USA > Wisconsin > An illustrated history of the state of Wisconsin : being a complete civil, political, and military history of the state, from its first exploration down to 1875 > Part 45
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At the election in November, the Republican ticket was elected. Fair- child received 69,582 votes for governor, and Robinson 61,230 ; the majority of the former, 8,343. The remainder of the ticket received a majority of about nine thousand over the Democratic candidates.
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HD. Barrowg
CHAPTER LX.
THIRD ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. FAIRCHILD.
Events of 1870 - Legislation and Statistics - A Movement to remove the Capital to Milwaukee fails - View of the State Institutions.
THE third day of January, 1870, witnessed a change in most of the State offices. The persons elected in November last assumed their duties. Gov. Fairchild entered upon his office for a third term; and this fact is a sufficient evidence that his services had been appreciated by the people.
The Twenty-third session of the legislature commenced Jan. 12, 1870, and adjourned March 17, after a session of sixty-five days.
Hon. Thaddeus C. Pound, lieutenant-governor elect, took his place as presi- dent of the senate. L. B. Hills was elected chief clerk, and E. M. Rogers sergeant-at-arms. In the assembly, James M. Bingham was elected speaker, E. W. Young chief clerk, and Ole C. Johnson sergeant-at-arms. In the senate there were nineteen Republicans, and fourteen Democrats; and, in the assembly, sixty Republicans, and forty Democrats.
The inaugural reception of the State officers at the Capitol on the 13th was very largely attended by the members of the legislature, citizens, and strangers. Two military companies from Milwaukee, the Light Guard and Sheridan Guards, participated in the reception. In the evening, Gov. Fairchild and the State officers received their friends in the east room of the State Historical Society until nine, P.M., when an adjournment was made to the assembly chamber, which had been prepared for the occasion; and dancing was kept up until early next morning.
On the 13th of January, in the joint convention of the legislature, Gov. Fairchild appeared, and delivered his annual message.
In the month of January, Gov. Fairchild received official information that claims of Wisconsin for equipping troops for the Union army, &c., to the amount of 8219,742.06, heretofore suspended or disallowed, had been audited, and the sum passed to the credit of the State against the direct tax of 1862, which the State had never paid. On the previous year, the sum of 8131,000 was also allowed. A large amount of other claims still remained suspended; and the State authorities urged their settlement by every means in their power.
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In the month of March, an energetic effort was made in the legislature, by the citizens of Milwaukee, to remove the seat of government from Madison to Milwaukee; the city and county of Milwaukee proposing to donate to the State the new county court-house under some stipulations. The question was brought up in the assembly, when a spirited debate took place. A motion to indefinitely postpone the bill finally passed by a vote of fifty-six to thirty.
On the 17th of March, the legislature, having finished its labors, adjourned. It was largely composed of able, honest, and industrious men, who were controlled in their action by what they thought was for the best interests of the State. There were passed twenty-one appropriation bills, twenty-five joint resolutions, fifteen memorials to Congress, five hundred and seventeen private and local laws, and a hundred and forty-eight general laws. Of the general laws, so classified, quite a number were only of local application, relating to terms of court, &c. Of those of general importance, the follow- ing include the majority : the Esterly Bill, to encourage the construc- tion of railroads, which authorized towns, cities, and villages to take stock in railroads through them to the extent of five thousand dollars a mile, and issue bonds therefor; to encourage the manufacture of beet-sugar and the propagation of brook-trout, by exemption from taxation; to restore the system of county government by boards composed of town board of super- visors, senior aldermen in cities, and presidents of villages; putting back into the normal-school fund twenty-five per cent of its income temporarily diverted to the common-school fund; providing for the education of soldiers' orphans in the normal schools; providing for a geological and topographical survey of the South-western lead-mines; providing for the election and clas- sification of railroad directors; to organize the twelfth judicial circuit; to provide for an additional institution for the insane.
Among the general measures which failed were, amendments to the con- stitution, so as to strike out the limitation of suffrage to males, lengthening the term, and increasing the number of judges, of the Supreme Court; bills to revise and so amend the registry law as to have the first registry made by town and city clerks, and require an applicant to apply in writing; for the removal of the capital; to establish a uniform freight-tariff on railroads, and regulate their running connections; to establish a uniform series of schoolbooks; to restore the death-penalty, &c.
