49th Wisconsin Legislature
← 48th 50th →
Wisconsin State Capitol under reconstruction after the 1904 fire
Overview
Legislative body	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place	Wisconsin State Capitol
Term	January 4, 1909 – January 2, 1911
Election	November 3, 1908
Senate
Members	33
Senate President	John Strange (R)
President pro tempore	James Huff Stout (R)
Party control	Republican
Assembly
Members	100
Assembly Speaker	Levi H. Bancroft (R)
Party control	Republican
Sessions
1st January 13, 1909 – June 18, 1909

The Forty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13, 1909, to June 18, 1909, in regular session.^[1] During this term, legislative business was largely held in the north wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, which was the only part of the capitol to remain intact after the 1904 fire.^[2]

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 3, 1908. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 6, 1906.^[1]

Major events

• March 4, 1909:
  • After a contentious two-month process, Isaac Stephenson was re-elected as United States senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in joint session.
  • Inauguration of William Howard Taft as the 27th President of the United States.
• August 2, 1909: The United States Signal Corps Aeronautical Division purchased the world's first military airplane, the Wright Military Flyer.
• November 13, 1909: "On, Wisconsin!" was played for the first time at a University of Wisconsin football game against the University of Minnesota. The song would become the official fight song of the University of Wisconsin and the official state song of the state of Wisconsin.
• March 17, 1910: Progressive Republicans in the United States House of Representatives allied with Democrats to remove speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon from the House Rules Committee and strip him of his power to appoint committee chairmen.
• September 1, 1910: Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Joshua Eric Dodge resigned from the court.
• September 10, 1910: Governor James O. Davidson appointed Wisconsin circuit judge Aad J. Vinje to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to replace Joshua Eric Dodge.
• November 8, 1910: 1910 Wisconsin elections:
  • Francis E. McGovern elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • Wisconsin voters approved an amendment to the state constitution so that redistricting should only occur after a federal census.
  • Wisconsin voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution to double compensation for state legislators.
  • Wisconsin voters approved an amendment which would have enabled more state funding of public improvements, but the referendum was later ruled invalid by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• November 20, 1910: Francisco I. Madero called for an armed revolution against Mexican president/dictator Porfirio Díaz, initiating the Mexican Revolution.

Major legislation

• Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article 4 of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature, 1909 Joint Resolution 7. Second legislative passage of the proposed amendment to the state constitution to double compensation for state legislators. The amendment was rejected by voters in the 1910 election.
• Joint Resolution memorializing congress in regard to international peace, 1909 Joint Resolution 19. Endorsed the idea of an international parliament for preservation of peace.
• Joint Resolution relating to the capitol building, 1909 Joint Resolution 30. Requested that the city of Madison enact controls to reduce coal pollution to maintain the beauty of the new capitol building, which was then under construction.
• Joint Resolution to amend section 10, article VII of the constitution, relating to the salary of judges, 1909 Joint Resolution 34. Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to allow the Legislature to set judicial salaries by law.
• Joint Resolution to amend section 6, article VIII of the constitution, relating to limitation on the public debt, 1909 Joint Resolution 37. Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to expand the reasons for which cities or counties could incur debt, but requiring that a payment schedule would be implemented that would have the debt repaid within 50 years.
• Joint Resolution to amend article 11 of the constitution by adding thereto a new section to be known as Section 3a, relating to the acquisition of lands by the state or any of its cities for certain public purposes, 1909 Joint Resolution 38. Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to allow cities to acquire land for the purposes of creating or enlarging public parks, public squares, streets, public buildings, etc.
• Joint Resolution to amend section 3 of article XI of .the constitution, relating to municipal corporations and their indebtedness, 1909 Joint Resolution 44. Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to create an exemption to the 5% limit on municipal debt for municipalities larger than 150,000 people where the debt is being used for the purchase of land for public improvements.
• Joint Resolution providing an amendment to section 3 of article IV of the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, relating to apportionment, 1909 Joint Resolution 55. Second legislative passage of the proposed amendment to the state constitution to only perform redistricting following a federal census. This amendment was ratified by voters in the Fall 1910 general election.

Party summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

• 1st Regular session: January 13, 1909 – June 18, 1909

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: William D. Connor (R)
• President pro tempore: James Huff Stout (R–Menomonie)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Levi H. Bancroft (R–Richland Center)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Forty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Forty-Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:^[3]

