Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-01-11
NOTES FROM THE CAPT..
Dies MONIES. Jan. 8. 1905

Governor shaw Will submit To
legislature the cases of but four C,
victs asking for pardon. They
Thomas Kelly, sentenced in Luc
county in 1856; John Bellew, senter
ed in Dubuque county in 1873 and ia
per Mason. sentenced in Dallas coun
in 1876. Twelve or fifteen life convic
petitioned for executive and legisl;
tive clemency. Among them were tn
Rainsbarger brothers who were sen
to prison from Marshall county, ano
concerning whose expected effort to
secure pardon from the legislature
much sensational matter has been
printed. John Wesley Elkins was also
another petitioner. He Is the boy
who killed his mother and father when
he was IL years old. These and the
other petitioners, except the four
named, Governor Shaw determined not
to present to the legislature. A Curl
GUS looseness of expression obtains In
the law relating to the pardon Of life
convicts in Iowa. 1t provides that
the governor shall not pardon such
convicts until their petitions are re-
ferred to the legislature. Every gov
ernor has construed this TO mean thai
the governor cannot pardon until the
legislature recommends to him that
those whose petitions are submitted to
II shall be pardoned. But the law
plainly does not require the executive
either to await the recommendation of
the legislature or to observe its recon-
mendations; nor does 1t prevent the
governor from pardoning persons
whose pardon the legislature refuses
to recommend. 1t is probable that an
effort will be made to have the law
made clearer
Frank r. Merriam, state auditor OF
Iowa, Is dangerously ill at San Fran
cisco, and serious fears are entertained
for him. He left Iowa ten days ago
on a business trip to the coast, and
before arriving in San Francisco
was i'll. He was soon after taken to
Mount Zion hospital in that city,
where he now is. Constant telegraph
ic communications have been kept up
and he is reported suffering from
typhoid fever. His relatives and
friends are seriously alarmed. though
he has wired for his family to remain
in Des Moines. He has, however, sent
for his family physician to come Al
once.
The Ministerial Association has
gwen hopt VI ITO CouhtCI
saloon petition. few canvassers are
at work, but matters are not being
pushed. At the last association meet
ing Attorney +. Ii. Evans was author
lied to inspect the new petition Of
consent, which the Polk Directory
Company has filed with the board of
supervisors, and to challenge any
names he found which he considered
should not be allowed. The ministers
claim there are large number Of
names on the new consent petition,
which will not stand a test.
The proposed change of the Iowa
constitution, to inaugurate a system
of biennial elections in future. is be-
ginning to attract a good deal OF at
tentiOn. There are only nine states in
the union which now hold state cleo
tions every year, and Iowa is one of
them. Half of the state officers are
elected each year, for two-year's
term and similarly with county officers.
At the last session of the Legislature
Senator q. M. Titus, of Muscatine. in
troduced the Titus resolution, looking
to change in the constitution by
which all elections should be made BIZ
ennial. in the even numbered years
nus tilt htCtsoltl VI tltttlohS WIG
odd numbered years would be done
away with. The Titus amendment
passed the last legislature by over
whelming ma jorities in both houses.
II IL now passes the coming session il
will be ready for vote of the people
at the general election next November.
II at that time it receives a majority
of the votes cast on 1t, 1t will become
part of the constitution. If the
amendment passes there will be no
election in 1901. Those officers. either
state or county, whose terms expire
under the present law with the year
1901, will have their terms extended
one year so that they may expire at
the close of 1909 and be succeeded by
officers elected in November, 1909.
Judge Kline, of the state board of
control, has written descriptions of
two more county insane asylums, and
they are fully as interesting as his
previous productions along this line.
The report on Muscatine county's in
stitution indicates that it is among
the worst of it's kind in the state.
Tama county comes Off better but IL is
pretty severely criticised. The MEM
bers of the board have been criticized
it being charged by some that they
have been prejudiced against them by
reason of their desire to secure the
passage of a law giving the board COM
plete charge of the insane of the state.
The members deny this absolutely and
say that they have taken special pains
to present everything in favor Of the
county institutions.
The state board of railway commits
sioners met in the headquarters of the
commission at the state house and
perfected their organization for the
year of 1900. Colonel ID. J. Palmer
was made chairman, Dwight Lewis
secretary, and C. l.. Boylan clerk.
Judge Charles L. Granger, of ALA
makee county. after IL years service
on the supreme bench, announces that
he will not again be candidate.
Recognizing the many obligations inn
posed In the past, he expresses hia
gratitude to the people and will give
way to somebody else.
British Reconnaissancc.
FRERE CAMP, Natal, Jan. 6.-There
was reconnaissance in force from
Chievely yesterday afternoon with
1000 horse and two guns, the object
being to locate the enemy on hill
south of Hlanpwana hill Several