Among the joint resolutions was one re-affirming the amendment to the constitution, dispensing with grand juries, which was submitted to the people in the fall of 1870; proposing an amendment to the constitution prohibiting action by the legislature, except in the enactment of general laws on sundry matters, such as changing names, authorizing minors to convey real estate, vacating alleys, extending the time for the collection of taxes, &c., which, if adopted, would take away two-thirds of the business of the legislature; and several in regard to land-grants and other matters.
One of the measures that created much interest was the Chippewa Dells Improvement Bills. The strife was between the interests of the
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city of Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. The bill was killed in the senate by the rulings of the president at the close of the session.
Hon. A. J. Craig, State superintendent of public instruction, died on the 3d of July, of consumption. Gen. Samuel Fallows was appointed by the governor to fill his place.
The board of commissioners appointed by the governor to locate a site for the new hospital for the insane, in July adopted, subject to the approval of the governor, a site on Lake Winnebago, four miles north of Oshkosh, where a station had been established by the Chicago and North-western Railroad. The legislature authorized the appropriation of ten thousand dollars for the purchase ; and the property obtained is about three hundred acres of land. By the provisions of the act, the commissioners were authorized to obtain plans for the buildings, and to contract for the immediate erection of said hospital; and to this end the sum of a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars was appropriated, forty thousand dollars to be expended or drawn from the State treasury in the year 1870.
In the month of July, bids were opened for the erection and completion of the Female College building on the State University grounds. The contract was awarded to Hon. John Fellenz of Milwaukee for forty-one thousand six hundred dollars. The amount appropriated for the same was fifty thousand dollars. The governmental census taken this year (1870) shows the popula- tion of Wisconsin to be 1,054,670, an increase, since 1860, of 278,789.
The following were the names of congressmen nominated by the Demo- cratic and Republican partics. Democratic, Alexander Mitchell, A. G. Cook, John Strachan, Charles A. Eldredge, Joseph Stringham, and Alexan- der Meggett. Republican, William Penn Lyon, G. W. Hazleton, J. Allen Barber, J. A. Watrous, Philetus Sawyer, J. M. Rusk. At the elections in November of 1870, Alexander Mitchell and Charles A. Eldredge, Demo- crats, and G. W. Hazleton, J. Allen Barber, Philetus Sawyer, and Jeremiah M. Rusk, Republicans, were elected members of Congress.
The whole number of votes polled for congressmen was 147,369. Taking this as a basis, the State went Republican by 6,117 majority. For superin- tendent of public instruction, Samuel Fallows received a majority of 9,026 over his opponent, H. B. Dale. The whole vote on superintendent was 146,832.
On the question of changing the constitution in relation to the grand jury system, but 63,479 votes were cast; and the majority against it was 27,829.
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CHAPTER LXI.
THIRD ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. FAIRCHILD.
Events of 1871- Cyclopedia of Legislation - Statistics - Election Contest -Elec- tion of Washburn for Governor -Defeat of Doolittle.
THE twenty-fourth session of the State legislature convened on the 11th of January, 1871, and adjourned March 25, after a session of seventy-four days. Lieut .- Gov. T. C. Pound took his seat as president of the senate; and the senate, electing O. R. Smith as chief clerk, and W. W. Baker as sergeant-at-arnis, organized that body. In the assembly, William E. Smith was elected speaker, E. W. Young chief clerk and Samuel S. Fifield ser- geant-at-arms. The political complexion of the legislature was, Republi- cans nineteen, Democrats fourteen; Assembly, Republicans fifty-seven, Democrats forty-one, Independents two.
On the 12th of January, the governor met the legislature in joint conven- tion, and delivered his annual message. He remarked at the opening, that "our State polity is so wisely adapted to the needs of the people, and so favorable to the growth and prosperity of the Commonwealth, as to require but few changes at the hands of the legislature, and those rather of detail than of system."
Hon. Byron Paine, associate justice of the Supreme Court, died on the 13th of January, 1871. A biographical sketch of this distinguished jurist will be given hereafter.
The governor, a few days after, appointed Hon. William P. Lyon of Racine to fill the vacancy until the general election in the spring, when a justice was elected by the vote of the people.
