Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-10
Hon. S. H. Harper Expresses Opin
ion on Biennial Election.
THINKS ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
Says That Although Little New Legs.
{. iation is Needed, General Assembly
Should Take up the Biennial EIec-
ton Matter at Once.
LFrom Saturdays Daily. ]


CAPTAIN S. H. Harper, who will rep
resent Wapello county in the Iowa sen
ate this winter, has expressed himself
as in favor of the passage OF a constl-
tutional amendment providing Tor Dl-
cnnial elections. and he thinks that
the matter should be taken up TINS
winter in the coming session OF the
general assembly.
Little New Legislation
In an interview today Captain Har-
per stated to a Courier reporter that
in his opinion this is no time for the
floodgates to be opened to new legis-
lation that, indeed, there is need OF
very little new legislation for the state
is in a good condition now, but in his
opinion the biennial election is some
thing that should exist in Iowa. Since
the state convention, and especially
since the election there has been
much gossip about the legislation this
year, but Senator-elect Harper is the
only one who has been found who Will
take stand in favor of the biennial
election amendment which has been
mentioned several times as a POSSIBLE
ity.
AS to the Titus Amendment.
Captain Harper thinks that the
amendment should be taken up and
acted upon by the two houses of legis-
lature as quickly as possible, since 1t
must again pass the general assembly
two years hence before it can so to
the people of the state to be voted up
on He has not given the matter
enough thought to say whether he
would favor the Titus amendment,
which has met with so much hard
luck, but he feels that something
along this line is needed in Iowa.
The Biennial Election.
The tendency in the state towards
biennial elections has been very mark
ed during recent years. After much
preliminary talk in different legisla-
lures Senator George NJ. Titus of the
Louisa Muscatine district introduced a
joint amendment in the twenty-sev-
enth general assembly. After some
little delay and after some slight
amendments had been made, the bill
was passed.
The bill passed the Iwenty-eighth
general assembly with practically no
opposition. and was submitted to the
people year ago, when it carried by
small majority. Soon after the re
suit of the election was known defects
in the law were discovered in severa,
instances, the mosI fatal of which was
the fact that the house and senate Of
the twenty-seventh general assembly
had not passed the same identical bill
and that the bill itself had not beer
entered in full on the records of the
house as required by law.
A Test Case.
A test case from Washing ION coun
ty was arranged. Judge A. r. Dewe.
held the amendment to be invalid. Al
appeal was taken to the supreme cour
and in February of this year an opin
ION was handed down to thu affec
that the amendment was void and o
no force.
Immediately the campaign for gov
ernor and the other state Offices whirl
had been delayed several months, wa
begun, and the amendment and it
defects were lost sight Of
Since the state convention and es
pes tally since election and the person
mel Of the assembly has been known
gossip as to legislation this winter ha
been rife. An amendment for bienn
al elections has been mentioned as
possibility, but no one outside OF Ser
ator-elect Harper, has been found VIII
has been willing to state that the stat
needs such legislation, and that
should be introduced this winter.
Primary Election Law.
A measure of much Importance
the primary election law, which wi
probably be introduced as a bill thi
winter Several members of bot
houses are decidedly in favor of sue
legislation but nothing has been don
as yet because there has been no cor
ference of the men who believe sue
a law is necessary.
II is likely that Immediately afte
the assembling of the members in De
Moines those who are known to advc
cate such law will hold conferenc
and decide what bill shall be favore
and who shall introduce it.
Several members of the house ar
at present examining the primar
election law introduced in the Wiscol
sin legislature last winter, and thos
now operative in other states.
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