Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-02-26

! veto IL. some SPnaIOfS VINO uOn' [ like
the bill are reported TO reason that il
the people want it. let them have 1t.
Some may be fearful Of going back to
their constituents in the role of men
who "blocked the governors reforms"
and | am sorry to say that here and
there is one who is no friend to gov
ernor or primary elections that grimly
thinks that by passing the bill the
confusion they think will follow will
shpwreck both man and measure.
However. this week will clear the
atmosphere not little. The senate
over the action OF the assembly in the
matter of the veto of the extra en-
ployes bill, but we hope for more
friendly relations now that the serene
influences OF Sabbath have been at
work in the minds of our statesmen.
| MilIionnires Must Look Out.
Congress is not the only body which
| Is graphing with the Octopus"
One bill (AIr. Durgeons) opens the
way for the employment OF the braini-
| tSl lu w ytIh III Ohl VI tht blulI W
fight the trusts, and there Is a resolu-
| ton aimed at the INSIDE" methods of
Standard Oil. Finally Mr.. Wyle and
Mr. Lang have bills aimed ut unlaw-
full interpretations.
Legislation of this sort Is never to
be taken too seriously. The public
mind is hasy rs to whether these COM
! bnations of large concerns can be
tempered with wisely. The public
does not relish the power that goes
with massed money monopoly of pro-
duction, yet 1t Is more Of feeling OF
mystery and dstruSt than an intel
ligent purpose to forbid the practical
and (as n matter of fact an intelligent
idea how to 50 work. 1t makes fav-
orable impression on country people to
thresh round against the trusts, and K
Is well for that state to ascertain Its
power in the premises; but, when 1t
comes to concrete action, the c0nserv-
CONSERVATIVES move slowly When E.
| X. Hicks of Oshkosh was attorney
| general, friends told him now is your
! chance to make Il national reputation
] by smashing the trusts" but Hicks
was IL careful, conscientious state Of
! ticer and after looking the ground over
! found that under the laws there was
| little or nothing to be done in good
| faith.
The Telephone Conflict.
There Is one bill concerning which
thoughtful men ditfcr--it is the meas
ure to compel the Wisconsin Telephone
| Company to handle the business of the
| independent and other smaller COM
| panics. On the one hand, 1t Is held
that the old and big company has at
great expense built up its system of
long-distancc connections and Is en-
titled to the exclusive profits in it
to accept or reject business as 1t
pleases. On the other hand the
smaller companies (Which connect two
interior Wisconsin points for instancel
maintain that the telephone business
| Is not Il private industry like dry
! goods store, but carries the principle
, Of Common carrier" and Is analogous
to raiIr0adIng: The man who wants
to talk to Chicago from Sparta should
he allowed to send his voice part way
by his local line and Is entitled to con
ncction the rest of the way by the
line that runs to Chicago. Henry {.
Payne put up powerful argument
against this some years ago and the
proposal has been repeatedly rejected,
but the local" companies are multi
plying In Wisconsin and not II few Of
their representatives are In the lcgiS-
lature.
Friendships In Making Laws
The personal element is II power
full thing in passing bills. The merits
of the proposition are the only consid-
Grafton with the intelligent, serious
minded men OF senate and assembly;
but there Is 4 contingent of weak men
and tritlcrs not many happily, who
are downright crooked-who rs com
mittee men or ms voters on the floor
follow the request and influence of
friendship, \ railroad man reported
the other day with II smile that Il
! Madison bartender told him in n caus,
ual way that one OF his old chums is
| IL the Assembly this winter and any
| time the vote was wanted, he thc bar.
tender would agree to get III there
was Il little mileage in It,"
Families of the Solons.
Socially Mrs lal1ollcttc is doing
more than has been done at the exc
| cutiVe mansion for some years, Not Il
| few of the members have their wives
and families with thcm-for this is Il
working legislature and free transpor-
| tatinn is not frequent some OF them
| have children IN the state University
and It is an event for many wife TO
bring her pretty gowns To Madison