32nd Wisconsin Legislature
# 32nd Wisconsin Legislature

The Thirty-Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1879, to March 5, 1879, in regular session.

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 5, 1878. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 6, 1877.

## Major events

* January 22, 1879: Matthew H. Carpenter elected United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.
* November 4, 1879: William E. Smith re-elected as Governor of Wisconsin.

## Major legislation

* February 28, 1879: An Act to secure to children the benefits of an elementary education, 1879 Act 121. Created a legal requirement for parents and legal guardians to send their children to school for at least one semester per year between the ages of 7 and 15.

## Party summary

### Senate summary

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Dem. | Lib.R. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 10 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 0 |
| start of 1st Session | 9 | 0 | 23 | 32 | 1 |
| from Jan. 27 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 9 |
| Final voting share | 27.27% | 27.27% | 72.73% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 8 | 0 | 25 | 33 | 0 |

### Assembly summary

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Dem. | Soc. | Gbk. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 41 | 1 | 13 | 45 | 100 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 25 | 0 | 9 | 66 | 100 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 34% | 34% | 34% | 66% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 28 | 0 | 2 | 70 | 100 | 0 |

## Sessions

* 1st Regular session: January 8, 1879 – March 5, 1879

## Leaders

### Senate leadership

* President of the Senate: James M. Bingham (R)
* President pro tempore: William T. Price (R)

### Assembly leadership

* Speaker of the Assembly: David M. Kelly (R)

## Members

### Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Thirty-Second Wisconsin Legislature:

| Dist. | Counties | Senator | Residence | Party |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 01 | Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, & Shawano | George Grimmer | Kewaunee | Rep. |
| 02 | Brown | Thomas R. Hudd | Green Bay | Dem. |
| 03 | Racine | William E. Chipman | Burlington | Rep. |
| 04 | Crawford & Vernon | George W. Swain | Chaseburg | Rep. |
| 05 | Milwaukee (Northern Part) | Isaac W. Van Schaick | Milwaukee | Rep. |
| 06 | Milwaukee (Southern Part) | George H. Paul | Milwaukee | Dem. |
| 07 | Milwaukee (Central Part) | Edwin Hyde | Milwaukee | Rep. |
| 08 | Kenosha & Walworth | Benoni Reynolds | Geneva | Rep. |
| 09 | Green Lake, Marquette, & Waushara | Hobart S. Sacket | Berlin | Rep. |
| 10 | Waukesha | John A. Rice | Merton | Dem. |
| 11 | Chippewa, Clark, Lincoln, Taylor, & Wood | Thomas B. Scott | Grand Rapids | Rep. |
| 12 | Green & Lafayette | Joseph B. Treat | Monroe | Rep. |
| 13 | Dodge | Edward C. McFetridge | Beaver Dam | Rep. |
| 14 | Juneau & Sauk | David E. Welch | Baraboo | Rep. |
| 15 | Manitowoc | Joseph Rankin | Manitowoc | Dem. |
| 16 | Grant | Oscar C. Hathaway | Beetown | Rep. |
| 17 | Rock | Hamilton Richardson | Janesville | Rep. |
| 18 | Fond du Lac (Western Part) | Alonzo A. Loper | Ripon | Rep. |
| 19 | Winnebago | Andrew Haben | Oshkosh | Dem. |
| 20 | Sheboygan & Eastern Fond du Lac | Louis Wolf | Sheboygan Falls | Dem. |
| 21 | Marathon, Portage, & Waupaca | John A. Kellogg | Wausau | Rep. |
| 22 | Calumet & Outagamie | George N. Richmond | Appleton | Dem. |
| 23 | Jefferson | Charles H. Phillips (died Jan. 1, 1879) | Lake Mills | Rep. |
| 23 | Jefferson | Joseph B. Bennett (from Jan. 27, 1879) | Watertown | Rep. |
| 24 | Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, & St. Croix | Dana Reed Bailey | Baldwin | Rep. |
| 25 | Dane (Eastern Part) | George B. Burrows | Madison | Rep. |
| 26 | Dane (Western Part) | Matthew Anderson | Cross Plains | Dem. |
| 27 | Adams & Columbia | Charles L. Dering | Columbus | Rep. |
| 28 | Iowa & Richland | Archibald Campbell | Middlebury | Rep. |
| 29 | Buffalo, Pepin, & Trempealeau | Horace E. Houghton | Durand | Rep. |
| 30 | Dunn, Eau Claire, & Pierce | Abraham D. Andrews | River Falls | Rep. |
| 31 | La Crosse | Gysbert Van Steenwyk | La Crosse | Rep. |
| 32 | Jackson & Monroe | William T. Price | Black River Falls | Rep. |
| 33 | Ozaukee & Washington | Lyman Morgan | Port Washington | Dem. |

### Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Thirty-Second Wisconsin Legislature:

| Senate District | County | Dist. | Representative | Party | Residence |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 27 | Adams | Adams | Charles A. Cady | Rep. | Dell Prairie |
| 24 | Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Polk | Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Polk | William J. Vincent | Rep. | St. Croix Falls |
| 02 | Brown | 1 | David M. Kelly | Rep. | Green Bay |
| 02 | Brown | 2 | Albert L. Gray | Gbk. | Fort Howard |
| 02 | Brown | 3 | John O'Flaherty | Dem. | Morrison |
| 29 | Buffalo & Pepin | 1 | John W. DeGroff | Rep. | Alma |
| 29 | Buffalo & Pepin | 2 | James Barry | Rep. | Pepin |
| 22 | Calumet | Calumet | Joseph B. Reynolds | Gbk. | Chilton |
| 11 | Chippewa | Chippewa | Hector McRae | Rep. | Chippewa Falls |
| 11 | Clark, Lincoln, Taylor & Wood | Clark, Lincoln, Taylor & Wood | Niram Withee | Rep. | Neillsville |
| 27 | Columbia | 1 | Charles R. Gallett | Rep. | Portage |
| 27 | Columbia | 2 | John Sanderson | Rep. | Randolph |
| 04 | Crawford | Crawford | Atley Peterson | Rep. | Soldiers Grove |
| 26 | Dane | 1 | Matthias Theisen | Dem. | Roxbury |
| 25 | Dane | 2 | Buel Hutchinson | Rep. | Madison |
| 25 | Dane | 3 | Charles G. Lewis | Rep. | Sun Prairie |
| 13 | Dodge | 1 | William Fleming | Dem. | Emmet |
| 13 | Dodge | 2 | Henry Spiering | Dem. | Mayville |
| 13 | Dodge | 3 | James Davison | Dem. | Chester |
| 13 | Dodge | 4 | William Geise | Dem. | Portland |
| 01 | Door | Door | Charles A. Masse | Rep. | Sturgeon Bay |
| 30 | Dunn | Dunn | Henry Ausman | Rep. | Elk Mound |
| 30 | Eau Claire | Eau Claire | Julius Ingram | Rep. | Eau Claire |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | 1 | Henry C. Bottum | Rep. | West Rosendale |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | 2 | Philip Greening | Dem. | Lamartine |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | 3 | Thomas W. Spence | Rep. | Fond du Lac |
| 20 | Fond du Lac | 4 | Michael Thelen | Dem. | Ashford |
| 16 | Grant | 1 | William E. Carter | Rep. | Platteville |
| 16 | Grant | 2 | Joseph T. Mills | Rep. | Lancaster |
| 16 | Grant | 3 | John Brindley | Rep. | Boscobel |
| 12 | Green | 1 | Fordyce R. Melvin | Rep. | Brooklyn |
| 12 | Green | 2 | Franklin Mitchell | Rep. | Spring Grove |
| 09 | Green Lake | Green Lake | Samuel Barter | Rep. | Markesan |
| 28 | Iowa | 1 | George L. Frost | Gbk. | Dodgeville |
| 28 | Iowa | 2 | George G. Cox | Rep. | Mineral Point |
| 32 | Jackson | Jackson | Frederick Condit | Gbk. | Merrillan |
| 23 | Jefferson | 1 | Hezekiah Flinn | Dem. | Watertown |
| 23 | Jefferson | 2 | John D. Bullock | Rep. | Johnson Creek |
| 23 | Jefferson | 3 | James W. Ostrander | Rep. | Jefferson |
| 14 | Juneau | 1 | James Mullowney | Dem. | Kildare |
| 14 | Juneau | 2 | Henry F. C. Nichols | Rep. | New Lisbon |
| 08 | Kenosha | Kenosha | Joseph V. Quarles | Rep. | Kenosha |
| 01 | Kewaunee | Kewaunee | John Carel | Dem. | Kewaunee |
| 31 | La Crosse | La Crosse | John Bradley | Rep. | Bangor |
| 11 | Lafayette | 1 | Nelson La Due | Rep. | Spafford |
| 11 | Lafayette | 2 | John W. Blackstone | Rep. | Shullsburg |
| 15 | Manitowoc | 1 | John Carey | Dem. | Osman |
| 15 | Manitowoc | 2 | William Zander | Dem. | Larrabee |
