Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-21
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP
Considerable Quiet Interest
Taken in the Committee on
Congressional Districts.
Senator Blanchard, the Present
Chairman, Will Be a Mem
Der Of the Legislature.
Titus and His Biennial Election
Proposition..Senator Mar.
dis Good Record.

general assembly, they are directed to
the committees on appropriations. judi
ciary, ways and means, ETC., and little is
being said of the craftsmanship of the
committee on congressional district.
But it is the understanding that those
most interested are giving more atten-
ton to this subject than they are to who
shall have Judiciary and railroads.
In the senate Senator l.. G. Blanchard
is the chairman OF the committee on
congressional district He will return for
the session this winter. He is also senior
member on the committees on judiciary,
of which Sheshire was chairman, and on
railroads, Of which Penrose was the
chairman. He seems to occupy posi-
ton of considerable strategic strength.
Even IL Lieutenant Governor Herriott
were disposed to turn down. the sena-
tor from Mahaska, which it is assumed
he is not, there would appear to be no
valid excuse for retiring him from all
three of these committees And since
Senator Craig, chairman of insurance,
returns, and Chairmen Garst and Jun
kin, of appropriations and ways and
means, respectively, also return, the
president of the senate would appear to
have difficult time of it to assign the
most important committees to one side,
exclusively Senator's Healy, Trewin.
Blanchard. Hartman, Garst, Junkin.
Smith, Hubbard and Hopkins really at
ford the president of the senate too great
wealth of ability from which to select
eLairmen of four committees.
Il have not decided to bequeath my
biennial election resolution to any par
ticular member of the legislature"
said Senator G. NJ. Titus here yester
day. but hope TO see it introduced
and passed thru in correct form.
felt that we should have biennial cleo
lions, and believe the people voted for
it because they agreed that biennial
elections are better than annual. In
Muscatine county the political cam
paigns consisted of personal abuse
largely. They cost vast sums of
money, Also No member of the in
coming assembly has yet signified his
intention of taking up the biennial cleo
tons resolution. 1t is believed, how
ever that it will be introduced at some
time during the session and will be
passed thru without dissent.
Senator Alex Mardis, of Lucas
Wayne district, residing at Corydon,
Wayne county, was visitor in the city
Tuesday. He bears the distinction of
being the only member of the last SEN
ate who did not introduce "A single bill.
Most of them introduced from ten to
twenty. He was one of the most con-
scientious members of the legislature,
missing few. if any, roll calls and
studying deeply into every measure of
He was one of the strong
members of the committee on building
and loan, and was one of the sub-com
mittee of three members who drafted
the measure which afterwards became
the law, and which has been extremely
successful, and has proved to be an ex-
cellent piece of legislation, reaching
the very things that it was desired to
reach in reforming the business in this
state. Mr.. Mardis and Senator Bach
man We're responsible for the bill. Sem
ator Titus was one of the members of
the sub committee, also, but he did not
concur in the measure, and opposed
1t on the floor of the senate when 1t
was considered. Senator Mardis was
entitled to and received much credit for
the measure. 1t was one in which he
was particularly interested during the
session.
Prohibition alliances are to be organ
lied all over the state under the aus
pices of the state central committee as
fast as possible. Their object is twofold.
In the first place they are intended to
No nj IN re nj
for the next year or two and gain as
many new members as possible. Their
secondary and perhaps more important
object is to secure money to carry on
the campaign of organization. Chair
man Campbell and the other members
of the state committee realize that it
will be hard to keep up the enthusiasm
that prevailed during this campaign for
the next two years. The leaders CT the
party fear a relapse, and desire to re-
double their efforts in order to prevent
this. This plan, it is thought, will prove
what is needed and will keep the party
alive.
The plan is the one which has been in
troduced in other state by Oliver w.
Stewart, the national chairman. 1t is
something after the style of the United
Democracy clubs which We're organ
lied all over the state few years ago.
In the case of the prohibitionists, how
ever their alliances will hold regular
meetings. They will have ritual, which
will be made as impressive as possible,
and new members will be initiated in
public. Everything that can be done
will be done to keep up the enthusiasm
that prevailed during the past cam
paign.
Two of the alliances have already
been organized, one at Marshailtowr
and the. other at Ames. All Of this
work will be in the hands of the district
organizers under the direction of the
state committee. The money which is
derived from the membership fees vii
90 to the state national and local com
nittees The state committee Will re-
ceive 40 per cent the local committee
40 per cent and the national committe'
20 per cent the money collected
Rev. James II. Scull. of New London,
and j. N. Hosier the district organ
izer in the Eleventh district, We're -visi-
tors at prohibition headquarter
Wednesday.
~ ~ xnst r-rA a, Ia ~ a.