Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-05
STEPHENSON Is
ELECTED SENATOR
CHOSEN TO SUCCEED HIMSELF ON
TWENTY-THIRD BALLOT CAST
IN JOINT SESSION.
NOTABLE POLITICAL FIGHT
Three Democrats Stay Away from Cham
Der and Thus Allow Republicans TO
Gain Majority of One Vote
SHOUTS AND CHEERS AFTER VOTE.

MADISON, Wis, March 4-LSpe-
cial. senator Isaac Stephenson was
/ elected for the six-year term in the Unit
ed States Senate this noon. The vote
was SO ont of the 123 voting This was
the twenty-third JOINT convention.
Stephenson'S election comes as an in
auguration day gift. 1t is the gift of
three Democrats. These three Demo
Gratis are:
John I. Farrell. representing the First AS
sembly district Of Milwaukee county.
Thomas T. Ramsey, representing the
Sixth Assembly district Of Milwaukee
s 4. Towne. representing the Second AS
sembIy district of Sank county.
All three Of these Democrats Farrell,
Ramsey and TOwne are i'll Madison to-
/ day. Ramsey. Farrell and ToWnC all
were in the Assembly chamber this morn
ing. Ramsey and Farrell were IN the
Assembly parlor not more than 200 feet
! from their desks when their names were
! called. Farrell was i'll his seat even
! while the names Of the senators were
/ being called. AS the vote was being
taken Ramsey and Farrell were in the
! Assembly parlOr talking to represen-
/ tative Of Isaac Stephenson.
BY absenting themselves from the
/ Joint convention they pulled the total
] attendance down to Il point where sixty
/
majority of the total vote cast.
There were seven other abSentees. Six
of them were paired as follows: Ran
dolph and Daub, Scott aud James, On
! stad and Peterson.
James Fenelon Of Fond du Lac coun-
! ty is sick. He has been 4 consistent
! Stephenson voter.
Rejoicing IN Chamber.
! Stpphenson's election, coming as it did,
! IL, 4
new senators at Washington were being
| escorted to the vice presid dents desk on
! the arms of their colleagues, brought
rejoicing in the Assembly chamber as
| the vote was announced. Like an audi
| ence at a joust i'll days of chlyalry, men
! rushed about in confusion shaking hands
| and indulging i'll partial embraces. Even
! those who lave been against Stephenson
! from the first rushed to the side of Ste
| phensOn men and congratulated them.
! All were glad that the fight was over
! and that the Legislature could quit its
| ''foOling away of time" and get through
| with its business unhampered by a fac
! tiOnal fight
Aside from the fact that todays joint
| session resulted in the election of Ste
phensOn the proceedings We're fraught
with dramatic climaXes. The change
! phenson column was one. His change
! incidentally would not have elected. 1t
was the absence of Ramsey, Farrell and
| Towne that did it.
Dorner Is Threatened.
Then there came the calling of the
name of AsSemblyman G. H. Dorner
representing the Fourth Assembly dis
| trict of Milwaukee who has voted for
John ]. Esch. AS his name was called
he rose with two sheets of paper in
! his hand. They were letters of a nature
| a 10 +
| ten on stationery of Milwaukee hotel.
They made the ridiculous charge that
Mr.. Dorner had been guilty of an indis-
erection and threatened exposure if he did
not vote for Stephenson. Mr.. DOrner
! did not read the letters, but in a spirit of
| irony he voted for the writer OF one of
| them and later displayed the letters to
those who asked TO see them.
( The third feature of the joint conven-
ton was the speech of Lieut.-G Gov. John
Strange following the announcement of
| the ballot Lab0ring under the intense
emotion of which Mr.. Strange is known
to be subject in exciting times, he bent
over the speakers desk. lie began by
thanking the assembled members for
! their courtesy to himself and for their
efforts TO conduct the proceedings i'll
| dignity and good order. The sarcasm
was SO apparent and patent that some
of the members laughed while others
tiguratively hung their heads. AS Mr.
Strange talked his face flushed and tears
were visible. His voice choked with
emotion, and it was only with the great
| est effort that he was able to make HIM
self heard. Putting animosity aside and
| turning to the theme of the peoples
good he spoke of the possibilities for
progressive legislation and admonished
| the members to so forth from the joint
| convention with conviction to serve the
people and to keep their hearts and
| minds frna from anythiny Init bo irb
| est motives and desires.
4 trust as we go out of this chamber
| it will be with the determination to con-
serve the highest good of the state"
! There was applause at the close of Mr.
| Strange's remarks. As he left the desk
there were apparent signs of intense
emotion. Mr.. Strange left this noon for
| Oshkosh.
Congratulations for LIE Roy
AS if it were known that Stephenson
| would be elected this noon every inch
Of space at the side of the chamber was
occupied today and the galleries were
packed as they have not been packed
since the day OF the first joint ballot.
Men and women applauded when the
result was made known, their excitement
being intensified as Clerk c. L. Shaffer
read the list of those voted upon, be-
ginning with Sherburn NJ. Becker and
ending with Stephenson. There were
| ABOUT tnlriS names III Tue llSt.
! Edward w. lie Roy of Marinette
who has been floor manager of the
! Stephenson campaign from the first was
| showered with congratulations after the
vote this noon, members of all factions
| descending upon the young assembly
man from Stephenson's home town.
! From the first Mr.. lie Roy has looked
after the senator's interests on the floor
and the success of the election is at
| tributed in large part to him.
Henry Overlook. who has been here
since the converting of the Legislature
| heard the final result and then went TO
his hotel Under L. 4. Edm0Dds he has