| 15 | Manitowoc | 3 | William H. Hemschemeyer | Rep. | Manitowoc |
| 21 | Marathon | Marathon | John Ringle | Dem. | Wausau |
| 09 | Marquette | Marquette | James W. Murphy | Dem. | Briggsville |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 1 | Edward C. Wall | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 2 | Christian Widule | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 3 | Edward Keogh | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 4 | Edward B. Simpson | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 5 | John Bentley | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 6 | Christopher Raesser | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 7 | Anson Allen | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 8 | Henry P. Fischer | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 9 | Christian Sarnow | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 10 | Judson G. Hart | Rep. | Wauwatosa |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 11 | William W. Johnson | Rep. | Greenfield |
| 32 | Monroe | 1 | James D. Condit | Dem. | Sparta |
| 32 | Monroe | 2 | George R. Vincent | Gbk. | Tomah |
| 01 | Oconto & Shawano | Oconto & Shawano | Daniel H. Pulcifer | Rep. | Shawano |
| 22 | Outagamie | 1 | John C. Petersen | Gbk. | Appleton |
| 22 | Outagamie | 2 | Francis Steffen | Dem. | Hortonville |
| 33 | Ozaukee | Ozaukee | William H. Fitzgerald | Ind.D. | Cedarburg |
| 30 | Pierce | Pierce | Nils P. Haugen | Rep. | River Falls |
| 21 | Portage | Portage | Thomas McDill | Rep. | McDill |
| 03 | Racine | 1 | Norton J. Field | Rep. | Racine |
| 03 | Racine | 2 | Knud Adland | Rep. | North Cape |
| 28 | Richland | 1 | Joseph M. Thomas | Rep. | Lone Rock |
| 28 | Richland | 2 | Elihu Bailey | Rep. | Mill Creek |
| 17 | Rock | 1 | Richard J. Burge | Rep. | Beloit |
| 17 | Rock | 2 | Allen P. Lovejoy | Rep. | Janesville |
| 17 | Rock | 3 | William Gardiner | Rep. | Emerald Grove |
| 14 | Sauk | 1 | Ulrich Hemmi | Rep. | Troy |
| 14 | Sauk | 2 | Alexander P. Ellinwood | Rep. | Reedsburg |
| 20 | Sheboygan | 1 | Wilbur M. Root | Dem. | Sheboygan |
| 20 | Sheboygan | 2 | La Fayette Eastman | Rep. | Plymouth |
| 20 | Sheboygan | 3 | James Allan Jr. | Rep. | Adell |
| 24 | St. Croix | St. Croix | James Hill | Rep. | Warren |
| 29 | Trempealeau | Trempealeau | George H. Markham | Rep. | Independence |
| 04 | Vernon | 1 | Jacob Eckhardt | Rep. | De Soto |
| 04 | Vernon | 2 | Roger Williams | Rep. | Hillsboro |
| 08 | Walworth | 1 | Ely Bruce Dewing | Rep. | Elkhorn |
| 08 | Walworth | 2 | Albert L. Mason | Rep. | Elton |
| 08 | Walworth | 3 | Edwin D. Coe | Rep. | Whitewater |
| 33 | Washington | 1 | Jacob H. Muckerheide | Dem. | Kewaskum |
| 33 | Washington | 2 | John G. Frank | Dem. | Jackson |
| 10 | Waukesha | 1 | Alvarus E. Gilbert | Rep. | New Berlin |
| 10 | Waukesha | 2 | William H. Washburn | Rep. | Pewaukee |
| 21 | Waupaca | 1 | Lorenzo L. Post | Dem. | Weyauwega |
| 21 | Waupaca | 2 | John Scanlon | Gbk. | Union |
| 09 | Waushara | Waushara | Samuel R. Clark | Rep. | Bloomfield |
| 19 | Winnebago | 1 | William Wall | Rep. | Oshkosh |
| 19 | Winnebago | 2 | John Potter Jr. | Gbk. | Menasha |
| 19 | Winnebago | 3 | Hiram W. Webster | Rep. | Omro |
| 19 | Winnebago | 4 | Milan Ford | Gbk. | Nekimi |

