Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-31
s EVENS BILL
TOTAL FAILURE.
,ContInued from Second Page.)
concurred in the bill. In due time the
bill was transmitted to the governor.
JOHN NJ. WHITEHEAD"
GAINESVILLE, Wis, May u.
ELEVENTH LETTER.
"To the Editor of the Sentinel:

"On the 10th Of May the governor re-
turned the uagemeiSter bill to the Sen
ate with q message which occupies lit
tie over nine pages OF the Senate Jour-
nal. His introduction was as follows:
1.-The history of the effort to secure
primary election law in this state, the
character of the opposition and the
means employed to defeat it demand
permanent place in the legislative record
of this session. 1t is therefore from
controlling sense Of obligation that SUBJ
nit the following in connection with spe-
cific reasons for interpoSing the executive
veto to prevent this bill from becoming
law
THE message then gave resume or
the arguments which had been made be-
fore the committees Of the Legislature
and upon the floors of both houses In IA
vor Of the system OF primary elections
provided for in the substitute bill which
the Senate had rejected; lie reiterated
the pledge Of the Republican state con-
vention of 1900 and asserted it's meaning
to be as follows:
81. The abolition of nominations by
caucus and convention.
2 That every voter shall vote directly
for the candidate Of his choice at prl-
mary election. u4,4o
legislative, congressional and county Of
fees shall be nominated by direct vote at
n primary election under the Australian
ballot
"He then addressed himself to the SEN
ate in Il manner tho spirit and temper OK
which are fairly Illustrated by the tol-
lowing:
Immediately upon the organization
of the Legislature, many weeks before
eny bill was offered upon the SUBJECT OF
primary elections, it was boashngly an,
nounced that one OF its branches had
been SO organized as to defeat the pass
age Of any primary election Legislation.
"'Before the introduction of the pr1~
mary election bill an attempt was made
to arouse distrust concerning 1t, ana to
thoroughly discredit the measure III al
vance. Upon it's presentation to the
Legislature, SO framed as to comply with
the pledge made to the people of the
state, q systematic campaign of mlsrep-
resentation of the bill and its supporters
was industriously prosecuted. Ihe gen
eral purpose Of the measure, the pam
meaning of it's provisions, and certain ef-
feet of the law in operation, the neces-
sary and reasonable expense, each ana
all furnished theme for persistent falsl-
fcatiou and malicious assault. An ar
raw of federal office holders, joining with
certain corporation agents and the repre-
sentatives of the machine in the regular
legislative lobby, moved upon the capltol,
into the legislative halls, followed mem
bers to their hotels, tempted many with
alluring forms of vice, and In some In
stances brought them to the capitol in
state of intoXication to vote against the
bill. This sets forth in part the charac-
ter of the opposition, but omits to take
account Of some Of the means used and
attempted to be used to prevent the pass
age of the measure.
az cannot divest myself of the bind
ing character of my official obligation
not in any narrow partisan sense, but to
all the people Of the state-whiCh for
bids my sharing in the responsibility of
giving them a law which violates that
obligation and Is manifestly so framed
as to bring reproach upon the principle,
even If it were at all possible TO inter
pref or enforce it
Legislative Responsibilities.
"The constitution authorized the gov
ernor to return a bill If he did not APP
prove 1t TO the house in which It orig
mated, az, IN this case, to the Senate,
with his objections. These objections
were to be, in the contemplation of the
constitution to the measure and not to
the members of the house to which the
message was sent, nor to individuals not
members. The Legislature had been
elected by the people and 1t was respon-
sible to the people. The people, from
the AuopIlOu u inc SoASdLuI ioAA' hNS
spoken their will through the Senate and
Assembly. They had written in the con-
stitution:
1.-THE legislative power shall be vested
In a Senate and Assembly,
"The style of the laws of the state
shall be: The people of the state Of
Wisconsin, represented In Senate and
Assembly, do enact as follows
1.-THE doors of each house shall be
kept open except when the public well
fare shall require secrecy.
"Members of the Legislature shall
take and subscribe an oath or aflrma-
ton TO support the constitution of the
United States and the constitution Of the
state of Wisconsin, and faithfully to dis
charge the duties of their office to the
best of their ability
'"The Legislature was a deliberatlve
body and its failure TO pass either the
Stevens bill or the substitute bill was due
to earnest study on the part Of the mem
bers of both houses, and to long and seri-
Gus reflection and interchange of views
upon the questions presented by the bills.
Members who thus stopped to think did
not shut their eyes TO the obligations i'm
posed upon them by their party's plat
form, nor did they shrink from their duty
as legislators because of the platform. |
do not claim TO have been more devoted
to my public duty, and / will not admit
that / was leSs anxious TO do my duty
than the average Of my colleagues In the
Legislature. / believe I was in accord
with the majoSrity of the voters OF my
senatorial dist kict, to whom / was d.
rectly accounta pie for my views upon the
IA H.. IA Iw.~A l. II H.