Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-04-01
MEASURE BLOW
TO ''ELOPERs'
Assembly Bill Plans to Strength
4 Marriage Laws.
JAIL PENALTY IS PROVIDED
Abolition of Voting Machines IN state
is Proposed in Measure intro
duced by Assemblyman
Mahon.

| marriage laws of the state Is proposed
in a new bill which has been intro
duced in the assembly by the commit
tee on judiciary In effect 1t PROVIDES
that marriages which would be nun
and void in this state cannot be con-
tracted in another state, il the con-
tracing parties intend to make WIS
consin their home. The bill also
contains a reciprocal clause TO the
effect that any marriage which would
be void in another state cannot De
contracted in this state and have the
protection of the Wisconsin laws.
Officials who have the authori- I'M
der the law to issue marriage IN
Gates must be satisfied that these pro-
visions of the law are not being Vlo-
lated when a marriage certificate is is
sued, otherwise they shall be pun
ished The same rule is made to APP
ply to ministers. The punishment pre-
scribed is as high as $1,000, or one
year in Jail.
Aims Blow at clippers"
It is claimed that number Of states
have passed laws against the marriage
of persons within a certain kin and
that these laws are being violated by
"elopements" from one state to an
other to circumvent the law in their,
or this state. The bill is aimed to cure
this evil
The abolition OF voting machines in
the state is proposed in new bill In
troduced in the house by Assembly
man Thomas j. Mahon of Eland juno
ton He claims that the voting ma
chine resulted in 10000 votes being
lost to the Republican party in the
city of Milwaukee alone in the last
general election. This statement Is
disputed by advocates Of the machine
His bill would wipe off the statutes
every law that gave power to use the
voting machine in this state. Another
bill, of which Assemblyman Phillip
Cannon of Superior is the author, pro-
vides that the people may decide at
any election whether they desire to
continue the use Of the machine.
Torrens Bill Reintroduced.
The Torrens land title bill has made
it's appearance again at this session Of
the legislature. Assemblyman David
Bowe of Mellen is the author of the
measure. This bill provides for the
state attending to the subject of land
titles The bill will be opposed by
the abstract companies. Assembly
man Seaman of Milwaukee Is the au-
thor of a bill which will give the fees
for hawkers and peddlers' licenses to
the towns and villages At the pres
ent time these fees are retained by
the state. The Seaman bill, and an
other measure of similar character
introduced by Assemblyman Schind-
Ter, provides that Is per cent. of the
fees shall be retained by the locality
in which they are paid
Thus far this session Governor Nc
Govern has signed Is bills. No meas
ure of great Importance has come be-
fore him thus far fer consideration
The more important Of recent meas
ures receiving executive approval was
an act prohibiting the dissolution of
union free high school districts within
four years, and the Sommerfeld bill
providing for the incorporation of the
Free viii Baptists OF the state. The
governor now has before him the
Browne bill for an appropriation of
S250,000 to the state highway fund
This money is to remain in the gen
eral fund of the state, however. until
it is needed by the state highway de-
partment.
To Abolish School "Frats."
When both houses of the legislature
convene the members will be met
with long calendars. One of the bills
which will make the sparks fly is
the Anderson bill abolishing frater-
mites in all of t5e high schools, col
leges, and even the state university.
Assemblyman Anderson promises to
make spectacular speech exposing
the evils of the fraternity system. The
debate against the bill will be led by
Assemblyman Percy Sawyer Of Wau-
kesha county. The house is closely
! divided upon the subject