The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-29
FOLLOWS Philips ADVICE
Many Laws Providing for Retrench-
ment in State Finances Have Been
Approved Regardless of Bitter Fight
by the Political Enemies.

Now that all the important measures
of the 1915 Legislature have been prac-
/ tically passed and with the end of the
session in sight it is the general
impression that Governor Philip has
more than made good.
Every single administration measure
of Importance has resulted in victory
for the governor and in this way those
measures which were defeated have
| placed the enemies of the administra-
| tion on the defensive and will give the
| governor the strongest kind Of poll
teal issue in case he decides to run
| again; these measures which have been
passed are self-evident victories and
do not need demonstration.
| In this connection it is interesting to
observe the general political situation
in the state at the present time. The
| republican party has regained its in
tegrity, which it lost i'll 1912. 1t is
safe to say that there are more voters
! who are just plain republicans in the
state now than at any time in the past
ten years. The actions of the progress
sives in the present legislature are to a
certain extent responsible for this
condition of affairs. These politicians
have proven that they are educational
! stand-patters of the worst kind in re-
| fusing to adopt the central board plan
on the grounds that it was too pro-
gressive to be taken in one step;v
/, they have demonstrated that they are
obstructionists and that they have no
regard for the mandates Of the people
as expressed in elections. They have
shown most clearly that they do not
believe in letting the people rule, ex-
cept when the people want the same
thing that they do. They have been
anything but consistent; voting one
day for a one-man agriculture commits
sion, and the next for three-man con-
servation commission. They are will
ing to accept three-man printing
board, that will save the state
100000 a year, but they balk at a
three-man welfare commission that
would stop leaks to the tune of
$4,000 year. One day they call
man stand-pat reactionaryo in
their journals and the next day they
pat him on the back when they think
they can get something from him.
This was shown in the case of Senator
George Staudenmayer. When he vot-
ed for the water-power bill he was
damned; when he voted against the
central board of education measure, he
was given every consideration
They have tried to manipulate the
democrats in the senate, but it has
been hard job because these men were
elected on the same kind of platform
as Governor Philip. It is true that a
number of them listened to the whip
cracking of Senator Husting, the La
Toilette democrat, and these latter will
no doubt have to answer at the polls
especially in view of the attitude Of
the democrats who met at Milwaukee
at the state central committee meet
ing So it will be seen that it will be
no hard matter to discredit the rem
nants of the machine that Senator La
Toilette left in Wisconsin.
By their votes they have killed
themselves and campaign will com
plete the burial service. In fact there
are many, who believe that the pro-
gressives will be negative quantity
Ill Wisconsin as soon as 1917. The
democrats on the other hand are dis
organized at the present time. The
antics Of Senator Husting in his at
tempts to distribute political plums so
that Senator LaFollette would be pleas
ed have caused many to groan with
wrath. The Awkward faction has form
ed as result and before that there
were always the dissenting Karel sup
porters. Incidentally 1t might be said
here that Governor Philip has done
more to carry out the democratic plat
form pledges than the Bichler-J Jennings
combination in the senate.
Taking it all in all it looks as though
there would not be much Of fight a
year from now, even though Mr.. La
Toilette himself enter the field. They
can't overcome their high tax record
or their records in the present legisla-
ture against sfbetter business admins
tration, lower taxes, consolidation of
commissions and better rural schools. -
The Kenosha Lodge of Elks is GO
1ror - L. q L. !