Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-07-11

We are told that we are moving
on to the plane of universal peace
and good will, to courts of con&iia-
ton and arbitration, to higher ground
where labor and capital meet and ar
bitrate differences, that all wisdom
shall prevade and prevail in modern
legislation thereby advancing good
fellowship and brotherhood of man
in securing to the common people
the blessings Of God, and the highest
enjoyment of these things which
come into our daily life. Does this
law accomplish any of these ends?
Gentlemen of the senate: Can
any law which arouses and sets in
motion the Pinkertons and the secret
service of the claim department and
the greatest lawyer at the county seat
or the cheapest pettyfogger of the jus,
tice court to dog the footsteps of the
telegraph operators of the state, In
the performance of their daily duties,
and for money pits man against the
mistakes and frailties of his fellow,
man, be productive of good, or a
credit to state-craft?
THE mental anguish act, so,
called, may prove to the men who are
steering the ship of state, one of
mental anguish in deed, if not wiped
from the books. We speak respect,
full, but palmer. We are obliged to-
This act is wrong in principal and bad
in precept. It's provisions are in force
in but one other state in the union.
1t has been offered to the considera,
ton of the Wisconsin legislature
every session for the past 20 years
through the instigation of certain at,
torneys, and has always been rejected
by overwhelming sentiment. Were
your predecessors in all these years
less careful of the public welfare, or
wiser to the effect on the men who
must suffer under it? In some way
not quite plain to the people most af-
fected by it, the law slipped through
this winter, and it's evil effects soon
became apparent. The telegraph com
panies who were primarily liable for
the $500 penalty if any message was
received or delivered negligently, or
copied wrong, were obliged, in order
to escape uncertainty and keep the
records straight, to decline to receive
or deliver messages by telephone
thus seriously Gripping the transac-
ton of business throughout the state,
and this rule is bound to have more
strict enforcement as cases of prose,
cution arise under this law. The
law has therefore, already proved it.
self a curse to the business men of
the state and, if for no other reason,
should be repealed. On the other
hand the operators are unalterabIy
opposed to the act for the reasons
stated and because it's enforcement
will most surely lead, in a short time
to serious trouble between the com
panies and their operators and at any
time precipitate a bitter strike. If
the dreams of the lawyers come true
and the companies are aSsailed by
many suits and mulct in large sums
of money, they will, in the nature of
the case, seek to protect the stock
holders by the discharge of the of.
Tending operator, or by the exactiOn
of an indemnity bond in the sum of
five hundred dollars from each Oper-
ator. receiving, copying, transmit
ting and delivering dispatches and
against the provisions of
this act, which is so pregnant with
danger and litigation. Indeed, the
act might we'll be entitled, AN act to
provide for additional litigation
against telegraph companies and their
operators"
Last month when the bad effects
of the law became pronounced, a bill
was reported by the judiciary commit
tee of the assembly for the repeal of
the act, which upon debate was passed
by vote of 50 to 20 This bill upon
being messaged to the senate, was
hastily, within an hour, non-concurred
in; no reference was made to any
committee, nor hearings given, or any
made, nor was the evil eff
feet of the law explained whatever.
The senate was preparing to adjourn.
after a long day devoted to hearings
of life insurance bills, and the bill
of repeal was thus killed before the
accompanying it had been
recorded by the clerk. 1t is now IN
the senate and may be revived by
your honorable body and concurred in,
This mental anguish act is the
most sweeping and drastic ever pre-
scented for legislative consideration
and cannot be justified by any reason
Or argument except the sole and lone
some statement urged by its advo-
Gates that it would promote the eff
ficiency of the delivery of kilograms.
1t goes without saying that the tele-
graph operators, like all other operat-
ors, are doing their very best to give
good service at their respective sta
tons, and that the very passage OF
the act, is an implied impeachment
Of the service which they are render
ing.
In the face of the large burdens
placed upon the taxpayers of the
state in the establishment Of the sew
eral commissions now existing, to dis
cover and enforce more efficient SER
vice of all public utilities, shall it go