River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-01-18

$6OO,OOO per year. 1t follows then, that
our military expenditures will event
ually increase 100000 per year over
and above the expenditures that we
have been in the habit of making un-
der our former Guard organization.
1t will be observed that the new fed
eral statute throws a large financial
burden for military purposes upon the
state. A substantial increase in these
expenditures is necessary to make it
possible for the state to provide it's
quota of officers and men to enable the
general government to carry out it's
plan of greater military preparedness.
which is a national necessity for pure
ly defensive purposes that should not
be longer delayed.
| recommend that you memorabilia
Congress to amend the National De-
Tense Act so as to shorten the term of
enlistment of the National Guard or
restrict its use by the president to
such service as will justify him in call
ing out reserve forces.
Development of Northern Wisconsin.
The problem of attracting settlers to
the northern part of our state and of
developing it's industrial possibilities
deserves your attention. The state
should give reasonable assistance to
any legitimate effort that is calculated
to call the attention of home-seekers
to the agricultural and industrial adj
vantages of that section.
We should not merely attract set
tiers, but it is of even greater import
ance that we attract people who are,
this feature Of our northern develop
ment of first importance. The class Of
citizens best fitted for the task OF con
verting our cut-over timber lands into
farms are the young men who have
been reared in our western agricul-
tural section, who will understand the
task that they undertake in opening
up farm in timbered section, and
in order to bring the agricultural
worth of our cut-over lands to the at
tention of that element, | recommend
that you appropriate a reasonable
amount of money to the Department OF
Agriculture to be used in exhibiting
the agricultural products of northern
Wisconsin to the people in the rural
sections of our neighboring states.
Primary Law.
When the primary election law was
adopted it was represented by it's
friends to be an improved system Of
making nominations for public Office.
1t has been upon our statute books
since 1905, and it must now be adj
mitted that it has had fair trial.
While the law is in some respects an
improvement over the old caucus sys-
tenn, 1 believe it to be generally con-
ceded that it is unsatisfactory in its
present form and should be amended
and changed in many respects.
Despite all that has been said
against conventions it has been fully
that there is a strong de-
mand among the people for political
Party conventions should
be provided for by law to enable mem
bers of the parties to meet and agree
upon a declaration of principles that
the party stands for. The present sys-
tenn of permitting successful candi-
dates to meet after primary and decide
upon a platform with which to go to
the people for election is wrong in
and destructive of political
parties. Under that system the candi-
dates may promise most anything to
the voter before the primary and COM
plete1y change their political views
after the primary, if in their judg-
ment it is necessary to make such
changes to meet political conditions.
recommend such legislation as will
create the legal machinery necessary
to call state party conventions, at
which the representatives of the party
who have been elected by the people at
a primary may meet and decide upon
the principles that the party shall adj
vocate and stand for, such platform to
be accepted and agreed to by the can
didates who seek election under the
party name.
It is common practice in this state.
under the primary system, that voters
uuuGE Lu0 VI PCLOOAdA QOllLl-
cal organizations are prevailed upon to
vote for the candidates Of an opposing
party at the primary for their own
political advantage, or, what is still
more Objectionable, to carry out a
trade or agreement for mutual political
with some candidate or his
Such practice is poll
ticaI corruption and should be stopped.
In order to protect our primaries
against such evil influences 1 recon-
mend that provisions be made by law
that will permit only the adherents Of
a party to vote it's ticket at a primary
election.
Tenure of Office of Governor.
I believe it to be clearly in the inter-
est of the people that the term of Office
of the governor be four years instead
of two years, as the constitution now
provides. / also recommend that the
secretary of state, state treasurer and
attorney general, who should consti-
tute the governors cabinet, be appoint
"a ~, him instead of o1ocfod as tho