## Employees

### Senate employees

* Chief Clerk: Charles E. Bross
   * Assistant Clerk: W. S. Reynolds
   * Bookkeeper: T. S. Ansley
   * Engrossing Clerk: John P. Mitchell
   * Enrolling Clerk: A. J. Smith
   * Transcribing Clerk: Fred. Richards
   * Proofreader: Thomas A. Dyson
   * Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: H. M. Pierce
   * Clerk for the Committee on Claims: L. F. Nickey
   * Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: Walter L. Houser
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Chalmers Ingersoll
   * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William A. Adamson
* Postmaster: O. N. Russell
   * Assistant Postmaster: A. C. Martin
* Gallery Attendant: O. A. Kluetz
   * Doc. Room Attendant: William Graham
* Doorkeepers:
   * E. T. Songstad
   * M. Simon
   * A. Knudson
   * John Halls
* Porter: John Redman
* Night Watch: Eugene A. Steer
* Chief Clerk's Messenger: J. G. Hyland
* President's Messenger: John Barrows
* Messengers:
   * Jos. Campbell
   * Jas. H. Welch
   * Harry M. Hathaway
   * Thos. Farness
   * Geo. Roe
   * Jos. J. Gunkel
   * Lono Loper
* Janitor: Ole Stevenson

### Assembly employees

* Chief Clerk: John E. Eldred
   * 1st Assistant Clerk: William M. Fogo
      * 2nd Assistant Clerk: S. L. Perrine
   * Bookkeeper: O. A. Southmayd
   * Engrossing Clerk: T. J. Vaughn
   * Enrolling Clerk: Franklin S. Lawrence
   * Transcribing Clerk: F. W. Rogers
   * Proof Reader: H. O. Fifield
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Miletus Knight
   * Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William Seamonson
* Postmaster: J. J. Gibbs
   * Assistant Postmaster: William Stanton
* Doorkeepers:
   * J. J. Burnard
   * C. E. Webster
   * George B. McMillen
   * Fred Oelhafer
* Gallery Attendants:
   * R. Worts
   * J. L. Johnson
* Porter: C. Schneider
* Night Watch: N. V. Chandler
* Wash Room Attendant: J. W. Kildow
* Speaker's Messenger: E. H. Potter
* Clerk's Messenger: Arthur Truax
* Messengers:
   * William Post
   * John F. Sanderson
   * Richard Kempter
   * S. G. Bottum
   * Harvey Barlow
   * Candy Nicodemus
   * William Renkema
   * Eddie Kavenaugh
   * Julius Leison
   * B. F. Oakley
   * Bertie Carter
   * Freddie Wittl
   * Jake Gill
