Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-01-13
HIS FIRST MESSAGE
NEW EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDS
MANY IMPORTANT CHANGES
IN LAWS.
ASKS FOR PROMPT ACTION
His Suggestions, He Declares, Are
Not Perfunctory Expressions of
Any Department Of Government,
but in Sense Are Real Mandate
From the People Themselves.

Any Department OF Government,
| but in a Sense Are Real Mandate
From the People Themselves.
Madison, Wis-In his first message to
the legislature Governor McGovern urges
some important changes in the laws of
the state. He declares that Wisconsin
has been the leader in carrying forward
reform legislation and that the present
affords splendid opportunity for continu-
| ing the work along those lines.
The problems presented by the growth
Of monopolies and trusts and the dis
placement of the small manufacturer are
discussed by the governor, and the ne
| cessity for curative legislation along lines
that will protect the interests of both
capital and labor. The governor says:
Accusation and recrimination concern
1SS existing abuses should now come to
an end. This was once a necessary
phase in the development Of present is
sues, but it is 50 no longer The people
now want action. They must have re-
suits. In all governmental affairs the
newly awakened public conscience de-
| mands q square deal In response to this
imperative demand you, gentlemen of the
legislature, should accomplish much du-
ring this session. The great mass of men.
all political parties, are in substantial
accord as to the lines upon which you
should proceed. Let me most earnestly
urge upon you the necessity of taking up
this work and completing 1t without I'M
necessary delay"
Primary Election Law.
The primary law, according to the gov
ernor, has been frequently tested and
the arguments against it's adoption are
now seen to be without merit. Some de-
fGctS, however Con-
tinuing this subject the governor says:
| THE principal weakness in the law is
that under it nominations may be made
by the vote of q mere plurality. In many
cases this has been less than a major
ity of the voters of a party. Generally
speaking, majority rule wherever prac
ticable has been regarded as a funda-
mental tenet in the government Of public
bodies and voluntary political associa-
tons. 1t is not secured by the primary
law in it's present form.
Existing political conditions greatly
emphasize this defect. Never was indie
pendence In politics more marked. Many
| SOOd 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-
fiict of opinion within each party is now
often more intense than between the par
Ties. and a constant but almost imper-
ceptible shifting and interchange of mem
bership is taking place. Thus the real
lines of political cleavage frequently run
not parallel to conventional party boun-
DIARIES, but across them. In this situa-
ton 1t has become very important that
the nomination of party candidates and
determination Of what shall constitute
party principles may be made honestly
and fairly and free from strategy or
subterfuge.
LAS the law now stands there is danger
that whenever the majority wing or fac
| ton Of any party is represented by g.
number of candidates in q primary cam
pa1gn, compact, cohesive and we'll drill
ed minority may defeat it,
''This is a condition which should not
be permitted to continue. It flows from
g. defect in the present law which NAV be
remed1ed In large measure at least If not
completely by permitting voters at the
primary election to name their second
cholce candidate for each office The
value Of majority nominations may in
deed ct times prove inestimable I earn
estly recommend the enactment Of such
law
Corrupt Practises Act.
The excessive use of money in no1iticaI
campaigns is declared by the governor r.,
be an unmftigated evil and one that has
apparently increased with each succeed
Ing year. On this subject he saws:
Lavish expenditure Of money through
political channels for the purpose Of in
Huenc1ng elections is a debauching and
corrupting influence which has grown in
prominence and baleful significance with
each succeeding campaign. In anv form,
this practice is demoralizing; but II he
comes intolerable when it reaches the
point OF lawlessness and extravagance
Repeatedly single candidates and Doliti-
cal committees have expended vast sums
or money, some times more than a huns
dred thousand dollars most of which
was designedly employed to p7islead the
voters and befog the issues pending he
1ore them. AS the law now stands every
candidate for public office, whether he
likes 1t or not, is placed at the mercy Of
men of great wealth who purpose. by
the power of money, to annex TO thnir
possessions some desirable public office"
To remedy this condition of affairs the
| governor urges the enactment of an ef-
| fectfVe corrupt practises act He saws.
'Such law should provide for publi-
| catlon by the state and at public ex-
| pense of necessary information concern
| Ing the qualifications Of candidates at
| all primary and general elections; It
should place an absolute limit on the
amount Of money which may be spent by
! or on behalf of any candidate for public
| office, this amount to depend in each
| case of course, upon the Importance of
| the office and to bear some fair relation
to the salary incident thereto; it should
! provide that no money whatever may be
spent in political campaigns except for
certain purposes which should be enum-
Grated in the law; it should require a
! strict system of public accounting of all
money d1sbursed In political campaigns
IN order to avoid evasion, and to the
END that every dollar spent may readily
De traced from the original contributor
TO the ultimate recipient; it should pro-
hiolt all political activity whatever on
eltncr primary or general election dav:
ana IL should compel compliance with it's
provisions by rigorous penalties includ-
ing Imprisonment and disqualification Of
candidates for public office"
Workmen's Compensation Act.
! the executive declares that y demand
has grown up for more enlightened and
Their Relationship.
The stork which had been lowering
| about tha iphhcrbco5 for r,..oa