The building-commissioners of the Northern Wisconsin Hospital for the Insane met in February, 1871, and examined the bids for the erection of the asylum. Seventeen proposals were put in; and the contract was awarded to James Reynolds of Milwaukee as the lowest bidder, for 8146,581.
The session of the legislature adjourned on the 25th of March was the longest that had been held after the change from the per diem to the salary system of paying members; and was remarkable in one respect, viz., that it passed without any political contest or partisan debate. Notwithstanding
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. the absorbing excitement on one or two questions, which will hereafter be referred to, all measures that have been presented received considerate attention; and all laws of general importance were carefully scrutinized by committees and the members at large. All local measures received thorough examination, and there was little mischievous special legislation. Of the business of the session, in the senate there were three hundred and seven bills presented, twelve memorials to Congress, eighteen joint resolutions, and thirty-three resolutions; and, in the assembly, seven hundred and sixty bills, fourteen memorials, thirty-eight joint resolutions, and forty-six reso- lutions; and, of the acts that passed and became laws, one hundred and sixty-nine were general, five hundred and one private and local, fourteen memorials, twenty-four appropriations, and two joint resolutions.
"The Madison State Journal " of March 27 gives a full account of the business of this session as follows: -
"Many of the 'general laws' are not of general interest; some twenty-five or thirty, for instance, relating to terms of cirenit courts and phonographle reporters therefor. Joint resolutions were adopted to amend the constitution restricting local legislation, which was twice rejected by the senate, but finally conenrred in, to be submitted to the people, and which prohibits special or private laws; for changing names, or constituting heirs-at-law; laying ont State roads all within one county; anthorizing ferries wholly within the State; providing for sale of property of minors; locating county-seats; assessing or collecting taxes, or extending the time for collection; granting corporate powers, except to cities; providing for any special apportionment of the school-fund; incorporating the charter of any town or village; also to increase the number of judges of the Supreme Court to five, and the length of their term to ten years, which has yet to be approved by another legislature, and then be submitted to the people. Among the laws of general importance were those anthorizing the State land-commis- siouers to loan the State trust-funds to school-districts; organizing a State board of charities and reforms of five members, with secretary at a salary of twelve hundred dollars, to have oversight of the State charitable, penal, and reformatory institutions, an.1 poor-honses and jails, their duties simply being a board of inspection, not control; providing for the trial of criminal offences on informa- tion, without the intervention of a grand jury (a very carefully-perfected meas- nre); apportioning the State into senate and assembly districts; creating the elective office of State Commissioner of Immigration; and the following, - to pro- teet the public against manthorized insurance-agents; requiring the Constitution of the United States and Wisconsin to be taught in schools; to provide for hold- ing normal in stitntes in this State; to regulate the sale of patent-rights, and to prevent frands therein ; to protect and encourage the raising of sheep, and dis- conrage the multiplication of dogs, by authorizing county supervisors to hupose a tax on the latter; anthorizing conrt commissioners to solemnize marriages; to further provide for the duties of county supervisors, authorizing the chairman, clerk, or a committee, to perform duties now requiring action of the whole board; to provide for weights and measures in the several towns in this State; requiring hotel-keepers to provide means of escape from fire; providing that henry shall work a forfeitnre of interest only, not principal; to provide for the goverment of the State Hospital for the Insane by a board of three, instead of fifteen, and requiring two dollars a week to be paid by friends or localities for board and clothing; to consolidate and amend the acts for the government of the State-prison; to simplify proceedings for the recovery of real estate; to further
CROSSCUP & WEST-S
J. M. ARNOLD.
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HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
provide for instruction in normal school of soldiers' orphans; changing the off- cial designation of clerk of board of supervisors to county clerk; anthorizing boards of registry to put on the registry-list the names of persons known to them to be voters; repealing the law prohibiting physicians practising without a regn- lar diploma; to secure a proper guardianship for children discharged from the Soldiers' Orphans' Home.
"The appropriations, mainly for the State charitable institutions, were large, but did not so much exceed the revenues of the State but that a State tax of three hundred and forty thousand dollars, which is one hundred and forty thousand dollars less than last year, was deemed sufficient to meet all expendi- tures.