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Committee on Agriculture – I. T. Bishop, chair
• Senate Committee on Banks and Insurance – W. C. Owen, chair
• Senate Committee on Education – J. H. Stout, chair
• Senate Committee on Elections – H. C. Martin, chair
• Senate Committee on Engrossed Bills – T. Burke, chair
• Senate Committee on Federal Relations – E. E. Lyons, chair
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary – A. W. Sanborn, chair
• Senate Committee on Legislative Expenditures and Employees – T. Morris, chair
• Senate Committee on Manufacturers and Labor – T. W. Brazeau, chair
• Senate Committee on Military Affairs – D. G. James, chair
• Senate Committee on Public Health – H. W. Barker, chair
• Senate Committee on Roads and Bridges – E. E. Browne, chair
• Senate Committee on State Affairs – G. E. Page, chair
• Senate Committee on Taxation – J. M. Whitehead, chair
• Senate Committee on Towns and Counties – J. A. Fridd, chair
• Senate Committee on Transportation – H. M. Lockney, chair
• Senate Committee on Villages and Cities – J. A. Wright, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Committee on Agriculture – G. U. Fisher, chair
• Assembly Committee on Banks and Insurance – F. W. Kubasta, chair
• Assembly Committee on Cities – C. E. Estabrook, chair
• Assembly Committee on Dairy and Food – T. Reynolds, chair
• Assembly Committee on Dams – J. S. Stack, chair
• Assembly Committee on Education – S. F. Wehrwein, chair
• Assembly Committee on Elections – W. Ingalls, chair
• Assembly Committee on Engrossed Bills – H. E. Roethe, chair
• Assembly Committee on Federal Relations – C. B. Culbertson, chair
• Assembly Committee on the Judiciary – L W. Ledvina, chair
• Assembly Committee on Legislative Expenditures and Employees – J. E. Thomas, chair
• Assembly Committee on Libraries – D. B. Stevens, chair
• Assembly Committee on Lumber and Mining – P. Whitman, chair
• Assembly Committee on Manufactures and Labor – S. Smith, chair
• Assembly Committee on Military Affairs – W. Disch, chair
• Assembly Committee on Public Health – W. Irvine, chair
• Assembly Committee on Public Improvements – H. Laycock, chair
• Assembly Committee on Roads and Bridges – C. C. Wellensgard, chair
• Assembly Committee on State Affairs – G. E. Scott, chair
• Assembly Committee on Taxation – M. J. Cleary, chair
• Assembly Committee on Third Reading – W. Reader, chair
• Assembly Committee on Towns and Counties – J. C. Chapple, chair
• Assembly Committee on Transportation – E. W. LeRoy, chair
• Assembly Committee on Villages – G. T. Atwood, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Committee on the Capitol – J. S. Donald (Sen.) & F. Smith (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions – S. M. Marsh (Sen.) & J. R. Jones (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Claims – G. B. Hudnall (Sen.) & L. C. Whittet (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills – J. C. Kleczka (Sen.) & F. R. Zimmerman (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Fish and Game – J. W. Thomas (Sen.) & F. Hammill (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Forestry – H. P. Bird (Sen.) & W. M. Bray (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Printing – J. E. Lehr (Sen.) & J. A. Chinnock (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Revision – J. J. Blaine (Sen.) & J. E. McConnell (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Rules – J. H. Stout (Sen.) & F. J. Kimball (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on State Departments – H. Krumrey (Sen.) & D. C. Coolidge (Asm.), co-chairs
• Special Joint Committee on Apportionment – J. M. Whitehead (Sen.) & C. A. Ingram (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: F. E. Andrews^[4]
  • Journal Clerk: R. E. Smith
    • Assistant Journal Clerk: George M. McLaughlin
  • Bookkeeper: Fred M. Wylie
    • Assistant Bookkeeper: J. T. Huntington
  • Engrossing Clerk: John Bessey
  • Index Clerk: C. A. Worth
  • Proofreaders:
    • J. H. Frazier
    • L. B. Wolfenson
  • Stenographers:
    • J. H. Sapiro
    • R. H. Hillyer
    • A. W. Galloway
    • F. W. Spencer
    • C. E. Mullen
    • Fred Onstad
    • C. B. MacCrossen
    • R. W. Schlegel
  • Typewriter Clerks:
    • L. B. Webster
    • O. P. Peterson
    • W. A. Anderson
    • C. R. Welton
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Russell C. Falconer
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: T. H. Sanderson
  • Document Clerk: Elmer A. Pierce
  • Day Police: Olaf Goldsbrand
  • Night Police: F. E. Boyle
  • Laborer: John Eastman
• Postmaster: George Emerich
  • Messengers:
    • E. G. Cooper
    • Leon Grane
    • Thomas Farley
    • Roland Monroe
    • Orville Swarthout
    • Harry Cotey
    • Myron Harshaw

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer^[4]
  • Journal Clerk: W. W. Jones
    • Assistant Journal Clerk: S. E. Pearson
  • Bookkeeper: S. S. Summers
    • Assistant Bookkeeper: C. H. Dietz
  • General Clerks:
    • W. J. Goldschmidt
    • R. E. Van Matre
  • Index Clerk: William L. Bullock
  • Proofreaders and Enrolling Clerks:
    • Max Schoetz
    • E. V. Nevins
  • Stenographers:
    • March Polk
    • A. J. Nelson
    • A. J. Hughes
    • D. J. Saposs
    • L. T. Pond
    • A. C. Tretow
    • A. A. Heinrich
    • C. J. Hartley
    • A. C. Sheperd
    • H. G. Pickering
    • F. Robotka
    • W. A. Lawton
  • Statistical Stenographer: George Washington Blanchard
  • Typewriters:
    • L. L. Oeland
    • J. C. Hawker
    • H. G. Lee
    • W. E. Kirk
• Sergeant-at-Arms: William S. Irvine
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Harry V. Ross
  • Document Room Custodian: E. A. Hanks
    • Assistant Document Room Custodian: C. E. Nelson
  • Day Police: E. F. Wright
  • Night Watch: H. S. Stevenson
  • Night Laborer: E. Brackenwogen
• Postmaster: R. W. Cheever
  • Post Office Messenger: C. F. Puls
  • Messengers:
    • Francis Lamb
    • Harry E. Boyle
    • H. Hawker
    • A. B. Bonde
    • A. L. Vogt
    • Walter F. Vanderhyden
    • Harry E. Benedict
    • Frank J. Rief
    • Lawrence Stoddard
    • M. A. Goldberg
    • Julius Hembre
    • Paul E. Slawson
    • J. A. Jerabeck
    • H. O. Femrite