Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-13
Tells Legislature He
Will Resign Before
Session Closes
But Will Ever Fight
in the Politics Of
Wisconsin

I trunk, settle rev details OF executive
work including the decision of the Kit
tell case from Green Bay, place the
governors office in apple pie order ana
possibly hang a picture of King Haak-
on VII ON the spot where win fall the
gaze of the gubernatorial eye of his
worthy Norwegian successor,-and,
perhaps, sign few of the bills sug.
gested in his yoluminous message.
Governor La Toilette will be ready 70
acquire the right to draw federal mile
age from Wisconsin to Washington,
and as bride led to the alter (maybeJ
walk with bashful bushes up the cen,
| ter aisle of the United States senate.
/ leaning 60 on the arm of his col
league, John C. Spooner
| Into such sentence might be
I jumbled the mass of SPECULATION and
gossip that followed tie reading OF the
governors message 70 the specially
convened legislature yesterday, closing
with the supplementary message IN
nouncing, frankly and without qualth-
cation, the determination of the eXecu-
1 tive to resign the gOvernorship to
I Lieutenant Governor Davidson and "ae-
/ cept the high commission" Of the Unt
ed States senatorship. Upon tho
/ whole the message was listened TO with
! Thoughtful receptiveH 9ss on the part OF
/ the senators and assemblymen, but
/ the senatorship declaration was mot
with a burst of applause that came as
climax to the approving clippings
that punctuated the main address. A
correspondent of stalwart factionaI in
clinations remarked to a member stat
wart on,y in physical proportions:
The way you poied your palms at
that, you must BE glad he's going 70
leave the state"
Their came the governors closing
sentence, declaring that he woula
continue active personal partic1.
patton in every contest involving the
principles of representative govern
ment in this commonwealth: no Office
and no honors could tempt me to fore
go the right to work aggressively in
this field, where the best of my life has
been spent and where | shall ever fee;
that my first and last obligation
rests"
| Everybody wondered how soon the
| governor would resign,-and everybody
seemed to know "all the time that he
would never give up the senatorship.
Some critics who assume to know ALI
about things political declared that II
was possible that friends of the gov
ernor had impressed him with the
| thought that he ought not longer 10
keep the people of the state in doub,
| of the commonwealth on half represen-
tation in the federal senate, however
able may be the other half of the rep
resentation It seems tolerably Ger
tain that the supplementary message
/ was prepared a late hour; whether
| by accident or because the governors
mind was not made up until late is not
generally known and is uuimportant
even though it might be interesting.
Unqualified Acceptance.
The separate message, concerning
the senatorship is as follows:
"To the senate ana assembly in
joint sessions Upon the 25th day of
January last, you elected me TO repre-
sent Wisconsin as United States sen
ator. was then, and while | live
shall continue to be, profoundly CRATE
full for the great honor which you con
ferred upon me. But certain fixed oh
| legations bound me TO continue as
governor Laws involving millions OF
dollars were being challenged in the
courts. Legislation vital to the state
was pending l could not, in good
conscience. offer more than a quail
fe, acceptance.
The close of the session found the
litigation undecided. the new laws ur
tried. Adverse decisions in the cir
cult court might call promptly fol
curative legislation The administra
ton OF the new laws might disclose
defects requiring immediate remedy
The railway interests and those rep
resenting them were not only oh
structing the collection of taxes, bu
seeking to jiscredit the new legisla
ton. Every reason made it piail
4uty to await the circuit court deci
sious, and the testing of the new law
in their administration.
Time has entirely justified thi
] course, The attitude of the railwa
r companies in contesting every asses:
r rlent of taxes as soon as made, an
withholding from the state the pal
e ment of their taxes under the new Law
!. the construction which provisions {
5 this law seems to demand, th
l. amendments 20 the primary eleetio
law. and other important matters TIL
> day submitted for your consideration
l. are all required to round out the wor
n of the last. and preceding session
(, of the legislature in advancing tn
l. great reform movement.
d 4 may be pardoned If | take IN
Z opportunity to emphasize one gre
truth. with which l am so deeply il