The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-24
WISCONSIN
IT'S A CRUCIAL WEEK
Primary Election Bill to Be Raised
in the "stalwart' Senate
at Madison,
Plan Is to Require Referendum
Vote on the Principal Offices
Affected.
speoial to Tho Journal.

Special to THO Journal. 68n sEfsa
Madison. Wis, March e4.-rhis week
promises to be hummer" in the legis->
lature, with the primary election occupy
ing the center of the stage in the senate,
and the railway commission or freight rate
bill causing a lively disturbance in the
assembly. The railway taxation bill has
subsidized into the. background in the field
of interest temporarily, during the war OH
the freight rate bill, but it will probably
also come to. the surface again this week.
The senate will pass a primary bill, and
may not wait till Thursday, March 2G, the
date to which the matter was postponed,
before taking it UP. It will not be the
Merton bill, recommended by the majority
of the senate committee on privileges and
elections. It will be the same bill passed
by the assembly, but it will have a clause
attached to it providing that the part Of
the bill which places state officers and
candidates for the legislature under the
primary system shall be submitted to a
vote Of the people before taking effect.
the remainder OF the measure. applying
the primary system to county, city, village
and town officers, and congressman, to
take effect at once. This is the compro-
mise the stalwart senators will offer, and
they have enough votes in the upper house
to carry it out. #a,.
Whether the assembly will accept it is
another question. Administra ton leaders
will not. It would mean that the next
state officers and legislature would be
nominated by the caucus and convention
plan, as the referendum vote on the bill
| would be had at the next general election.
IF the assembly refuses to concur as it
is entirely probable that it will, the bill
will go back to: the senate. And when 1t
comes to the final proposition of concur
ring in the assembly bill, or passing the
! Merton bill, which differs from it only
in the manner of making up the state
platform, there are, the administration
men say, enough senators who will vote
for amending the bill; but who cannot ul-
| der their home instructions and pre-con-
vention pledges vote against it, to make
up a majority and pass the bill ~ + :,
- :. 3. Brief Night Sessions.
| Both houses of the legislature held brie1
sessions last night, but did no business
except the passage by the assembly, I'M
der suspension of the rules, of the Andrew
bill, intended to clear up a disputed poin
at the coming spring election, by provid
| ing that county supervisors shall =. be
elected annually for terms Of one year
/ and the passage of a bill in the senate
providing for the expenses Of the legisla
tive committee which made: an investiga
ltion Of the state charitable and penal in
lstitutions. :, .,'G& w.. -. !. =. :, :
4 The assembly members Of the legislativ,
committee to receive President Roosevelt
April were appointed as follows: Messrs
Cady, Andrew, Ray, Frear and Potter.
I 49, -. A Board Of Pardons. ........ ..,.
Assenblynlan Martin of Green Bay il
at: work upon a bill that the assembl,
judiciary committee will be asked to in
troduce providing for a state pardonin,
board. His plan is@to relieye the governo
Of the responsibility of inquiring into an,
dealing with petitions for the exercise O
the pardoning power by vesting it in
board constituted somewhat similar t.
that of Minnesota.
/ :. Mr.. Martin has consulted Governor l.
Toilette with reference to the. plan and
Is understood 1t is'looked upon with favo
by the executive. ! - = ~ ~