Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-04-23


passage of the bill, for the assembly,
it has been conceded, would readily
fall in with this policy. There will
be an effort, no doubt, to defeat it,
and even if passed, it will likely carry
a provision of delay before going into
effect, as recommended by the commit
tee, but it certainly is in excellent
shape at present. 1t means a drastic
change Of system, and so convenient
is the present license system that it
must be regarded as a landmark in
state legislation.
Popular Election of Senators.
The resolution putting Wisconsin in
line of the states calling for con-
stitutional convention to provide for
the election of United States senators
by direct vote was tied in the senate,
the vote of the presiding officer
Lieutenant Governor Davidson-in
favor of the movement deciding it that
way. Senator Morse was absent, Sena-
tors Eaton and Mosher, Sarau and
Reukema, Wylie and Roehr were
paired, the first named of each couple
favoring the resolution; the balance
Of the senate voted as follows:
Aye-Senators Burns, Hatten, Hud-
nall, Martin, McGillivray, Merton,
Miller, Munson, North, Randolph,
Stout, Wipperman, Wolf and Mr.. Pres
ident.
Noes-Senators Beach. Bird, Gave
ney, Green, Hagemeister, Johnson,
Kreutzer, McDonough, O'Neil Rior-
dan, Rogers, Whitehead, Wiley.
Some Good Talking.
There was some excellent speaking
before the vote was taken. The resO-
luton, which bore the name of Sena-
tor Merton, was discussed by that gen.
tleman. The WaukeSha senator is
smoOth-faced man of middle life, one
of those close thinking, shrewd, gen.
ial attorneys coming from the smaller
cities, who have a sagacity and eff
fectiveness rarely approached by big
city lawyers. Congressman Little
field of Maine is supreme type of
these country lawyers, who exercise
so influential a hand in the making of
laws GIVE us senators by direct
VOTE" said Mr.. Merton, ''and Till
mans and Quays would be impossi-
ble.'
Senator Whitehead made one of his
carefully-prepared speeches, masked
with facts, and reviewed Wisconsin's
representation twelve mem in the
United States senate chosen by this
method 1t was the argument of
strong conservative such reasoning as
Hoar. Massachusetts great senator,
advances to show that the change
should not be made uEless conditions
are worse than they are. Senator
Rogers of Milwaukee was another who
objected to the change, and in long
and able speech maintained that cleo
ton by the people of these senators
(who by the constitution represent the
units of the nation is populistic in
character and was not thought of until
the Chicago Bryan convention.
Primary Elections Deadlock.
Most important of the week was the
failure of the assembly and senate
conferrees to agree on any sort OF pri-
mary election bill Each side sent
three men, representative respectively
of the sentiments of the administra-
ton and the anti-administration senti-
ment. 1t was up to the three assem-
blymen to propose a basis of agree
ment and they made six overtures In
writing. The LaFollette men offered
to surrender all else If the primary
election plan included not only city
and county officers conceded as the
senate passed the bilD, but also sena-