Ottumwa semi-weekly courier., 1902-11-25
HISTORICAL IOWA
Chas. Aldrich Tireless In His Eff
forts to Improve Iowa's History.
HAS OLD LAWS AND RECORDS PRINTED

LAWS and RECORDS PRlNlED
Story of the Early Laws of the Com.
monwealth and the Adoption OF
State constituton-Dispute Over
the State Boundaries.
The Iowa historical department is
bringing forth good fruit in many
ways, and notably SO in the recent pub
lications which have been issued under
the direction of Charles Aldrich and at
his suggestion. The Iowa legislature
has from time to time exhibited its
wisdom in providing literally for this
department, which is in fact the ere
alton of Mr.. Aldrich. who has labored
unselfishly and with great energy to
make it useful not only to the genera
tions that now exist but for the future.
Mr. Aldrich discovered that the legis-
latiye journals of the territorial legls-
latlve assembly of 1S40 had never been
published; it was unusual and MI.
Aldrich does not attempt to account
for the omission, but after some delay
he secured authority to make the pub
lication of not only this journal, but
also of the laws enacted by the terri
torlal legislature at the session of 1S40.
These publications throw light upon
many interesting questions that arise
in the progress of the study of Iowa
history. These volumes, as well as
Prof. BENZ. f. Shambaugh's History
of the Constitutions of Iowa" were
printed during the present year and
have been sent out to the public libra
ries in the state, and to the news
papers that take interest in the SUBJ
ject.
Professor Shambaughs book is a
handsome volume of 352 pages and is
as its title indicates, a history of the
constitutions of Iowa, and the scope OF
the work is so broad that it is substan-
TALLY a political history of Iowa from
the beginning. to the adoption of the
constitution of 1857. The history re-
veals that which will be surprise to
the general public, that it was rather a
| toilsome progress in Iowa from an in
choate civilization to the heights of a
solid constitutional government OF
! statehood.
The pioneers of Iowa were made up
of emigrants or home seekers from all
parts of the Union-from the east and
| from the south, they came to seek
homes, in the early thirties, and We're
squatters, path finders, frontiersmen
willing to encounter all the privations
1 of such lives as they had to lead il
order to establish themselves and theil
families in new and fertile country
Shambaugh pays we'll deserved com
pliment to these early commonwealth
builders in saying that the real makers
of the state and its institutions wer
not those who first gathered in 1874
, in 1916 and 1857: the true fathers were
the people who in the earliest times
possible from 1880 laid the Foundations
in primitive but well adjusted regu
: lations for self government. Thi
/ keen perception of character is credit
! able to the author, as well as just il
, every respect
There was constitution then be
fore there was any formal adoption
by the vote of the peoE.e. These wer
the squatter resolutions and bylaw
of lawful men of the neighborhood,
and claim regulations. These wer
formed under the supervision of an
by the men who were interested direc
: ly in the growth and development c
: the new country The most elaborate
perhaps, of these squatter laws in tn
: annals of Iowa were those formed b
! the johnson County Claim Associs
: ton. The civilization was inchoatt
, but it had substantial basis and a
, we will see the principles were finall
), = worked out and incorporated in tn
: organization that was made accordin
I to the forms of law.
g The first written constitution undo
:. which the settlers governed then
v selves was that of the territory {
Wisconsin, under the organic act {
d congress, which was of itself vel
5, table constitution.
n On June 12, 1888, President Va
!, Buren, approved the act of congress
e took effect on July 4, the sixty-secor
:. anniversary of American indepen
u ence. This territorial act served as
o constitution until 1916, when the sta
u was admitted into the union.
- In 1914 a constitutional conventit
It It was held, consisting of seyenty-thr
"a delegates, and constitution W
;r agreed upon and submitted to the pc
,r pie. There were objections raised al
Ia they were numerous. Curious to
If late, one of the objections urged W
II. that the constitution gave power
in the people to elect inferior judges
I'd the court.
., Objections were also raised to t
s. veto power given to the govern
Some of the people wanted annual
k stead of biennial elections. Metho
in for amending the constitution we
Nv tedious and uncertain. Then the
M was the great objection to the boul
ar aries, which would have shorn Iowa
rs. great part of her northern bord
lie There were enough of these objectie
ar to defeat the constitution and 1t v
vn rejected by 976 majority.
Id In 1S45 the territorial legislau
wa met and provided that the constitut
ler be again submitted and the elect
he took place in August, 1S45. 1t was
q pressly provided that the ratificat
lat should not be construed as an acce
ance of the boundaries provided