"The principal appropriations are as follows: for the new Insane Hospital at Oshkosh, $126,000; State-prison, $99,940; Insane Hospital at Madison, $92,200; State Reforin School, $53,000; Soldiers' Orphans' Home, $40,000; Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, $38,300; Institute for the Blind, $25.373; for the old Proudfit printing claim, 812,000; for the protection of Superior Harbor, $5,000; for the col- Jection of State war claims against the General Government, 82,724; for the relief of certain citizens of Ozankee County, who paid the State for land which belonged to the United States, $2,550; for the governor's contingent fund, $2,000; for the widow of Justice Paine, $1,000.
"Looking over the titles of the private and local laws, we find that about one hundred of them are acts of incorporations of all manner of associations; fifty- eiglit are railroad-charters, or amendments thereto, or relative to aid to railroads; forty-three extend the time for collecting taxes; forty are village, and thirty are city charters or amendments thereto; sixteen relate to changes of names, of mak- ing of heirs, &c .; the rest relate to a variety of subjects too numerous to men- tion.
"Among the measures before the legislature which failed to become laws, the bill to incorporate the Chippewa Improvement and Booming Company, - which passed both houses by close votes, but was killed by the governor's veto, -excited more interest than any other matter, was more or less complicated with nearly all other legislation, especially with the Apportionment Bill, and its consideration somewhat protracted the session. Amendments to the constitution werd defeated, striking out the troublesome provision requiring uniformity of county government, providing for biennial sessions of the legislature; a new system of districting our State into senate and assembly districts, and minority representa- tion; bills for a commission to propose amendments to the constitution; provid- ing for a revision of the statutes; educational bills for a State board of education, for county high schools, and town superintendents, and compulsory attendance on schools; proposing a removal of the capital (barely introduced, but not urged); repealing the registry law; further restraining the sale of liquor; authorizing female tax-payers to vote at school-meetings; giving the railroad license-money to localities where railroad property lies, instead of to the State treasury; provid- ing a coal-vault at the Capitol; to establish an institution for the feeble-minded; to restore the district supervisor system of county government; to make the sale of liquor to a drunken man forfeit a license; to make the verdict of eleven agree- ing jurors effective; joint resolution to amend the constitution and bill limiting the power of municipalities to contract debt to five per cent of the assessed valu- ation; providing for tract-indexes in the different counties; to make the receiving of a railroad-pass by a juror or a commissioner to award damages, from a railroad company interested, a felony; making the terin of town clerks three years; mak- ing the defranding of hotel-keepers by their guests a penal offence; requiring a license from the clerk of the circuit court as a prerequisite to marriage; limiting the fees of the commissioners of school and university lands; giving gravestone
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makers a lien thereon; providing for an additional publication of the laws in 'The Madison Democrat;' to repeal the act for the survey of the lead-district; to pay two thousand dollars for the site of the State-prison; making appropria- tions to the Milwaukee charitable institutions; numerous bills as to the fees and jurisdiction of justices of the peace.
"The governor has vetoed but few bills during the session; and all the vetoes have been sustained. The acts thus made of none effect were to give all swamp- lands, and the proceeds of all sold in the town of Royalton, for drainage purposes therein; to vacate part of the plats of the city of Hudson and the village of De Soto, St. Croix County, and the Chippewa Dells Bill. The governor also with- held his approval from two bills presented to him on the last day, - one repeal- ing the law requiring notaries to have a seal, the other amending the charter of the Mechanics' Mutual Insurance Company in a contradictory manner to a bill just previously passed."
At the election in April for associate justice, William P. Lyon received 69,587 votes, and D. J. Pulling 58,119 votes. The former was elected for six years.
The regents of the University of Wisconsin elected Rev. J. H. Twombly, LL. D., of Boston, Mass., president of the university. Dr. Twombly accepted the appointment, and soon after entered upon the duties of his office. The Republican State Convention for the nomination of State offi- cers met at Madison on the 30th of August, 1861, Hon. George C. Hazleton, president.
