should
long be remembered. and in the plan
Governor LaFollette has heartily
Joined. The senate resisted the form
H. the bill which allowed overnor
f.aFollette to name help necessary In
setting the plan In operation, until in
the last half hour of Saturdays SEES
sion 1t appeared the bill must become
a law In that form or not at all. Then,
the only time during the winter, did
flowers bloom Over the party wall.
Dan Sthrkey, The Sentineps popular
writer, took Long" Jones - the
shoulder and told him the senate must
yield and Jones allowed the point.
Jones said with a desparing surren-
der, I'm willing; you may do It,"
wiscon,in's Eleven Congressmen.
The congressional apportionment
went through with less friction then
was supposed, although state sena-
tors from the extreme north--hiordan,
Kreutzer and O'Neil--did nor like the
tinkering with their districts. Con-
gresham Barney of West Bend has
been selected as the victim for sacri-
fee and the counties which threaten
to 60 Democratic have been thrown
into this region The new (Eieventh)
district is in the northern part of the
state. The apportionment was COLI
fessed effort to get all possible for
the dominant Republican party, as
all appointments are. keeping with
in safe distance of an upset by the
suprem4 court.
Insurance on State Property.
AS for insurance on public build
ings, while Governor LaFoHette ad-
yised against it. the legislature leaves
things In such shape that he may or
may not insure There was some OPP
position TO freeing beet sugar plants
from taxation, but so much has been
said Of the new industry that the con-
cession was made. There are occa-
sionai plums in the way of fresh legis-
1ation, one being the creation of a
state live stock sanitary board which
win grant So day for expenses to
some experts. The gentlemen who
are prominent in tie legislature In
this state understand easy things of
this sort, though In this case the pay
- not large enough to f.tten on.
The geological survey must work
with 5000 this year, which means
that little work In the field can be
done. A number of sessions have de-
MED the application to establish a
lighting plant fer the capitol build
ing, but this year $35, 900 is appropri-
ated-
Judge Orton's bin restoring capital
punishment did not get far. Another
bill that fell down was one providing
twelve aldermen at large for the city
OF Milwaukee. 1t looked at one time
as II this reform on which the Nation
al league has long laid stress would
be effected. By elsctang aldermen at
large the ward pull is broken up
and the full city electorate selec: and
elect the men who must therefore en-
joy city distinction. Boston has the
plan and some think that in itself Ii
is enough to regenerate a municipal
ity. but 1t Is not to be the law this
year.
In the last few days many bills
which heve attracted wide attention
and threatened passage were knocked
in the head. One of them was the
pool bill, measure legalizing gam
bling. The senate made this happy
stroke of defeat and the question Of
which was the more virtuous body
the anti-primary election senate or the
primary election assembly-has been
jocularly discussed in the upper body.
The fact that certain assemblymen
should have voted for this gambl.zg
measure is a reminder that most any
thing may be expected of new men,
bers.
New Members Easily Nisied.
The fact is that they are like new
boys at a boarding school. MEN are
but children grown" Boys think that
to be tough IL to be manly, and so
sometimes one viii see a country
member, who is a good churchman at
home, vote recklessly on measures
that on his second session he would
shun by the impulse of his normal
sense and virtue. 1t is easy TO influ-
enee many new members. They want
to be popular and when some good
fellow asks them to vote for a bill to
oblige him, they assent readily enough.
The most effective lobbyists are the
members themselves who seek the pas
sage Of certain bills. Likely enough
they live at the same boarding house
with the men they would influence, or.
perhaps, their victim has a bill for
which the ndrnif nna hinnsEalf Sarnrra.