The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-01-12
IOWA LEGISLATURE.
Framis z New Liquor Law VIII He One
Of the Important Matters Considered.

Of the Important Matters Considered.
DIES MONIES, Ia, Jan. 10.-The legis-
lature, which is to elect United States
senator from Iowa, opened at p. m.
The house was called to order by o. E.
Doubleday of Polk county, and the tenn
porary speaker is 8. g. Van Glider Of
Warren county. The senate was called
to order by Lieutenant Governor
Bestow, Democrat. The permanent
officers of both houses will be nomi-
mated during the afternoon and elected
in the morning.
The senatorial contest is the chief topic
at present, but not the only one. The
prohibitory law, which has been largely
instrumental in keeping the Hawkeye
state before the country of recent years,
is to be considered, or rather reconsid-
cred. A modification of the law was
pledged by the Republican state conven-
ton, and was incorporated in the plat
form upon which the party went to the
state and scored victory. Upon the
basis of this modification, however, the
Republicans are decidedly divided.
There are many who favor the retention
of the law as it now stands on the statute
books, others favor its entire wiping
out, and still others are pre-
pared to give their support to mod
ification. The same conditions exist in
the senate, but majority of the men,
bers Of the latter body is said to be in
favor of an extreme modification Of the
present law. Over score of bills deal
ing with the liquor traffic have been
drafted and will be presented within the
next "a hours. A majority of these
recognize the prohibitory law as it now
stands, but propose to levy an assess
ment of $500 to 81 900 on saloons, the
exact amount to be made optional with
the boards of supervisors Of the respect
i've counties. This is regarded as an
original method of
Whipping the Devil Around a Stump,
or, in other words, of recognizing the
claims of the Prohibitionists, while in.
| sisting that if the claims are to be
| ignored in a few counties then those
| guilty of ignoring the law shall be
obliged to pay the penalty and be
allowed to continue in the same line. As
an advocate of this compromise puts il
this is not to be considered as a license
or protection against prosecution, but
should be regarded as an additiona
penalty to be paid by those now
amenable to the law for tht
liberal sale of intoxicants. Walker
Given of the Marshalltown Times (Re
publican), son Of Judge Given and {
lawyer of repute, is the author of thi
compromise, and which has been in
dorsed by leading republican authoritie
of the state and by representative di
vines of nearly every denomination
The measure is well and skillfull,
drawn, and notwithstanding that it is ap
parently a semi-legalization of the liquo
business it is extremely probable that i
will pass both houses. Still another bill
provides for state license law with
fee of $1,000, while the Catch bill
which
Provides For Local Option
by counties, and has many inhentia
supporters throughout the state, is agail
offered for consideration. Altogethe
the liquor question will furnish decid
edly interesting and probably prolonge
episode in the history of the present leg
islature.