The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-14
AT THE STATE CAPITA

AT THE STATE CAPITA
Des Moines, February 1s, 1901.
The probabilities are that within
the next few weeks the Polk County
Bar association will lnaugurate
campaign in favor OF the adoption
by the legislature of bill requiring
Judges 6fsthe supreme court to reside
: in Des Moines during their terms Of
office. AS the law now stands the
Judges may reside anywhere in the
state, and are required to be in Des
Mcines only during the terms Of
court, which are held. ut stated
periods. The idea of those who have
interested themselves in the measure
is that; by requiring q residence il
Des Moines much more work can be
accomplished by the supreme court.
As it is now, the court is generally
from six months to a year behind the
docket. Ii the compulsory residence
law can be enacted, the idea is to
amend the laws relating to the terms
OF the supreme court, so as to have it
IN session continually from one end
OF the year to the other, Tt is the
idea of the champions of the measure
that by a regulation of this charac-
ter the court can hold sessions every
third week for the purpose of taking
submissions and can devote tive
weeks to the preparation of opinions
and the disposition Of other work Of
The court. BY such an arrangement
1T is claimed that the court would be
able to work right up to the docket.
and that decisions in the supreme
court could be obtained as readily
and as quickly as they are now se-
cured from the district courts.
G. Il. Wennerstrum, state commits
;sioner of labor, has just returned
from a trip through northern Iowa.
where he Inspected the tow mills of
Mitchell, Howard and Chickasaw
counties. RE finds them in a prosper
GUS condition, but the proprietors
are all complaining of the difficulty
of securing flax. The farmers cf
northern Iowa put in flax ten and if
teen years ago and made great deal
OF money, many paying for their
land the first year. 1t was soon dis
covered, however, that flax was very
hard on land. Since then the amount
OF flax raised has steadily decreased.
AT present it is put in occasionally,
but no one farmer tries to raise it
on the same land every year. The
custom at present is to allow two or
three other crops to intervene. This
has materially decreased the output,
which the two factories say is not
great enough now to meet their de-
mands. AS result of this they have
formed a sort of informal associa-
ton, the duty of which is to induce
farmers to raise flax. The tow fac
tories are located at New Hampton,
Elma, Mclntire and Cresco.
Justice r. Z. Duncan has rendered
en- important decision in the case of
the state of Iowa VS.. j. C. Hansen,
charged with infringement of civil
rights, declaring the defendant to be
not guilty on the novel grounds the
sale of liquor even under the pro-
visions of the Martin muIct law is il,
legal. He holds, therefore, that Han
sen cannot be held liable for an act
that, had lie performed it, would have
been the means of causing him to
break the law. William Graves, col-
ored man, went into Hansen's saloon
in East Des 5Moines some time ago
and, it is alleged, was refused liquor
after having rendered Mr.. Hansen the
price for it and requestin the lattey
to sell it to him. He swore ont a
warrant for the arrest of the saloon-
keeper on the grounds of discrimina-
tion. The defendant was brought be-
fore Justice Duncan, who held to the
above theory. Justice Duncan bases
his assertion that the sale of liquor.
under the provision of the Martin law
is illegal on sections 2447 and 244S Of
the code, which says: Nothing con-
tanned in this chapter, so far as it.
relates to the mulct law, shall be in,
any way construed to mean that the
business of the sale of Intoxicating
liquors is in any way legalized."
From this section the justice holds
that it is clear the law does not con-,
template that the sale of liquor is not
crime, but that those who comply
with the provisions of the mulct law
are simply protected from prosccu,
tions.
Sidney A. Foster, of Des Moines,i
has announced that he is candi-.
date for the republican nomination
for governor of Iowa. He states his
position in the following open let,
ter:
Through the Press to the People.
of Iowa: I desire to be the repub-
lican nominee for governor of Iowa
at the coming state convention. I
ask for the nomination because I
want it, and submit the candidacy
upon its merits.
IF nominated shall be faithful;
if the nomination goes elsewhere i
shall support with loyalty the nomi-
nee.
'"This announcement is made with,
out advice, suggestion or promise
from anyone, is backed by no bureau,
organization or combination. The
method is unusual, but after res.
idence of more than a quarter Of
a century in Iowa, my belief has
been strengthened that the people
are always worthy the fullest con,
fidence of citizen.
(Signed) Sidney A. Foster"
Sudden Death of Col. Albert Shaw.
Washington, Feb. 12.-Congressman
Albert ID. Shaw. former commanders,
in-chief of the Grand Army of the Re.
public, author, soldier and statesman,
was found dead, lying face down5