Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-01-13

MS FIRST MESSAGE
-vEctJTIVE RECOMMENDS
Paw IMPORTANT CHANGES
IN LAWS.
,,Ks FOR PROMPT ACTION

,a cuoqestIons, TIC De'aeS' He
~ w.. psrfunctory Expressions Of
nenartment of Government,
~ Sense Are Real Mandate
s.,, the People Themselves.
$50 Uis-Tn his first message to
had'soita trr4 Govesnor McGovern urges
he Fs,nortaut changes in the laws of
rns mp He declares that Wisconsin
be ''a +ba leader in carrying forward
bas 0eeI ,[s1atiOn and that the present
FoFm rr'an5id opportunity for continu-
irol4 u, work along those lines.
hg "s .oII.-as presented by the growth
IHe PIES and trusts and the dis
H""g If the small manufacturer are
Fay5.,5 hv the governor, and the ne
Cs'as.f ,r curative legislation along lines
rSsP ,ir nrotect the interests Of both
p1 .5.,, and labor. The governor says:
EaP"',,oatfon and reCriminatfon concern
Alti,,q abuses should now come to
"6 d vbis was once necessary
Ill n the development of present is
P"a' b,+ II Is so no longer. The people
''.' ,art action They must have re-
t lr all governmental AFFAIRS the
u f, awakened public conscience de-
,,ds square deal In response to this
.,rcrat've demand you. gentlemen OF the
,4sl,rre, should accomplish much du-
,g this session. The great mass or men,
\ al noItiraI parties, are in SuDstantlal
j accord as 20 the lines upon which you
\ tonl5 nroaped. Let me most earnestly
4 nrya uD0n you the necessity of taking up
1 Nj, WORK and completing 1t without I'M
necessary delay"
Primary Election Law.
The urinary law, according to the gov
amor has been frequently tested and
Ao arguments against it's adoption are
roU seen to he without merit. Some de-
sots however, are now apparent. Con-
Timing this subject the governor says:
oThe principal weakness in the law is
that under it nominations may be made
m the vote of a mere plurality. In many
cases this has been less than a major
ty Of the voters Of a party. Generally
neaking, majority rule wherever prac-
trapp has been regarded as a funda-
mental tenet in the government of public
bodies and voluntary political associa-
tons It Is not secured by the primary
law In its present form.
:
emphasize this defect. Never was indie
penience in politics more marked. Many
good citizens now vote for men rather
than for parties and are more deeply in
terested In political ideas and legislative
programs than in party organization or
PARTISAN candidates. AS a result con-
1iot Of opinion within each party is now
often more intense than between the par-
ties and a constant but almost imper-
pptbIe shifting and Interchange of mem
bership is taking place. Thus the real
lines of political cleavage frequently rum
not parallel to conventional party boun-
dareS, but across them. In this situa-
ton 1t has become very important that
The nomination OF party candidates and
termination OF what shall constitute
party principles may be made honestly
and fairly and free from strategy or
Hberfuge
As the law now stands there is danger
mat whenever the majority wing or fac
lion Of any party is represented by a
number Of candidates in a primary cam
Palsn. a compact. cohesive and we'll drill
60 minority may defeat it.
This Is condition which should not
~ permitted TO continue. It flows from
S0eIect IN the present law which may be
'eI0FuIed IN large measure at least, II not
"npIeleiy by permitting voters at the
primary election to name their second
sIVFe candidate for each office. The
s',a' OF majority nominations NAV in
.sg@ at times prove inestimable. earn
law" VI Suoh
Corrupt Practlses Act.
,. .,F excessive use of money in political
Sa'.p"iSns Is declared by the governor to
"D 'IuSated evil and one that has
mo T,,,.lN increased with each succeed
val On this subject he says:
r,,s LAVISH expenditure of money through
a n, 'nannelS for the purpose of in
corr,,I,N elections IS a debauching and
n,~p''''S influence Which has grown in
s,% '''e and baleful significance with
tblo WV tT""hS campaign. In any form
con,os ivy, 1I' Is demotalizing: but 1t be-
pofo+ ~ ''pleFaoie when 1t reaches the
- iaWIesSnesS and extravapapce
"Peatedy single candidates ava no1i+I
n '''''t""S nave expended vast Sums
= money, some times moro tbon -
vas 5 0.'"Sahd dollars, most of which
Wv, "eSlsnedly employed to rnfsIaaS Tho
NV, - ana oHfog the issues pending. he
rsr.,, lem. As the law ROW stands every
fkss ~ LOT public office. whether he
nan w not Is placed at the mercy Of
ba WI, W. great wealth who purpose bv
possa.. |'' of money. to annex to their
~ '"S some desirable public office Z"
goron .,'''dy this condition of affairs the
ip,t,., urges the enactment of an ef
Sroh '0't'Pl practises act. He saws.
rsf,o Jaw should provide for nuhri-
pp,sa NAe state and at public ex-
hs - W necessary information concern
ali ,r, nominations of candidates at
Shouts ana general elections. #
amrvrt Ls'S an absolute limit on the
or an h,I money which may be spent bv
ofra ''' vi any candidate for public
Ease 40 "iNoUnt to depend in each
The oss, ''"'Se upon the Importance Of
70 tba una 10 hear some fair relation
prav'a, N%-'FN Incident thereto. It should
spso, t. ''7s no money whatever NAV he
ctrtsf, ~, PoAucal campaigns except for
era,a5 purposes which should be enuno-
Strict s - ''e law; it should reouirn a
Money s'h az public accounting of all
IN or7.r 'S''lfsed in political camuaisns
e0l IN, T.. avoid evasion. and to the
be trsrss ss'TS dollar spent may readily
10 The -,+:. m the original contributor
NIB, mn -,,..S recipient; 1t should bro
ether ao'sl'at activity whatever on
ara il sb-..,F or general election dav:
prartsiors "a" compel compliance with it's
Ias ,r7rss rigorous penalties. inc;t1d-
2o1il5r,, -aent and disqualification of
IA Tor public office"
= "'he0's Compensation Act.
saS sr,a... -''Ee declares that . demand
1p for more enlightened and