Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-05-08

after by the members of the PLATFORM con-
vention of each party instead of by the
delegates 10 the national conventions.
The foregoing suggestions cover all that
was intended TO be included in this Spec1h-
cation of the call at the time it was issued.
But during the past few days a persistent
and general demand has been made for the
enactment of non partisan election bills for
the city and county of Milwaukee; and the
subject has aroused so much public interest
that l feel should not pass 1t by unno-
ticed.
growth of sentiment here and elsewhere in
favor of non partisan city elections. This
development is based fundamentally on the
fact that many of the functions of city adj
ministratiOn have to do with neighborhood
affairs and the business interests of in
dividual communities as distinguished from
governmental policies or the exercise of
delegated state authority Hence it is
claimed that the issues that divide political
parties in the state and nation have at best
only remote relation to the problems of To-
cal government The experiment moreover
has been tried and seems to work we'll.
Prompted by these views and encOur-
aged by this experience the people OF Mil
waukee have repeatedly tried to secure the
nactment of a law that will permit non
partisan city elections. Such bill was
introduced in the legislatures OF 1909 ana
1911 and was strongly supported. 1t failed
of enactment at both sessions. But pubic
sentiment in Milwaukee during the recent
municipal campaign nevertheless persuaded
the Two principal political parties OF the
state to forego making nominations ana
to unite by means of improvised expedients
IN support of non partisan city tlcket.
and unsatisfactory, and subjected the city
to all the dangers of selfish manipulation
and ring rule. But the sentiment in favor
of non partisan elections was strong
enough to induce the people to overlook
these drawbacks and even to approve the
rough and ready methods that were en-
ployed.
The people of Milwaukee now ask that
they be relieved of the necessity OF again
resorting to such devices; and they Will
present at this session a request for the
enactment of a non partisan city election
bill. Those of you who entertain doubt as
to the wisdom of the principle of non
partisanship in city elections should con-
slider that the question is no longer wheth-
er or not Milwaukee should have non parti-
san elections. 1t is rather whether such
elections and the making of nominations
leading up to them shall hereafter be con-
Quoted openly clandestinely; by the
many or by the few; pursuant to lawful
authority exercised in an orderly way so
every one may have an equal voice or by
manipulation in the interests of those who
have an axe to grind. Milwaukee has her
self already decided the other question.
1t is true that strictly speaking this is
not an emergency measure. Before another
municipal election will be held in MilWau~
legislature at which this bill might be con-
sidered. 1t is true also that this subject
was not thought of when the call for this
special session was made. But some of the
language of the call appears nevertheless
to be broad enough to include it. So the
problem is here, Relieving as l do in non
partisan city elections l recommend the
enactment of this legislation at the present
time.
Springing from the same source as the
city bill, and backed in part by the same
sentiment but net supported as it seems
to me by the same logic is de-
mand also for the enactment of non
partisan election bill for the county of
Milwaukee. This proposal l cannot en-
dorse. Unlike a city, a county is es-
sentially an administrative subdivision
of the state. Its officers as rule exercise
state functions only. A comparison of the
duties of the district attorney of the county
and the attorney general of the state, of the
clerk of the circuit court and the clerk of
the supreme court, of the county clerk and
the secretary of state, of the county treas
urer and the state treasurer will satisfy
any one that county government is only
subdivision of state government established
for convenience in administration. The sher-
if and coroner are indeed the principal
executive officers of the state as well as of
the county. This being true non partisan
ship in county elections cannot be advO-
Gated logically or consistently without de-
claring also for non partisan elections in
the state No one seriously proposes the
latter.
Another insuperable obstacle in the way
of non partisan county elections arises
are elected in the fall on general election
day. Then not only county officers, but
members of the legislature, state officers,
vice president of the United States are
chosen. 1t is the one day in all the year
that is openly and frankly partisan, for
the government of this country is gov
eminent by parties. How at such an cleo
ton it is expected that non partisanship in
respect to county offices can be perma-
one 1 do not think it possible. If recog-
nizing this incOngruity, it be proposed to
change the time of county elections to the
spring as to permit county officers to be
chosen school
judicial officers are elected, the obvious an
swer is that this cannot be done by pass
ing a statute and so to amend the consti-
tuition will not alter the nature of the func-
tons county officials perform nor the char
acter of the county itself as an administra-
tive subdivision of the state So long as
state elections partisan, county cleo
lions will be so also.
AMENDMENT OF FISH AND GAME
LAWS.
Some of the laws for the protection of
fish and game should be amended In
practice a few of these laws have heen
found to be inconsistent while others are
ambiguous. Especially should the author
ity of the Game Warden to take rough or
destructive fish from the waters of the
state be made clear and explicit. There is
determined opposition in some quarters to
continuing the plan of licensing fishermen
to remove these fish by means of Seines
In many instances where this method has
been employed in the past game fish have
been destroyed, duck shooting has been
impaired ana the vegetation IN the beds
of shallow lakes has been ruined Too
often commercial gain has been the one
dominant motive; and as might be ex-
pected there has been little regard paid
to other considerations.
After careful investigation and public
hearing upon this subject at which ali in
terested persons had an opportunity to be
present and fully heard, the State Game
Warden decided to discontinue the plan
of issuing these special permits or licenses
and proposed instead that wherever there
was need of removing rough fish from the
waters of the state the work should be
done under his supervision and an interest
in the profits derived from the venture
should be reserved to the state Before
putting this plan into general operation he
tried it tentatively in two places. The ex-
periments were made during some of the
coolest weather of the past winter and
necessity of fishing under the ice. Never
theless about months trial of this plan
in two fishing streams resulted in larger