The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-28
COMPROMISE IS LIKELY
WAY OUT OF TILE REFERENDIJNs
CLAUSE OF PRIMARY
BILL
CHANGE THE TIME OF VOTING
Instead of Spring, the Fall May Be
ChOsen-Action of Senate
at Madison Is
Plain.

MAO1SON, WIS.,, Apf11 zl.- w nat VIII
the senate do with the primary election
bill which the assembly passed Thursday
night?" is the question everybody is ask
ing now. If the claims Of the ''stalwart"
senators hold good the upper house will
kill this bill by about the same vote as
that by which it passed the Hagemeister
substitute. They are likely, however, to
lose one or two of these but from the
outlook now they will have enough votes
to kill the assembly bill.
A conference committee will then be
in order and last effort made to draft
a compromise that will pass both houses
1t is believed this could be done by
changing the referendum clause so that
the measure should be voted upon at the
fall election of 1902, instead of the spring
election. This seems like a slight change
at first glance, but in reality it means
the difference Of having the next legis-
lature elected under the primary sys-
tenn, if the law is approved by the people,
and choosing the legislature by the pres
ent method. AS the next legislature will
elect United States senator to succeed
John C. Spooner, the Importance of this
point is easily recognized. 1t is the point
at which all efforts at a compromise have
thus far failed. Whether 1t will be any
different when brought down to the
direct issue remains to be seen.
The legislature will adjourn sine die,
or at least take a long recess, May II,
two weeks from today This at least is
the present plan. said to have been agreed
upon by the majority IN both houses. 1t
means that if the superintendent of sena-
torial and congressional districts is not
completed by that time one CIR both will
go over to an adjourned session. The
assembly postponed action Friday on the
resolution passed by the senate fixing
the date for May II, and a change in it is
still possible, but not probable The
agreement is said to have included Satur-
day and Monday sessions of both houses.
but this agreement was broken by the
senate, which passed a resolution for
adjournment until Monday evening i'm
mediately after converting Friday morn,
ing. A similar effort was defeated in the
assembly, but when the senate's action
was learned the vote was reconsidered
and the lower house also took a three
days vacation.
The apportionment question still looms
up as a rock in the path OF legislation
The division of the state into congress
sional districts is untouched. The appor-
tionment committee is having t-oub' e
enough just now with the senatorial dis
trictS, and while twenty-eight of these
have been agreed upon by vote Of t G
. VII
have to be done over again. An effort is
said to be on foot to legislate either SEN
ator Harris or Senator Whitehead out of
Office by putting their three counties into
two districts. This would necess' tate
breaking county lines by splitting Wal
worth county, putting part of it wi h
Waukesha and part with Rock county,
and as the supreme court has said that
county lines shall not be broken exec Ut
in case of necessity or words TO that Eff
feet, in making up districts, 1t is not be-
lieved the plan will go through Tfere
is trouble of a somewhat similar nature
in the northwestern part of the state.
and with the two Democratic CUNT s
of Washington and Ozaukee still und s.
posed of, the theory that the comm .ttee
will be able % report a bill early the
coming week. =, extremely visionary.
The subject of railroad taxation will
be up again in the assembly next week.
the issue being the passage Of the al
valorem bill, taxing the railroads on
their property valuation. This Ii came
from the committee on assessments ard
collection Of taxes. with a majority in lis
favor. A hard fight for it viii he made
On the floor, and as some of the Assem-
blymen who voted against the iii Go in
crease the license rate have been hea ing
from their constituents. there is a chance
that enough votes may change to pass it.
If it gees through the assembly, how
ever, it viii have small chance in t, e
upper house
The defeat in the senate of the Roe l.
defining drinks containing / per csnt OF
alcohol as intcxicants is a vic. DRY fer TIE
brewers and the proprietors OF 'bl n
pigs in the no-license towns. Most o.
the brewers make q mild beer watch Is