Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-05


than the corn is worth at its destina-
nation IL is foolish to think of ship
ping it. If stock cattle are SO scarce
and dear that there can be none pro-
cured for feeding purposes there is
no need to think of working on the
corn in that way. If hogs all die off
with the cholera about the time they
are ready for market it is worse than
waste to feed the corn to them, even
If the ravages of the pestiferious dis
ease leave any surplus hogs for that
purpose. But if there is to be mil
lions of dollars worth of whisky, alco-
hol and beer legally consumed in the
state, why allow it to be made from
the corn raised in Illinois and other
adjoining states while Iowa corn,
through the restrictions of law, must
lay and rot merely because of the
sentiment that the operation of dis
tileries is wrong? They correctly
argue that if there were no liquors
consumed in the state; if no Iowa
money were sent out for the article,
then there would be some consistency
in prohibiting the manufacture of it,
but it the sale and consumption is to
continue our raw product and our
idle labor should be utilized in the
deal. So it is we find whole counties
and districts, that a few months ago
were opposed to taking any step that
looks like yielding to the encroach-
ments of the saloon power, are now
| favorable to manufacturers law,
and members of the legislature who
also favor the measure no longer tear
to vote their sentiments lest they be
turned down when asking for another
term. The matter has not at this
time, Saturday, Feb. 81, been taken
up by the senate and may not be for
several days, so there is no telling
what the result may be at that end of
the line. Last winter % of the sena-
tors voted for it but % are necessary
for constitutional majority,so there
must be a change of at least four
votes. There are rumors to the effect
that eight have signifled their inten-
ton to change, but rumor is all it
amounts to SO far and the result will
not be known until the vote is taken.
Then too, the measure must pass the
senate committe and Chairman Per-
rim is said TO be opposed to allowing
it considered at this session, SO it can
be shut off on that side track if the
committee sees fit. The action of the
house has aroused the railroads and
prohibitionists to desperation and
they will bring every possible in
fuence to bear toward shutting off
further consideration of the measure.
The effort to create an investigating
committee to look into the manage
ment of the state institutions has
finally succeeded. The house at first
voted the resolution down. but final
ly reconsidered it and several thous-
and dollars will be spent doing the
work which the law clearly makes
the governors duty to do, and the
probable result will be whitewash.
The code commission scheme has
tucked up against another circum-
stance. It seems that Emlin Nc
CLAIM has claim on the annotaSions
used all the way through the Iowa
code, and that the state has no right,
nor can in any way secure the right to
use the same without his PERMISSION,
and as it would require two or three
years to go back to the beginning and
bring the annotations up to date it
looks as though an unexpected ex.
pense of $4,000 will be necessary to
secure the privilege of using Mr.. Nc
Claims process.
The effort to make the office of su-
preme court reporter appointive in
stead of elective as ut present failed
to pass the house and there will be
no change.
The fear of public opinion may pre-
vent the house from passing the anti
fusion bill. AS partisan as are the
rank and file voters of the republican
party they believe in fair play and
when their leaders succeed in getting
them to vote for an outrageously
wrong measure it is usually done by
covering up the real import and
making it appear right and proper on
the face of it. There is no way to do
this in the anti-fusion move and the
party that becomes responsible for
the preparation of the act will be
held to an account by an outraged
constituency.
Mcfarland manages to keep some
of the most important witnesses in
the census investigation case out of
| reach of the committee. Miss Hanna
testified to having paid a part of her
salary to others, but the full details
of the schemes resorted to to use up
that big appropriation in such way
as to let most of it go to a few pets
will probably not be brought out.
Miss Virgie Newcomb is supposed to
be valuable witness against McFar-
land but she has disappeared and
although seen occasionally by others
in Des Moines the committee pretends
tosbe unable. to find her.