The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-06-03
Legislature Spends Much Time
WrangIing Without Accom-
pIishing Any Results
INVESTIGATION CAUSED DELAY
Prospects are That the Session Will
Continue Late into the Summer
and That Long Extra Ses.
~
sion viii Follow


If nature abhors a vacuum how the
old dame must shudder when she con-
templates the work\ of the Wisconsin
legislature for the year of our Lord
1909. The session has lasted now four
and one-half months and is likely to
continue several weeks longer There
have been fewer than 200 acts placed
pm the statute books up to date and
there is no one Of them which could
hot Just as well have been killed with
put loss to either the people or the
state.
The session of the legislature for
1908 will go down into history as the
do nothing" Legislature. All the
bills run through the legislative mill
and which have come out as the laws
of the state have been junk, just that
and nothing more. All the questions
which will be fraught with benefits to
the state and It's people have been
given over to joint special committees
which will sit during the interval be-
tween the close Of the regular session
and the opening of the special session
next January. In that interval they
will attempt to thrash them out in
such a way as will make for the good
of the people. Looking at this phase
of the question it could be said, speak
ing in general way, that the legisla-
ture would practically be in session
from last January until well into the
beginning Of the year 1910 1t was
one of the pleasant arguments in the
propaganda which resulted in provid-
Ing special committees that it would
shorten the session and the committees
would be able to prepare bills SO that
when the legislature met in special SEES
sion it would take but a week or ten
days to complete the work
No one is talking that way now
In the first place the session will be
shortened but little. In the next year
a special session may last indefinitely
If the legislature had started out man
fashion to tackle the questions which
have been sent to the special commit
tee it could have passed bills covering
them all which would have been, in all
probability, as perfect as will be those
which are produced after the commit
tees have sat all summer.
1t is true that the investi cation,
which was started for political gain
for the radical element in the Republi-
can party, had much to do with the
failure Of the legislature to get down
to real work. FiEst the senatorial
election and then the investigation
kept the members stirred up so that
committee hearings were of perfume
tory sort, members being more inter
ested in the examination before the
joint committee than in legislative
work proper. Then followed the per-
sonally conducted stigation of the
senate committee which added some
thing. to the delay in the work of the
Legislature.
The fact, however, remains that the
Legislative seed sown in both houses
was of mighty poor kind and the
crop produced is such as would not
warrant the cutting were this not to
be done simply as matter of habit
1t is something that most of the mem
bers admit the force of the indictment
and would like to get home. Indica-
tions of this feeling have been shown
more clearly in the last few days, when
resolutions have been passed in the
assembly providing for a session each
day of the week except Sunday until
the session closes, and another provid-
ing that no member can speak longer
than five minutes ON any BILL except
III q VoSO "a q" 0pVCAtl OIuSI, Wn6Q ten
minutes can be taken for the first
speech and five will be permitted for
second if member wishes to get on
his feet twice. This is the first real
indication, however, that the members
begin to recognize the fact that time
is feeting.
In spite of the evident desire to
bring the session to a close there is
no one who is acquainted with the
work still remaining that sets the date
for adjournment before June Is and
there are few who have the temerity to
claim that that date win see the wind
up. Some are even predicting that it
will be close about July / when final
adjournment is taken After next
week, however, it viii be hard holding
quorum in the two houses. In fact
It may be necessary to have call of
the house to pass needed appropria-
ton bills. These might have been GOT
ten out of the way this week had it