On an informal ballot for governor, 264 votes were polled, of which num- ber C. C. Washburn received 142, W. E. Smith 111, and 11 scattering. Mr. Washburn was declared unanimously nominated. For lieutenant- governor, M. II. Pettitt received 181 votes, J. II. Rountree 82, J. K. Proud- fit 19, J. S. Curtis 21. Mr. Pettitt was declared nominated. Llewellyn Breese was unanimously nominated for secretary of state, and Henry Baetz state treasurer, without ballot. Samuel Fallows in the same manner re- ceived the nomination of superintendent of public instruction. For attor- ney-general, S. S. Barlow received 166 votes, John A. Bennet 80, and O. B. Thomas 18. Mr. Barlow was nominated ; and G. F. Wheeler for state-prison commissioner. O. C. Johnson was nominated emigrant com- missioner by acclamation.
The Democratic State Convention met at Madison, Aug. 23, 1871, H. L. Palmer, president. On a vote being taken for governor, James R. Doo- little received 123 votes, and was unanimously nominated. For lieutenant- governor, John A. Rice received 97 votes, G. W. Kroupsoff 19 votes, and 30 scattering. Mr. Rice's nomination was made unanimous, and that of Milton Montgomery for secretary of state. For state treasurer, Anton Klauss received 103 votes, and was nominated. For attorney-general, E. S. Bragg received 80 votes, and A. J. Rising 46 votes. Mr. Bragg's nomination was made unanimous. L. E. Johnson was nominated by ac- clamation for state-prison commissioner. For superintendent of public instruction, Warren D. Parker received 118 votes, and F. Regenfus 26 Vutes. Mr. Parker was unanimously nominated. For commissioner of
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emigration, Jacob Boden received 120 votes, J. Seaman 22 votes, and 5 votes scattering. Mr. Boden's nomination was declared unanimous.
The month of October this year was a disastrous one. The great fire in Chicago took place, and also that in the north-eastern part of Wisconsin. Some six counties were devastated. Owing to long-continued drought, every thing was like tinder, and burned with immense rapidity. Something like one thousand persons are supposed to have lost their lives. At Peshtego, four hundred and seventy dead bodies were found. Large amounts of lum- ber were destroyed, and heavy forests burnt. Destructive fires took place, also, in North-western Wisconsin, in the Black River pineries. The people in the southern and central parts of the State, with their accustomed liberality, sent large supplies of food and clothing to the destitute; and every effort was made by the humane and charitable to alleviate the suf- ferings and privations of those demanding their sympathy.
At the elections in November, the whole Republican ticket was elected. For governor, C. C. Washburn received 78,301 votes, and James R. Doo- little 68,910 : the other Republican candidates received majorities ranging from 8,000 to 10,000.
CHAPTER LXII.
ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. WASHBURN.
Events of 1872 - An Account of the Great Fires of 1871 -Legislation, &c. - Election - Statistics.
ON the 1st of January, 1872, Hon. Lucius Fairchild, who had for six years preceding that date occupied the position of governor of the State, retired, and was succeeded by Hon. C. C. Washburn. Of the administration of Gov. Fairchild, it was said, -
"Few men have attained the full honors he has done at so young an age; and it is rare, indeed, that any man of any age has so long filled high positions with such universal satisfaction to the people as he has done. At the age of forty, he retires from office, having held the highest position within the gift of the people of his adopted State, for three terms, with the respect of his fellow-citizens of all parties."
At eleven o'clock the old State officers proceeded to the residence of the governor elect, where was also the lieutenant-governor elect, Hon. M. H. Pettitt. The party proceeded by sleighs to the State Capitol, and at twelve o'clock entered the assembly chamber, where were congregated a large number of persons anxious to witness the simple yet imposing ceremony. The officers elect were seated in front of the speaker's platform. Gen. Washburn then stepped forward; and the oath of office was administered to him by Chief Justice Dixon in a very impressive manner. The other State officers then stepped forward, one at a time; and each took the oath to sup- port the constitution, and to discharge the duties of the respective office to which he was elected. The ceremony over, the officers proceeded to the Executive chamber, where Gov. Washburn was duly conducted to the chair by his predecessor, and the party dispersed.
The twenty-fifth session of the legislature commenced on the 10th of January, 1872, and adjourned on the 27th of March, after a session of seventy-seven days. In the senate, Hon. M. II. Pettitt of Kenosha, lieu- tenant-governor, took his seat as president. J. H. Waggoner was elected chief clerk, and W. D. Hoard sergeant-at-arms. In the assembly, Daniel Hall was chosen speaker, E. W. Young chief clerk, and S. S. Fifield ser- geant-at-arms.
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