Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-16

Madison, May 1.-THE legislative
session for 1901 is as at an end all but
nominally. Adjournment sine die
occurs May Is, and the intervening
period is merely to permit the COVER
nor to make return of bills POSSIBLY
Of vetoes) and for other formalities.
Actual work was really concluded at
noon today. The session will go on
record as of uncommon length, about
126 days. Two years ago the duration
was ia while, to go back few
years, it is found that in 1891 the
solons were in session 101 days and in
1898 some 102 days. 1t was a cyclonic
finish, such as the state has never be-
fore witnessed. The senate formally
placed itself on record as protesting
against language the governor had
employed in speaking of the legis-
lature This act and the phraseolOgy
used constitute a censure of the eX-
ecutive. A tempestuous scene occurred
in the senate. Senator ROehr, stall
wart. started the whirlwind by rising
to a question of personal privilege.
He said he felt that he owed a duty
to the republican party, to the legis-
lature and to himself to protest
against the statements made in Gov.
La Follette's veto of the Hagemeister
primary election substitute. Those
charges, he declared, were ''unprece-
denied unwarranted and unjustifi-
able" Among other things the gov
ernor had said that IAN array of
federal office-holders, joining with
certain corporation agents and the
representatives of the machine in
the regular legislative lobby, moved
upon the capitol, took possession Of its
corridors, intruded into the legisla-
hotels, tempted many with alluring
| forms OF vice, and in some instances
| brought them into the capitol in a
state of intoXication, to vote against
! the primary election bill" Sen
Roehr introduced resolution reciting
the governors words. The resolution
| continues: 1--WE therefore claim our
privilege as senators to have it appear
upon the record of our proceedings
that we do not allow these statements
| of the governor to pass unchallenged,
and that upon any view Of his con-
stitutional prerogative we deny that
| he is justified in thus addressing the
legislature. We hold that no sense
of obligation on the part of the gov,
| ernor can excuse such grave refec.
| lions upon the members of the legis
| lature as are contained in the por'
tions of the message above quoted
We recognize the constitutional right
of the governor freely to express his
views upon the policy and valldity OF
any legislation submitted to him for
his approval, but we hold that the use
! of such expressions as are above
specifically referred to transcends all
| bounds of official propriety and con
| stitutional right. We protest there,
fore most earnestly as members of
the legislature against the aspersions
cast upon our official acts, upon our
personal motives, and upon our pri-
vate characters by the governor in
this message to the legislature" A
hot debate ensued, Senator Miller de-
claring the senate to be a
"subsidized body" Senator
Martin that the resolution was "un'
wise and uncalled for, and Senator
McGillivary that it was "scandalous. D
| while Senator Krutzer said that he
must protest for his own sake and
for the sake of his family against
The resolution was adopted, Is to 8,
as follows: For, Bissell, Devos, Eaton,
Gaveney, Green, Harris, Jones, Kreut-
ger, McDonough, Morse, Mosher,
O'Neil, Reynolds, Riordan, Roehr,
Weed, Whitehead and Willy; against,
Arson, Burns, Knudson, McGillivray,
Martin, Miller, Mills and Munson.
There were some 26 senators and
somewhat under so assemblymen pres
ent when the session opened, but the
numbers dropped away rapidly, espe-
cially in the lower house, till when the
gravel finally fell at noon there were
scarcely a dozen members left. In
the assembly the greatest confusion
characterized the closing hour, due to
the desperate attempt Of Mr.. Keene
to get affirmative action on the
central auditing bill. This measure
had for several days been vibrating
between the two houses, the assembly
standing for a provision giving the
governor the power to appoint needed
extra help to establish the system
and the senate for one that the
secretary of state and state treasurer
should also have that right A confer