The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-01-15

Service-Prospects for, a Short SEES
sion Are Not Very ight--Features
in the Inauguration of Governor
Davidson-The Ball.
Madison, Wis, Jan. Predictions
that the legislative session of 1909,
which opens tomorrow, would be a
comparatively uneventful and short
I one seemed destined not of fulfillment
if one may judge by the personnel and
! temper of the members of the law
| making body already on the ground
Not to mention the many pet measures
-some of them of large inport-which
they have tucked away in their inside
pockets. there are a number Of import
ant elections to occur on the oTGaniza-
ton of the two houses. Of courGe, the
most important of these is that of a
United States senator whom the legis-
lature must under the law elect at once.
One does not hear nearly as much
talk Of an investigation Of the pri-
mary election expenses of the various
senatorial candidates now as one did
some time back, and while an iaVesti-
cation may be had, the, expectation Is
that Isaac Stephenson will be re-elec.-4
ed senator without any serious troub.e
and that the investigation, If there is
to be one, will come later. However,
the ca priciousness of politics is hard
to gauge and no one can presume to
say definitely what will happen.
The oaths Of office were this year
administered to the officers in the SUI
preme court room instead of the assem-
bly, chamber, Chief Justice j. B. Wins
low of the supreme court administer
ing. The ceremony was exceedingly
brief and following it the various Off
GERS received at their respective offices,
being assisted in this and other details
of the day by committees of Madison
citizens. It is interesting to note here
for the first time in eighteen years
Judge r. NJ Bashford of this city did
not act as master of ceremonies, this
duty being assumed this year by for
mer Mayor A. A. Dye.
Contest for The Speakership.
Reverting to the organization of the
Legislature, it can be said that thero
will be a lively contest for the spea5-
ership, the leading candidates appear
ing to be M J. Cleary of Blanchard
vile, young lawyer serving mis- sec
ond term, and George E. Scott of Bar.
ron, a more experienced legislator,
with Judge Levi H. Bancroft of Rich
land Center a formidable third Mr.
Scott is expected to unite nearly Tho
whole of the so-called LaFollette ele-I
ment Of the assembly, while. Cleary and
Bancroft presume to sail under inde-
pendent colors
Scattering votes will also go to e. w.
Leroy of Marinette, who becomes the
senior member of the house in point
of continued service this year; c. E
Esterbrook of Milwaukee, former attor-
ney-general, an experienced and well
equipped legislator, and Wallace In
gals, stirring new man from Racine.
There are three candidates for chief
clerk of the assembly,. e. Shaffer of
Madison, who served at the last ses-
sion and is a candidate for reelection
John G. Miller, formerly of Marinette,
and Cameron Fraser, a newspaper man
of Menominee Falls
For chief clerk of the senate there
are still more aspirants, among them
being William w Powell, Milwaukee
newspaper man; Fred Wylie of Nor
risonville, Frank Andrews of Bloomer
and r. J. Castle of Madison, formerly
chief clerk of the land Office.
Henry Daggett Reappears.
An interesting episode of Wisconsin
legislative history is recalled in the
appearance here of former Assembly
man Henry Daggett of Bear Creek, |
author of the famous 'anti-corset"
bill of ten years ago This bill gave
him a notoriety which he has been UNI
able to live down and is still the cause
of much good natured INVITING when
ever he meets his old associates Dag
gett wants to be sergeant-at-arms of
the senate.
For the same position in the assem-
bly, there are three candidates-W. S.
Irvine of Greenwood, candidate for re-
election; former Assemblyman Chas'es |
Barker of Milwaukee, and David Da-
yies of Milwaukee.
State Chairman Edmonds has called
a caucus of the members of the two
houses for this evening, when the fates
of the various aspirants for honors and |
places will be determined as we'll as
other questions of more moment.
The senate this year will consists or
twenty eight Republicans, four Demo-
Gratis and one Social Democrat: the as
sembly of eighty Republicans, seven
teen Democrats and three Social Dem
ocrats. OF the thirty three members
of the senate just one-fhird. or eleven
members, are new men, but in the as
sembly all but thirty seven out of the
100 will be new faces
The retiring senators are: Hage-
meister, Froemming, Rummel. Roehr,
Wilcox, Burns, G. H. Smith, Wolff, Mo-