Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-18
VOTE SEEKING EARLY
Prohibitionists Make Haste to
Engage in Political Work for
the Year.
The Railroad Representatives
Fail to Agree on Basis For
Settlement.
Legislature and the Blind School
--No Talk Of Extra Session
Of Legislature.

OF Legislature.
Special to Times Republican. q
Des Moines. March 1S.-That the com
mitteemen ard organizers of the poiiti-
cal party fouaded on the idea that avs
prohibiting the sale of liquors afford the
only salvation for our civilization are
unusually active this year can no. esq
cape the notice of the obszrvant citizen.
That they will be able to make any
great gains at the polls is question: bic,
but that their hopes are heavy with ac-
complishments is undeniable. Saturday
last there was, seheduledto be held in
Muscatine the first of a series oil con-
gressional district conventions or con
ferences for the purpose of perfccting
organization and planning to go after
votes on what they cal The Indiana
plan. A similar convention-one for
the first congressional Districts 70 be
held in Washington April 2. and Rev. o.
ID. Elliot, Pm. D., Will be there ito telis
about the plans for getting votes An
the state committee and has been for
TO secure pledges to vote the ticket
What success he is having doesn't APP
lpear. The state convention of the party
is to be held in Des NIoines May 20 ana
III. Originally the state committee set
The date for May 30 but ii was thought
best not to intrude on SO sacred day
az Memorial day. There has been ap-
portioned among the counties the right
Ito name S17 delegates, and price is set
opposite the list OF delegates. so that
each delegate will be expected TO pledge
a certain amount, the aggregate of
which 10 $3.50. In this way it .s ex-
pected by the prohibitionists that for
midable campaign viii be made. The
National Temperance Society, With
headquarters in New York, 5is also ac-
tive this year, and in response to cir
culars which have been sent out over
the state suggesting a union Of forces, +
lsetc.. Il. G. Orwig. of this city, one of
| the most conspicuous Iowa prohibitions
! ists. declares himself in favor of q con-
4 ference of temperance people to be held
Tin Buffalo during the early daysscf the
span- American exposition. The prohibit
tion convention Will be the first this
/ year in Iowa, and it will nominate q
complete state ticket.
The representatives Of the railroad
I.conlpanies who have appeared before
1.-THE executive council to discuss various
phases of the assessment and taxation
problem have not been able 10 present
10 the council any definite plan f,n. ar
irving at the proper basis Tor assess
lsmsnt ON which all could agree. One
speaker has urged that the only proper
way TO arrive al the taxing value of
railroad property is to consider almost
isalone the gross earnings. Another in-
sists that net earnings should be the
basis The rule would hardly work
well in the case of a rev read or a mis-
managed road. Still another has con-
istended before the board stnutly for
some basis which ignores earnings and
Income entirely, claiming that earnings
represent the genius Of mana cement or
1.-THE opportunities for business or other
lelements not connected al all with the
| lactual value Of the property. One speak
! er has taken the ground that the only
Lining 10 be considered is the matter Of
just what it took 70 build the road,
Tor Mould take to replace ii and to pay
\ for the land and buildings The theory.
THAT value may be shown TO some ex-
tent by the market value of the proper
lty in places Where railroads are bought
land sold has been utterly demolished.
lNhat railroads sell for, or could be sold
for. has been shcwn, by conclusive fig
lures duly submitted by able advocates,
Ito bear no relation whatever to their
lyaluc as property So 1t may be con-
| cluded that the members of the council
have not been greatly enlightened with
lreeard to their duties by those who
lhave appeared before the council. Those
| who are somewhat Familiar with the
lplans and purposes of the council free
lly predict that there will be an increase
of several millions in the assas assment of
1.-THE railroads, and there will be a more
leGuitabie distribution of the assessment
THAN ever before.
The rejoinder of the Ninton Eagle to.
some remarks in this column relative to
1.-THE Legislative blunder affecting the
School for the Blind indicates that the
leditor is not entirely familiar with the
lsrecord. He assumes that because the
trustees had for many years misused u
Icert;lin fund, and that this misuse had
lcScapeds tne. atleullOH OF All tHe govern
lors. and had been overlooked by the leg
lislatures. therefore the violation of the
l.plain letter of the law was no crime.
This is one way to look at the matter.
Not every personfi however, is willing To-
lgo wrong just because men who have
written Hon before their names have
done so. The Eagle says that the inter-
l#pretation Of the law by the attorney
general which stands as a guide to the
board of control in the disposition of the
fund in question was made between the
meeting of the Twenty-seventh general
Iassembly and the meeting of the Twen-.
| ty-eighth, and adds, THE Twenty.
Ieighth general assembly met in Janu-
ary, 1900. and it is matter of record
that it was not informed that the law
was imperative and that the school was
suffering In consequence" That history
may be kept straight it is worth while
mentioning only that the Twenty-eighth
general assembly was informed fully of
the fact that there should be revision
of the appropriations IL the school was
to be kept open as contemplated. The
report of the board of control will bear