Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-05-31
TENTH LETTER.
Q the Editor of the Sentinel.

| SlCoIly the ITleHuS OF the SUBSTITUTE
| bill found 1t necessary to abandon GER
| tain positions taken in the Stevens bill
with reference to the ballot, and the
qualification and the challenge of voters,
but apparently no concession was
thought of with reference to the petition
provision for making nominations for the
primary election; and, on the contrary,
those nominations were made even more
difficult and expensive for candidates to
procure. 1t would seem to one of any
experience in politics, who feared the
domination of the machine that nomi-
nations for office should be made as SIM
pie and easy as possible. Any elector
should have the right to offer himself as
a candidate for any Office which he is
legally qualified to hold, whether he have
machine organization, ready to work
for his nomination, or not, and the purl-
| ty Of nomination methods was quite as
likely to be preserved by leaving the
nominating way open to all who might
wish to enter as by hedging it about by
difficulties which could only be removed
by the efforts of a well-organized ma
chine and the outlay of money. 1t was
often asserted on the argument that the
suited its purpose. Obviously if the
people were averse to such domination,
and were disposed to use their ballots
to defeat machine candidates, the very
presentation of themselves as candidates
by men not acceptable to the machine
would be an aid rather than hindrance
to voters in their opposition to the ma
chine
"There was no concession in the sub
stitute bill in regard to the committee
system, excepting only the changes
which I have noted in reference to proxy
voting.
Section % of the Stevens bill, provid-
ing for a primary election to be held in
April for the selection of delegates and
alternates to the national convention, was
omitted. No method was suggested for
the selection of these dele Gates. Pre-
sumably, therefore, all parties were left
free to choose their delegates to national
conventions by the methods heretofore in
use.
Meth cd of Canvassing.
'"The method Of canvassing the vote
was changed to the relief of members Of
the committee in the following particu-
lars: % If the canvass were city vote,
it was to be made at the Office of the city
clerk, by the city clerk and chairman and
secretary Of the party city committee
(2) If Of a county vote, at the Office of
the county clerk by the county clerk and
the chairman and secretary of the county
committee 81 If Of a vote extending
beyond the limits Of any one county, at
the Office of the secretary of state by the
secretary Of state and The chairman and
secretary Of the state central commit
tee
"The Stevens bill provided that pri-
mary election day in September should be
a legal holiday. The substitute bill omit
ted this provision.
"A very unusual dilemma confronted
the Legislature. When the Stevens bill
was presented, as 1 have already said,
1t was asserted, with all earnestness,
that it fulfilled the party pledge. The
same claim was made for the substitute
bill. AS the members studied the bills
they became convinced that the party
had not made a pledge which called for
such legislation as that proposed in either
of the bills. The pledge referred to some
thing which neither of these bills offered
to make good.
''The clerical details of the substitute
bill do not call for further examination
1t passed the Assembly March % The
vote stood: Ayes, 81 noes, 4S; absent
or not voting, L. Two Democrats and
40 Republicans voted for and saved the
bill. The Republicans who voted for
the bill were two short of a majority of
the House. The bill reached the Senate
on March 90 1t was made a special or
der for debate on the evenings of April
10 and IL. The vote in the Senate was
taken at the close of the debate on April
II. The question was on concurrence.
The vote stood: Ayes, 10; noes, 90
Every senator was in his place and vot-
ed. Eighteen Republicans and two Dem
ocrats voted no and thirteen Republicans
voted aye. This vote settled the fate
of the substitute for the Stevens bill.
"On April 9 an amendment in the
form of substitute for 73-S Ghe same
as the Stevens bilD was introduced by
Senator Hagemeister. The provisions of
this bill were for primary election to be
held blennlally on the first Wednesday
or September, for the nomination of
county officers. In order to be named as
candidate on the ballot one was re-
qulred to make and file an affidavit as
to his qualifications as voter, and as
to his afhiation with the party whose
suffrages he was to ask, and to pay
fee. The largest fee required was $40,
the smallest 81. The form OF ballot was
borrowed from the substitute for the
Stevens bill. When the vote was about
to be taken on the bill it was amended
by Incorporating a referendum clause.
as follows: This act shall be submitted
for adoption or rejection at the spring
or municipal election of 1902 The
Hagemeister bill passed the Senate by
the following vote: Ayes, 20; noes.
a. Nineteen Republican senators Ia
majority of the body voted for the bill,
Both the Democratic senators voted
against it.
Hagemeistes Bill Passed.
1.-THE Hagemeister bill was messaged
over to the Assembly on April Is and
referred to the committees on privileges
and elections. The committee reported
back an amendment in the form Of a
substitute, which was in substance and
form the Senate bill introduced by Sena-
tor Miller, the original No. 73-S, tbs
same as the Stevens bill, which the COM
mittee had itself set aside for the sub
stiture which the Senate had rejected.
The amended biz SO proposed was made
a special order in the Assembly on April
25 and the vote then taken was as fol-
lows: Ayes, At; noes, "A; absent or not
voting, /; paired, 81 This vote showed