810 



WISCONSIN-. 



WOOD PULP. 



that more than $42,000 of accrued interest on 

 bank deposits has been covered into the treasury ; 

 that the treasurer, at the end of his term, will 

 have a surplus of more than $300,000, instead of 

 the deficiency that existed two years before ; 

 that trust funds have been promptly invested 

 for the benefit of the schools ; that suits have 

 been rigorously prosecuted to establish the right 

 of the people to the interest earned by their 

 money in the treasury ; and that right has been 

 adjudged and liability fastened upon the two 

 last State treasurers to the amount of more than 

 $250,000 for interest money misappropriated by 

 them. It asserts that the Democrats of Wiscon- 

 sin have shown their loyalty to the cause of 

 popular education in a practical form by adding 

 over $100,000 to the school fund and by increas- 

 ing the appropriations to the State University over 

 $65,000 a year for the next six years. It opposes 

 centralization and paternalism, and all mischiev- 

 ous meddling with rights of conscience and 

 religion, especially in the care and education of 

 children , opposes sumptuary laws, and approves 

 the Democratic nominees and the principles 

 enunciated by the Chicago platform. 



The Republicans also held two State conven- 

 tions, both meeting at Milwaukee. At the first 

 convention, May 5, delegates to the Republican 

 National Convention were selected. The plat- 

 form adopted at this time approves the adminis- 

 tration of President Harrison, and the tariff 

 legislation of the 51st Congress ; denounces the 

 narrow parsimony of the present Democratic 

 House of Representatives, and asserts that, while 

 favoring the use of both gold and silver as money 

 metals, the party is unalterably opposed to the 

 free and unlimited coinage of silver. The move- 

 ment of the international silver conference is 

 commended, and the modification of the silver 

 act of 1890, to enable the President to regulate 

 silver purchases, is favored ; the educational 

 issue of 1890 is declared permanently settled, and 

 further agitation of the subject is denounced as 

 harmful in tendency ; the " Dodge legacy law " 

 is denounced as a most un justifiable form of 

 paternal legislation, and satisfaction with the 

 "gerrymander" decision is expressed. 



The Republican Convention to nominate State 

 officers met on Aug. 17. The platform approves 

 of the platform promulgated by the National 

 Republican Convention and of the adminis- 

 tration of President Harrison. It opposes the 

 proposition, in the Democratic National plat- 

 form, to repeal the tax on the circulation of State 

 banks. It denounces the statement made by the 

 Democratic press in Wisconsin, that Republican 

 success means a surrender or compromise of any 

 rights of the State upon the bonds of ex-treas- 

 urers. It favors the amendment of the law 

 regulating the deposit at interest, in the banks 

 of the State, of surplus moneys belonging to the 

 people. It approves the declaration of the con- 

 vention of May 5, upon the educational question ; 

 "denounces the outrageous partisanship of the 

 Democratic majority at the late extra session of 

 the legislature in forcing the enactment, without 

 legislative consideration, deliberation, fair oppor- 

 tunity for debate, or amendment, of the present 

 so called apportionment law, in defiance of the 

 plain provisions of the Constitution ; " and de- 

 nounces the parsimony of the Democratic party 



in its refusal to make adequate appropriation of 

 money for a fit representation of the State at the 

 Columbian Exposition. The following plank 

 was added on motion of William T. Green, 

 colored delegate from Milwaukee : 



We denounce and condemn the cruel and barba- 

 rous treatment of American citizens in some of the 

 Southern States, as tending 1 to corrupt good gov- 

 ernment, and as contrary to the spirit of the Con- 

 stitution of the United States. 



The convention of the Prohibition party met 

 on June 1, and nominated a State ticket, chose 

 delegates to the national convention, and adopted 

 a platform which demands that the traffic in 

 intoxicating liquor as a beverage be forever pro- 

 hibited and suppressed ; that all money be 

 issued directly by the federal government ; that 

 the great lines of transportation and communi- 

 cation, including the telegraph and telephone, 

 be controlled by the government ; that no re- 

 striction be placed upon the right to vote other 

 than the requirement of a residence for such time 

 and education to such extent as shall insure 

 intelligent citizenship ; that the laws relating to 

 highways be amended to the end that thoroughly 

 constructed and permanent, roads may be given 

 to the people ; that the tariff laws be so changed 

 that no special privileges be granted to one class 

 of citizens at the expense of other classes ; and 

 that the poor be relieved of the unjust taxes 

 they are now compelled to pay. It favors a lib- 

 eral education, in the English language, enforced 

 and supervised by the State, and invites all 

 voters to join with the Prohibition party in the 

 campaign. 



At the election, Nov. 4, the Democratic ticket 

 was successful. The vote for Governor was : 

 Democratic, 178,198 ; Republican, 170.354 ; Pro-, 

 hibition, 12,664; People's, 9,513. The vote for 

 Presidential Electors was as follows : Demo- 

 cratic, 177,448 ; Republican, 170,978 ; Prohi- 

 bition, 13.045 ; People's, 9,870. The legislature 

 of 1893 consists of 27 Democrats and 6 Repub- 

 licans in the Senate, and 56 Democrats and 4~> 

 Republicans in the House. Six Democratic and 4 

 Republican Congressmen were elected. 



WOOD PULP, or Wood Fibre. It is less 

 than half a century since paper was made wholly 

 from rags or straw ; from the former for writing, 

 printing, drawing, and card stock, and from 

 straw for wrapping paper and common hoard 

 covers for books. At that time the varieties 

 and qualities of paper were limited, and the 

 varieties in writing and printing paper resulted 

 more from the size and weight of the sheets than 

 from the kind and quality of the material com- 

 posing the paper. The cost of paper to the con- 

 sumer was large, compared with present prices, 

 and the cost arose more from the limited supply 

 of the material required (rags) than from the 

 cost of converting the rags into paper. Rags 

 were not a commercial product, but the remains 

 of woven linen and cotton fabrics which had 

 given long service in the form of garments, bed 

 clothing and house linen. At present rags have 

 come to be, to a great extent, only an incident 

 in paper making. Severe economy on the part 

 of consumers of linen and cotton fabrics can no 

 longer keep up the prices of paper, or limit its 

 variety, or restrict its use. The discovery of a 



