Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-02-21

Perhaps nothing has been more in
teresting during the past week than
the discassion Of the primary election
bill. Last Tuesday afternoon the JOINT
comlnittee on Privileges and Elections
gave u public hearing on the subject IN
The assembly cnamDer. Ine most of
the naembers al both houses We're pax =
seuJ, aud there was 4 large number of
others on hand 70 near the opeulna
law,
The hrsC speaker in favor OF the bill
was Il. e.. Adams, Food anu Dairy Lom-
missioner tor W isconsln. lie presen-
Ted q siroug argumeut loo nis. olue Ga
the Question ..pu answered may .. The
objections urged against it. 1nous il
ne 0l0 make u decided iLA pross.ou 1pvu
has audience. de neld that Lne CAUCUS
AND convention 40 not, <l9 = rule, give
the peetle TIE <:audauates they wish;
That the present methods Vi uOintaA.
lions are very often The nieaus Of euec-
5tuaiIy thWartAng The Wiii vi Tue public
that these methods MAKE II eaay lu.
many cases IOr politicians OF unsavory
character to get into office; that the
common people, the bOue ana siueW Ut
the country, the farmers aud Iabofang
men generally, are demanding "a meA-
sure that will give taem more inilu-
ence III the SELECTION OF Candidates foc
office, aud tnat the Dill now before the
while upt perfect perhaps
iuevery respect, will 90 far towards |
the piaiplJ apparent evils vi |
the coucus system. Mr.. Adams uree ed |
. positive attitude towards the bill |
On one side or the other He docs not T
wish it 90 amended as 70 take The force
out OF it ami make IL u farce.
The next speaker for the bill was
Fl. G. Taylor Of Orfordvil,e, Rock
sunnty, farmer. MIR. Taylor spoke
as il he could do something beside
holding pillow and hack corn; he spoke
easily before the law makers and with
force. He said that the farmers made
up 81 per cent of Che state, and that
other people Of the rural population
bring the percentage up TO 10. He be-
LEVIED, from being much with the leo
pie of the country that he knew their
desires upon this subject, and he aid
not hesitate to say that the great mae
,rliy of the rural population want this
bill passed. He said chat country peo-
pie more than all others are jelous OF
their political rights; that they turn
cut largely To school meetings and
elections, but do not much care to go
to caucus, and for the reason than such
affairs are commonly packed and
that their Individual choices do not
count. He said that if given
Inc chance offered them by the primary
election bill they would take a positive
hand in the nomination of candidates
FOR Office, and for this reason be asked t
that the bill become law,
The arguments against the measure
was presented by James Monahau, OF
This speech Of Mr.. Mon
hans was in some respects q remark
atle one. twas splendid rhetorical
and orattrical effort. It ahounded in
figures of speech, in wit and humor; and
there were some fairly successful at
tempts at pathos. Moreover It was de-
|ivered in clear, ringing voice that
81 itself commanded the closest atten-
ton.
Air. Monahan deneid that there is on !
The part Of the people . demand for
this law. He deneid that the repnbi
can party II hound by the preliminary
election plank in the republican, plal
form. He denied that It would b,ia3
about the desired reforms. He said ,hat
the doctrines in the bill are populistic
and as such he sueered at them. H
said that he had long time been
whirl horse in the party. and be pre-
dicted that If the bill IL passed the ce-
will get into isower at the mex
election aad repeal the iaw 3ust as they
did the fapous "Bennrt Laws He
said that the causus system, though
subject to some nbuse, IL good enough
that 1t has given 70 us Fairchild, and
Rnsk and spooner and Qnarles and
T1aFoliette.
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