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 a Referendum
Vote on the Principal Offices
Affected.
sn.o;al to The journal,

Special to The Journal. Is u.s.. ~
Madison, Wis, March 24.-This week
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 disturbances in the
a ssernloly. The railway taxation bill has
subsidized into the background in the field
of interest temporarily. during the war on
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 ma jority
Of the senate committee on privileges and
elections. 1t 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 primary system to county, city, village
and town officers, and congressman, to
take effect at once This is the co1npro-
mise the stalwart senat tors 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
| there are positive in the statement that it
| 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 it
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
for amending the bill; but who cannot UNI
der their home instructions and pre-con-
vention pledges. vote against it, to make
up majority and pass the bill.
=. l., RrIef Night Sessions.
Both houses Of the legislature held brief
sessions last night, but did no business
except the passage by the assembly, .un
! der suspension of the rules; of the Andrew
bill, intended to clear up a disputed point
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-
l1tlon Of the state charitable and. penal in
|stitutions. =, ~ a'-.., =
The assembly members Of the legislative
committee to receive President Roosevelt
April were appointed follows: Messrs
Cady, Andrew, Ray, Frear and Potter.
| r., = A Board Of Pardons. ......,.
Assemblyn1an Martin of Green Bay is
at; work upon a bill that the assembly
Judiciary committee will be asked to in
troduce providing for q state pardonins
board. His plan Isl to relieye the governor
OF the responsibility of inquiring into ant
dealing with petitions for the exercise o.
the pardoning power by vesting it iii Z
board constituted somewhat similar tx
that of Minnesota. =
+ Mr.. Martin has consulted Governor L.
Toilette with reference to the plan and i
Is understood it is2looked upon with favo
by the executive. - :;