Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-03-28
WISCONSIN SOLONS.


LIE committee on privileges and cleo
'ions on Monday evening reported the
primary election bill to the Assembly for
passage. Some changes are made from
Tue original, but the main features of the
pili are retained, the convention being
illuminated and the caucus transformed
Into primary election One section
which has called out considerable criti-
clsm, requiring that the voter at the pri-
mary on being challenged must make
oath that he intends to vote with the
party, is cut out in the substitute bill,
and the manner of constructing the party
plat1orm is left optional with State GEN.
tral committees. At meetings of the
State central committee each member
IS given one vote for each 25O cast by his
party in his county.
The first lineup in the fight over the
primary election bill occurred Tuesday
morning, when Mr.. Stevens, author Of
the BILL moved that it be made the spe-
clal order for that evening. Judge Or
ton led the fight against the measure,
urging consideration later in the week.
Me. Hall favored immediate considera-
ton and the test came on Mr.. Ortons
vote of 4S to 80. At the evening session
the Assembly without any speechmak-s
ing voted, SO to 33, to adopt the substi-
tute. On vote to engross a call of the
House was ordered, and for more than
an hour nothing was done, the friends of
the bill refusing to adjourn and the OPP
ponents refusing to raise the call.
The lower house Of the Legislature
passed, under suspension of the rules,
the bill to prevent the appointment Of
four Democratic Aldermen in Milwaukee
by Mayor Rose. The Senate passed the
Martin bill for the appointment of
woman member of the State Board Of
University Regents, and advanced to
third reading the O'Neil bill for woman
member of the State Board of Normal
School Regents. The Whitehead bill pro-
hibiting the docking of horses tails was
also advanced to third reading in the
Senate.
The Stevens primary election bill was
ordered to third reading in the lower
house of the Legislature at o'clock
Wednesday morning after an all-night
session, during which the house was in
a deadlock. 1t was the hottest contest
the Wisconsin Legislature has seen for
a generation. Almost all the politicians
Of the State were present, among them
practically all the federal office holders,
who are making an organized fight
against the bill. United States Marshal
Tom Reid Of Appleton, United States
Internal Revenue Collector Henry Fink
of Milwaukee, United States District At
torney w. G. Wheeler of GAINESVILLE and
United States Revenue Collector j. G..
Monahan of Darlington were present di-
recting the fight. The House met at s
o'clock Tuesday night and almost at once
began consideration of the Stevens bill
The opponents of the measure began to
filibuster and kept it up all night. They
succeeded in preventing any discussion
of the bill until Assemblyman Sturdeyant
arrived on an early morning train. The
friends of the bill then had majority
and the bill was ordered engrossed by a
vote of SO to IL. In the early morning
hours an alteration arose between Col
lector Fink and Assemblyman Andrew,
the latter objecting to the United States
officials making free with the privileges
of the floor to lobby against the bill. The
trouble resulted in the federal officials
being compelled to retire from the floor.
The lower house of the Legislature on
Thursday killed the Owen bill allowing
cities to amend the franchises of public
utility corporations and enable cities to
regulate the rates to be charged by such
companies. The primary election bill was
made a special order in the House for
Friday.
After one of the bitterest fights ever
witnessed in the legislative halls of Wis
consin, the primary election bill passed
the Assembly shortly after II o'clock
noon on Friday by vote of 81 to 4S.
The majority for the bill had narrowed,
owing to change of five members from
the ranks of the supporters to those OF
the opponents The five who changed
were Duerrwaechter of Washington,
Haggerty of Crawford, S1lkworth of Eau
Claire. Johnson of Sank and Park OF
Pierce. These members voted for the
bill Wednesday morning and against 1t
Friday. Two Of these men-Messrs. SILK
worth and Park-were never in favor OF
the bill. but voted for it on Wednesday IN
order to be able to move reconsldera-
tion. Leaders of both houses have taken
stems for the closing up of business by
Nav /. The members were given to UNI
derstand that they must bear the neces-
sity Of such action in mind and govern
themselves accordingly. However, the
feeling is general that the session may
extend to May 10 unless many measures
are to be given scant attention.
r,i1ls Passed-Assembly.
11aIsey