The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-01-04

IL
ter Of appointments they cut small
figure. But not so when bearing on q
state legislator if the names be those
OF his home people. Of many Of the
measures coming up the legislator
may know little and care less; he may
readily be swayed to the one side or
rue other. And even if the Madison
pressure is strong on him, when he
gets 4 letter from some nome body.
the postmaster perhaps. or merchant.
OF even a preacher or some person Of
no especial political influence. urging
him to vote one way or the other, it
counts. The member thinks perhaps
= the knot of home-spun statesmen
about the grocery stove. or the passing
of the word along the highway that
"our member" voted this way or that.
The member in Madison, hundreds OF
miles away, knows he is responsible
to his home constituency and that
they, and not the glittering fellows
about the capitol, shape his political
future. And when his pockets are full
of letters from home, they have great
weight. Petitions favoring appoint
ments are often waste of ink; but the
personal touch with a legislator is a
mighty lever.
Object to Double Locomotives.
Railroad men want dOuble-head
trains suppressed by law. They say
that double head trains are menace
to lives, and declare that one of the
causes of the terrible De Pere wreck
on the Chicago and Northwestern rail
way last summer was dOuble-head
freight Other labor bills are the bar
bers' license bill, a measure for the
increase in the number of factory in
spectors and the employment of two
women on the state labor commission
er'S force, amendments to the label
laws giving unions the right to recov-
er labels from firms which have subse-
Quently become employers of non
union labor, an employers liability
bill. a bill requiring the payment of
wages weekly and bill providing for
the establishment of free employment
bureaus by the state.
Reform I'm the Capital.
Senator O. w. Mosher of New Rich
mond, promoted from the assembly,
is one of the best of the new men;
and he is coming to Madison with a
club to reform things under the big
white dome. He is a business man
and has been studying the employ
ment of labor here from reports of su-
perintendents of public property. He
is reported to have discovered that too
many people are employed as Janltors,
policemen, plumbers, ETC., and especial
" as 'lab0rers.' The last report is
not out but one of the features is
comparison with his predecessor,
which shows great saving.
We have this cry Of retrenchment
regularly but the net result is very
small. Citizens of Madison are able
to judge of the work Of these super
intendents, who come and so, and the
impression here is that Mr.. ScOtt-he
is a Lacrosse man-has been cOnsp1c-
uously successful in having an order
ly building and beautiful, well-kept
grounds. There are a good many old
soldiers employed and everyone knows
that they are not expected to work
as hard as younger men in private
service. Scott is a blunt man, who
goes to the heart Of things. The story
is that when Governor ScOfield was
we'll installed he called his superin-
tendent of public property to him and
said:
''Now, Mr.. Scott, want the bust
ness of the state done as a private
business is conducted. Every employe
must be able to do a full days work
as if employed in a sawmiH.'
"Wait a minute, governor sara
Scott as he started for the door. i've
got to drop forty men from the pay
roll"
That's about it. The state capitol is
a place where a good many men well
along in years are employed who de-
serve we'll of their fellow countrymen.
IT ALWAYS has been so, and most men
think it should be so. 1t will be rad
ical step to change the system.
LaFollette Inaugurated Monday.
The Inauguration occurs next Mon
day. The securing of halfrates from
all over the state on all roads to Madl-
son was a good stroke probably ex-
planned by the willingness of the roads
to oblige the legislators. The start
must be made on Inauguration day
9TH or on the Sunday preceding; but
return may be made any day up to and
including Saturday, Jan. II. At Madi-
son the inaugural ceremonies may
be witnessed at noon in the as
sembly chamber, when Chief JUS
tice Cassoday will administer the oath;
and an opportunity will be given to
shake the new governors hand in the
executive office in the afternoon from
5 o'clock to 5, and the hands
of the various state officers in
their offices during the same hours.
, Madison has two bands. One will es-
cort the procession to Mr.. LaFollette's
house and back to the capitol for the
ceremonies, and the other play for the
ball in the evening. This will occur at
the university armory. The state Off
GERS and their ladies will stand in the
receiving line and committee will in
troduce people to them. The dancing
begins at 10 O'Clock, after which hour
supper may be secured at so cents a
plate The expenses of inauguration
are paid from the contingent fund
which the legislature each session ap-
| propriates for the governors uses. But
| the uncrowned kings of Wisconsin
must pay for their supper, as is fit.
Contest Over Seat.
| We do not often have an election
contest to divert the legislature, but
! this year Gil Vandercook, who repre-
/ sented the First, Marathon district,