Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-23
REGULATE TIE COURT.
Legislature will Hear a Bill to
Make the Supreme Court Do
Differently.
The Work of the Court Is Getting
Behind the Demands Every
Year.
Judges Are all Young Men Now
and Must Get a Move on
Themselves.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Nov. 23.-It is reported
that the Iowa State Bar Association is
going to press upon the legislature the
measures which were agreed upon at
the last annual meeting in relation to
reform of the supreme court. A COM
mittee of the association has prepared
a bill which will effect considerable OF
a revolution in the supreme court 1t
will require that the judges OF the
court do business at the state capitol.
They have rooms provided for them In.
the capitol-rooms which make excel
lent offices, and were intended to be
used as such all the year round. The
bill will aim at requiring the judges to
stop the practice of going home with
their bundles of briefs and citations un-
der their arms to do the work. 1t is
pointed out that the big state law Ii
brary is mere at the capitol and all the
papers which may be desired in the
consideration of cases. Then it is
all the time and be ready to hear cases
every month in the year. In this way
the business will be expedited. To en-
able the judges to do this it will be nee
essary to raise their salaries, but the
time has come for that, and the bar as
sociation bill will suggest an increase TO
to $1,000 year for each judge OF the
court. This might also bringllp the pay
of district Judges to about the $4,000 now
received by the supreme judges. 1t Is
uointed out by members OF the bar as
socation that he work of the court
would be much more satisfactory un-
der this arrangement The law may also
provide that all cases shall be consid-
cred by the full bench. AT present the
custom is in the court to divide in into
two sections, and three judges alone
consider any given case. If they agree
on a decision then the other three
Judges have nothing to do with 1t. But
If they fail to agree the other judges are
consulted. Thus Iowa decisions are
practically decisions Of but half the
peneh. Some attorneys Object 20 this
and believe that all the Judges shouid
decide every case.
The work of the court has been gain
ing on the docket for several years.
some lawyers have claimed that the
court has been getting further ana fur-
ther behind. but this is not true, as the
records will show. AT the January term
next all cases Will be heard that were
filed prior to April 20 last. The court
has gained on the docket nearly six
months in the past TWO years, showing
that the members have been more than
usually diligent in their duties. Still
more success in reducing the time be-
tween the fling and the hearing of cases
may be expected next year and for sew
eral years, as the court will. after the
first of the year, consist OF hrst-termers
alone-men who are comparatively new
to the bench and who have the zeal and
the strength to push the work. This is
not reflection on the members who
have been on the bench the past decade,
but the fact is that the court Will soon
be composed of comparatively young
men. The nature of the transformation
is seen in the fact that a soldier or the
Mexican war steps out of the chief JUS
tice's chair and not a man is left on the
bench who was old enough TO be SOL
dier of the rebellion. And every one
of the six men on the bench expects to
be reelected and if they are not dis
appointed there will be no change in the
bench for at least seven years more.
as
Information from Story county is to
the effect that it is probable there Will
be ro serious opposition to the leglsla-
ture granting pardon to Gilbert Stan
lev. He has applied for pardon to sew
eral legislatures, but not to the last one,
and the feeling against him is gradually
dying away. He claims that he did not
have q fair trial, but this is disputed by
those who know the facts. His crime
was deliberate and he lay in wait and
killed his victim in cold blood He was
first sentenced to be hanged. but about
that time the legislature abolished cap
ital punishment in Iowa, tho it has
since been revived under different con-
aitions. Stanley claims that under the
law as 1t existed then he was not per-
mitted to testify in his own behalf. and
this worked an injustice to him. He is
now the Oldest in point of time served
of any convict in the Iowa penitentiar-
les. He went into the penitentiary
April 80, 1872. just one year and day
after the late Convict Thompson who
was the dean of the gang at Anamosa.
He is old and feeble and if released
might be unable to do any harm.
$50
There is now delay in the report of the
state superintendent, due to the failure
of the county superintendent of Wood
bury county to include the report from
one rural school district. A little thing
causes much annoyance.
Congressman Hull is improving in
strength each day and his doctors have
advised him not to attempt to come
down town until just time for him to-
start for Washington to attend the
opening of congress.
cuMMlNs AT WASHINGTON.
Calls on the President and Discusses
Iowa Politics.
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