The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1901-02-20
Doings of the Legislature Down
at Madison.
TRANSPIRINGS AT THE CAPITOL
The Primary Election Law is the all I'M
portant acknowledgements are
Made for and Against it
Other News.

This has been mighty week in
the annals of Wisconsin lawmakers.
The Primary Election Bill mas
been on trial, and assembly men and
senators alike have come to realize
that the proposed measure has fea-
lures in it that admit of sound and
serious consideration. The purport
of the bill is esolution in our
elective system. It proposes the
adjustment OF the caucus system
and the substitution of direct vote
by the people in the nomination of
all candidates for office.
Primary election laws have been
enacted in Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, California, Michigan, Ohio
Nebraska, New York and Mime
sofa; but in none of these states has
the change been so sweeping as the
one proposed in Wisconsin. Hereto
fore have refrained from any COM
mitment as to the merits and de-
merits of the pending measure,
leaving that rather to readers who
are disposed to interest themselves
sufficient enough to study the bill.
To many readers a detailed study of
it's various sections may have been
out of the question. 1t seems to me
though, that in the enactment of
legislation as important as this some
effort should be made to be inform
ed While we all favor some reform
in our caucus system and believe in
the principal evolved in the bill,
yet am inclined 10 think that sec
tions of the proposed measure would
make the machinery of nomination
SO intricate, SO complex, that hard
ships would be imposed and the
bill very liable to repeal or amend
ment at the next session of the
legislature; if so all well and good,
nevertheless the measures as it now
stands is being criticised by the
staunchest ADMINISTRATION support
ers at the legislature. At a later
date | shall consider the bill in de-
tail. The bill had hearing Tues
day at joint session of the two
legislative committees on privileges
and election. II G. Adams, state
food and dairy commissioner, argu
ed in favor of the bill. In the
course of his discussion he describ-
ed existing conditions, pointing out
the corruption and evils under the
present system. He emphasized toe
fact that something must be- done
to get the people out to the pri-
maries, the better class OF citizens
take no part whatever; the caucus
is manipulated and managed by men
who make politics a business aud
tricksters who have in view none
but personal ends. The new law,
he main tanned, would remedy the
fault, and the people would take an
interest in the primaries, they
would regard nominations in the
same light they now do elections,
and full vote would be registered
at the primary He ans wered many
objections that had been offered
against the bill. He said the re-
publican party was in duty bound
to enact a measure of this kind. 1t
was a plank in the platform, he said,
and must be carried out. He stated
that the people demanded it, that
there was a widespread sentiment
favoring decided reform in the pres
ent primary system. He denied
that it was all experiment in it's en-
tirety; he said some of it's provi-
sions were new, but the underlying
principle was in no sense an expert
ment. He cited numerous instances
where the law was in successful
operation. On the whole his dis
cussion was mastery expositur
of every phase of the proposed law
The principal address 10 opposi-
tion to the measure was by Jane
Monahan, of Darlington, collector
of internal revenue for the cas- tern
district He maintained first aud