The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-05-28

INQUIsITORs
FINISH WORK
Senate Committee Will Re-
port Results.
ALSO INTRODUCE A BILL

Mo Likelihood of 1t Going Any Farther
Than the Senate-Fifteen Days Aft
err the Adjournment of the LegisIa
ture the Committee Will Probably
Resume Its Sittings-Bilis to Change
the Primary and General Election
Laws of the State.
Madison Wis, May 25.-With the
examination of persons connected in a
business way with the Milwaukee
Free Press, which was carried on in
the Cream City on Saturday, the sen.
ate Investigating committee has prac-
tically completed it's work for this SEES
sion and will spend several days go.
ing through the mass of testimony
gathered since the independent senate
probe was begun on April 10. AS soon
as the members of the committee
have formulated their ideas, they will
report the result of their labors and
introduce bill calculated to cure the
many evils in the existing primary
law, especially those relating to the
expenditures of money by candidates.
No matter what is recommended by
the committee. however, there is no
likelihood of the committees measure
going any further than the senate. As
suFance in this case is made doubiy
sure by the fact that on Thursday the
assembly by an overwhelming vote
sustained the action of several Of
their number in their refusal to an
swer the summons of the committee.
This indicates clearly the sentiment
among a majority of the lower house
members, that the upper house or a
committee thereof has no right to
transgress the legislative privileges Of
assembly members, and there is no
doubt but that the measure offered and
probably passed by the progressive"
senate will meet sort shrift in the less
progressive assembly.
koehIer Before Committee.
An interesting feature of last weeks
session was the testimony of Peter j.
Koehler, who was Milwaukee county
manager for S. A. Scott, in the sena-
torial primary. Koehler, who is a
member of the Republican state GEN.
trail committee, said he called on Gov
ernor Davidson Immediately after the
primary campaign and asked the state
executive to use his influence toward
the reelection of Lieutenant Governor
Connor as state chairman. He said
the governor, however, stood out for
Edmonds. Edmonds, of course, was
chosen state chairman, and Koehler
said. that since that time the rest of
the committee has had nothing to say
about the campaigns-that Edmonds
was dictator
The Investigating committee will
probably resume it's sessions when
fifteen days after final adjournment
have elapsed, after which time mem
bers of the legislature no longer can
claim their legislative privilege and
refuse to answer to summonses This
will enable the committee to call AS
semblymen Ledvina, Reader, Towne,
Farrell, Ramsey and Frank Smith, to
quiz them regarding their connection
with the Stephenson campaign, both in
the primary and in the legislature
Towne, Farrell and Ramsey are the
three Democrats whose absence from
the joint convention on March re-
suited in Stephenson's election, and
who were charged by Frank Wagner
who is now under arrest for alleged
perjury-with having received money
from A. H. Puelicher, Stephenson's
manager, in a Milwaukee hotel Led
VIVA and Frank Smith are reported to
have had help from the Stephenson
managers in their primary campaigns,
while it was testified before the COM
mittee that Assemblyman Readers
special train that brought him to Madi-
son on March in time to vote for
Stephenson, was, paid for by Bob
Shields, of Superior, a Stephenson
worker.
Changes in Election Law.
Important changes will be made in
the primary and general election laws
of the state if the senate concurs in
three bills which have been passed by
the assembly. The Twesme bill would
secure a closed primary and prevent
members of one political party voting
in the primary of another party. The
Hull bill, which has also been passed
by the assembly, delays the holding of
the primary until the second week in
September to obviate two holidays in
the same week. At the present time
with the primary held on the first
Tuesday in September it is declared
that many of the voters, tiredsfrom the
exertions of Labor Day program the
Monday before, do not attend the pri-
maries. This bill would obyiate this
difficulty. The Dunn pocket ballot bill
has also been passed. This measure,
fathered by Assemblyman Mcconnell
of NJ odnntnd lv tho ao,,y