Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-21
LOCKER ON IN IOWA.
For the Times Republican

For the Times Republican.
| Dayton, Dec. 20.-The coming session
| Of the legislature has brought out but
little comment from the people-less
| than usual-within three weeks from the
time of meeting. What follows is in the
way of remembering chance remarks
] from the comparatively few of our
voters who interest themselves in such
| matters. For it is curious condition
of affairs for people to get thoroughly
| in earnest in some such matter as rail-
| road taxation, go to state convention,
nominate state officers, then soon after
nominate and elect representatives and
senators and then go to sleep. feeling
they have performed their whole duty.
4 Previous to the nomination OF Mr.. Cum
| minis one could hear men in the stores,
offices and hotels talking over this dues-
| ton. Now an outsider would hardly
! know 1t was an issue.
sss
| 1t Ia safe to assume, however. that the
4 people expect something TO be done in
/, the matter of equalizing railroad and
| other corporate taxation The people
have not been converted by Governor
| Shaw's eoquence or logic. They still
4 feel the railroads and other corporations
do not pay their share of money toward
| the expenses of the state. This by no
! means implies there is disposition to
| fight the railroads" What is wanted is
a general showing up of figures and to
! put just burdens on all corporations. If
as Governor Shaw contends these cor
porations are now paying taxes on in
vestments in Iowa equal to farmer and
| town dweller, well and good. only the
| people want these facts shown by and
! from more disinterested source.
| Rightly or wrongfully, the people feel
| that Governor Shaw has sympathies and
affiliations more with the corporations
than with the people.
/
| All this true OF the sO-called valued
4 insurance law. There is demand from
| many sources that the state of Iowa try
| the experiment of this law. This large
majority of our voters have no Sympa-
\ thy with the doctrines as expressed In
his Governor Shaw's) veto message to
| the legislature two years ago. They
| know, or claim to, that in some states
4 such a law has not increased incendi-
larism or prevented good companies
| from taking good insurance risks. One
strong opponent OF this law tells the
! writer that the law will be passed and
| that Governor Cummins will veto 1t,
and then the senate will fail to pass it
| over the veto. This same authority also
| says that Governor Cummins will sign
! the papers to hang the Greenville bank
| robbers. He does not claim to have
heard Mr.. Cummins express any opin-
| ions on either subject, but says that our
to-be governor will act thus in order
to be consistent with his character as
public man.
| Here and there in spots is small
crowd who want the mulct law changed.
| Advocates OF secret ballot instead OF
l petitions are openly clamoring for this
change. A larger crowd say that 81 per
I cent OF the voters in any Incorporated
town should have the right to allow
! open saloons Strange to relate, the pro-
| hibltionists say but little in favor of the
repeal Of the entire law. Whether this
lis thru fear OF high license law sue
| ceeding it or because they realize in
1 their hearts the mulct law Is the best
possible temperance measure (under the
| circumstances) to be fairly we'll enforced
| in Iowa. Equally curious is the fact
4 that but few Of the saloon crowd de-
mand the repeal of the same law. On
Liquor legislation one hears from several
business men demand that all drug
stores whose legal sales OF liquor exceed
o certain ammount shall pay the same
tax as the saloon. This is stronger and
more frequently heard in prohibition
towns than elsewhere.
On redistricting the state but few
seem to know or care what is done. 1t
IS understood to be trick of the poll
ticians, and "they will do as they please
anyhow" On the game and fish laws
a general feeling is that we should
make our laws more efficient. increase
1 the funds at the disposal of the commits
sioner. especially to provide funds for
the enforcement OF such laws. And some
of the sportsmen who are the loudest in
these demands are known to be men
who will break such laws IL they think
they will not get caught at It."
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