Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-31


and that clear and explicit demand
! had been made at the polls by the voters
at the last election; that the Legislature
should accord to the people in full meas
ure the sovereign power of the ballot
might cite many other expressions like
the above, but these sufficiently illustrate
the basis Of the arguments oftenest used
| In favor of the bill Such phrases did
not then, nor will they now, settle the
case. The judgment of the people upon
this bill will not be determined by catch
phrases or platitudes. I prefer to con-
hne myself to plain speech and to q sue
clint statement of facts. The people will
examine the facts for themselves. They
VIII pass upon all the questions raised
and decide them upon their merits.
What the Platform Demanded.
AT the last state Republican conyen-
uon the platform contained the following
| declaration:
me great reformation effected in
our general elections through the Aus
tRaiIan ballot inspires us with confidence
10 apply the same method in making
nominations, so that every voter may
exercise his sovereign right Of choice
| by direct vote without the intervention
| or interference Of any political agency
We therefore demand that caucuses and
conventions for the nomination Of can
dldates for office be abolished by legis-
latlve enactment, and that all candidates
for state, legislative, congressional and
county officers be nominated at q pri-
mary election upon the same day by
| direct vote under the Australian ballot
| The propositions contained in this
| convention utterance, specifically stated,
! are as follows:
Il. The Australian ballot has effected
| great reform in our general elections.
| -. The same method should be ap-
| piled in making nominations.
| 20. The voter should exercise his SOW
! ereign right of choice in making nomi-
! nations by direct vote.
Il. No political agency should inter
| Yene or interfere.
80. Caucuscs and conventions should
| be abolished by law.
| '6. All candidates for state, Iegisla-
| tive, congressional and county officers
| are to be nominated at a primary cleo
| ton upon the same day by direct vote
| under the Australian ballot.
Primary Law Favored.
| ''The Legislature convened January g.,
, 1901. In the Senate thirty-one out of
| thirty-three, and in the Assembly eighty
one out Of 100 members were Repub-
| licans. The party pledge was in the
! mind and kept constantly before the
! eyes of each Republican member. The
| casual conversation of members, when
| they first met at the capitol, turned al
| most inevitably to the subject Of a
| primary election law. One said to an
| other: 'Of course we are to pass d
| primary election law After a few days,
| one asked of another: Who is to pre-
! pare the BILL and What are to be its
provsons?' After many days Of wait
/ ing the general inquiry was: When is
| the bill to make its appearanceT
1.-THE whole matter became an ever
| deepening mystery, but finally our pa
| thence was rewarded, for on Monday
| evening, January 30, 1901. the cloud lift
| ed. The bill, all printed, ready for our
! files, was laid upon our desks. Then, for
! the first time, we all knew what sort Of
| remedy was proposed for our much
! talked-of political ills. The committees
| on privileges and elections Of both houses
| Immediately arranged for joint hearings
| upon the bill to begin the following week.
! All other legislative business was treated
! as Of secondary Importance. A state Of
| fetal came before the committees and
| opened the debate in favor Of the bill,
| with q brilliant and effective presenta-
| ton of it in every light in which it might
| be made to appear necessary, wise and
| patriotic. He was most skillful and per-
| suasive, and his task was more than that
! of a phrasemaker. It was to show the
hand and purpose that were ready to
! guide the Legislature.
Demanded in Exciting Form.
"He ventured farther and farther in
| his claims and demands until he reached
| a point where he dared assert:
| "I believe that this bill is properly
| drawn in all it's details. 1t is not cum
| bersome, as has been claimed. The sub
! stantial repeal of existing laws and the
| substitution therefor of a complete sys-
! TEN Of laws, providing for all Of the de-
| tails necessitated by primary elections,
cannot be embraced within a few Sec
| tons Of the statutes. Even the friends
| of the measure who have not carefully
| studied it have very generally, in private
| conversation and through the press, stat
| ed that the law might be defective in
| some particulars. But it is observable
| that these particulars have seldom been
| pointed out Naturally, the public has
| been inclined to think that law as i'm
portant as this, embracing thirty-nine Sec
| tions, would contain some grave defects.
| If such defects exist, l have not been
| able to find them. We ask that
| the Stevens bill be passed substantially
/ in its present form
| According to this advocate and leader.
| who is not a member of either House,
| the Legislature, without being consulted
| as to what the bill should be, without
| knowing what it was to contain before it
was printed and laid before them and
being yet in the dark even as to its au-
| thorship, was expected forthwith to en-
| act the bill into a law. Mark the words
| of the distinguished orator, We ask that
| the Stevens bill be passed substantially
| in its present form He should have
| known better the place in which he
| spoke and the men to whom he spoke.
| From the foundation of the state, the
| practice of Wisconsin Legislators had
been different from that which his words
| and manner implied. He and those for
| whom he spoke found that constitutional
| ohliga tions reSted,as we'll I1nOn tho man.