Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-03-04
LEGISLATIVE rpIcKINGs.


After much delay the senate commit
tee on privileges and elections has re-
ported a primary election bill. It is
very much like that which passed the
assembly month since. II includes all
classes of officials except judges, school
superintendent and town officials. The
material difference in the two measures
is that the senate bill provides for a
state con vention, the delegate to be
elected by primary election, which body
shall form the party platform and eiect
a state central committee. When the
bill appears on the senate calendar for
action this Wednesday morning 1T will
be the purpose of the opponents Of pri-
mary election to postpone action till the
latter part q March or April for the
purpose of getting other important leg
islation disposed of before that is taken
up in earnest. But the real purpose Is
hope that the senators may find some
convenient excuse for evading the plain
mandates of their party and the people
as expressed at the late election. 1t is
also thought that the so-calied stalwarts,
who undoubtedly have a majority in the
senate, will attempt to give only a pre-
tense of primary law, and to that will
have string attached in the form of q
referendum. This latter move would
be an insult to the intelligence Of the
voters of Wisconsin. They have ax-
pressed themselves in three past elec-
tons on the subject of direct vote for
nomination of all officers, and conse-
auently the referendum has been thor
oughly applied.
~
The senate bill introduced by Mr.
Munsol, under instructions from the
Vernon county board of supervisors, for
repeal of the present jury commissioner
system, was unanimously reported for
indefinite postponementb by the judiciary
committee, and the bill was killed Fri
day morning, Mr.. Munson being the on
ly senator to vote for repeal II appears
to be the general feeling among lawyers
and judges that we have better jurors
than under the old way of selecting
them. 1t is related that it is not expen-
sive in many of the counties of the state.
1t is reported that the senate commit
tee on taxation will report favorably on
the bill introduced by Chairman White
head of that committee exempting
notes, bonds and mortgages and other
forms of credit from taxation. 1t is be-
lieved, too, that the measure will find
sufficient favor in the senate to pass it.
There is little danger however, that the
lower house will ever concur III such an
unjust scheme. No amount of theoriz-
ing viii convince Wisconsin people that
real estate, horses, cows, grain, house
hold effects and all other classes of pro-
perty should be taxed at full value and
notes and mortgages be exempt. The
writers on political economy say that is
the correct theory The same class of
writers tell us that free trade is correct
Actual experience has demonstrated
otherwise. What man would invest
his money in productive enterprises
farms, shops, city blocks, improved
breeds of cattle and horses, and thous-
and and one other kinds of invest
ments If he were permitted to place his
surplus earnings aud money in well se-
cured mortgages and notes and thus es-
cape his hare of the public burden7 1t
will be d very difficult thing to convince
a very great number of men that he who
has his wealth invested in this class of
securities shall be free from obligation
to support his community and state
when tax-paying time arrives. The
man who has his surplus Invested in
notes and mortgages has sure income
with which to meet the ta& collector,
while he who has Improbable holdings
is distressed to meet his tax. Why then.
should the one escape and the other be
compelled to pay"
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VERY FEW PARDONS.
(1oyernor la FolIatta has snhrnitfad