Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-16

liberate judgment such as is expected OF
him when q Constitutional amendment IS
submitted. This action brought to close
unnecessarily bitter discussion | have
never been able TO appreciate the vehement
enthusiasm for, nor the persistent opposition
to the primary. AS Il political issue it does
not involve public honor. nor party integ
rity. nor personal conscience. II is merely
4 question of method. We hailed the Aus
traiian ballot as an improvement: the voting
machine, which will soon diSplacc II. Is be
ing likewise welcomed. Thus the primary
has appeared to me 4 modern Improve
ment of our nominating machinery.
In politics as in mechanics there has
been steady improvement. From limited
suffrage to universal suffrage: from self
nominations, through congressional and leg
islative caucus, to the conventions: from an
informal meeting TO a caucus regulated by
law; from the vest pocket ticket to the
Australian ballot from the importantly of
the ticket peddler 10 the quiet election
booth; along these progressive steps there
has been gradual tendency TO bring polti
cal power nearer the people and TO make
! the exercise of political duties more con-
yenient and therefore more attractive. The
| primary is the next step in this evolution.
Partial experiments in other states show
| 4 better attendance at primaries than has
been customary at caucuses Whatever
method will accomplish this result should
meet hearty approval. The larger the mum
Der of citizens participating in practical
politics. the better for the commonwealth
and its government It will hasten the glad
day when the prevailing sentiment of oul
people will look upon politics tn
synonym OF Patriotism
Rate Regulation.
With resources more varied than those
/ of any other state. Wisconsin has already
! forged to the front. The southern half of
! the state. with three fourths of our popula-
! ton. with its agriculture diversified and
! specialized, with industrial and commercial
enterprises established, is capable Of still
greater development. The northern half
| with only one-fourth of our population, pre-
! SentS 4 splendid field for energy and en-
! terprise. 1t is in transition from numbering
/ to agriculture Yet. when once its vast
/ water powers shall have been harnessed
/ it needs no prophetic vision TO see, within
! the present generation, thriving manufac-
i turing industries and freight cars and troi-
! leys speeding from town to town.
To attain this desired development, trans
portation facilities are necessary; hence cap
ltal must feel assured, on the one hand
/ of stability of investment in tranSporta-
ton lines and of a chance of reasonable
/ profit therefrom and on the other hand, of
suflc1ently low rates so as to make possible
Il fair competition with other states and
thus induce the establishment of industries.
/ The interests of the state and of the trans
portation lines are therefore mutual.
But it IS not safe to rest satisfied with
i this mutuality of interest, for human nature
! Will impel conflict for advantage. En-
perience. too, has shown that neither con-
| petition nor improved motive power will
! lower rates in all localities. This is ac-
! centuated in these latter days when COM
/ bination seems about ready to act as the
eXecutioner Of competition. Hence para
! phrasing Il remark of President Roosevelt
/ the state should see to it that 1.-The cards
! are not stacked
| The common carrier has been favored by
| the law with great power and special priv
/ legeS, and these should never be permitted
to be transformed into Observation-Disclosures of
oppression or extortion. State regulation
Il conceded legal power becomes therefore
! administrative necessity.
Wisconsin has attempted such regulation,
but, i'll an Illogical manner. We started
law, adopted in 1874, amended in 10 re
pealed liz rs. Then went to the ether
extreme and now have a commissioner with
only perfunctory powers office which
in the parlance Of the practical politiciap.
is "a soft snap The law indeed pro,ltb-
its determinations, Il practice so unfair
that one cannot conceive that it can have
any defenders. But the commissioner car
do no more than examine, and then report
to the. attorney general, with whom it IS
! discretionary to enforce the law.
The majority of other states have es-
| tablished commissions The interstate con-
| mercc commission. starting with very lin
tied authority, has had the same gradually
Increased, and after many struggles and
trials. is steadily gaining in usefulness. The
experience of all these several bodies will be
the best guide for the Legislature in the
drafting of an effective and beneficial law
enacted in a spirit of fairness and upon
Just and reasonable basis.
NoiiiiIiiSSloH III my Opl1lIOn, SnOuI.
| be elected by the people, not appointed
" any other public Official The propo-
1 sition to combine the elective and an
pointlve features by the people eecting one
member, and the governor appointing two
members, Is In effect giving the governor .
veto on the choice of the people. The
appointing power should be restricted
rather than enlarged, distributed rather
! than concentrated.
1t is said that the representatives of tta
raj road interests have heretofore success
fully combated the elective feature with
the claim that it will result in incomnetenr
men being chosen. This argument will boIJ
equally against the insurance commissioner
and still more so against the constitution i
! office of attorney general. 1t is fair RI as
sumo that the argument refers to iacy,cri
/ ence with the detail and technical wo,l.
such as relates to accounting and traffic
But this objection, reasonable from the
! latter viewpoint, can be obv:ated nv ON
powering the commission to emnIov all
needed assistants, being as liberal herein
as with the tax commission The stote
is able to hire good talent and 4xnerts
as any corporation
That the railroads will take an art,vc
interest in the election or appointment of
| the commission is to be expected. IF II ha
appointive, they will use their influence
in the election of governor. But In con
nection with this office other issues arise
| in the settlement of which these Influences