Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-10
IOWA DEMOCRACY DIVIDED
Old Liners Rally Under jackson Banner
While Bryanites Take Jefferson.
WEAVER IS TO LEAD THE SILVER FORCES
Supreme Court Holds That Tax Ferret
Contest H. Good and work IL Not
Contrary 20 Public Policy
in any Respect.

Contest II Good and WORK IL Not
Contrary TO Public Policy
In any Respect.
CFrom a stan Corr~espondent0
DIES MONIES, Feb. Observation-Disclosures
son day will be the starting point for a
big fight in the democratic party In Iowa
for this year. George F. Rinehart of New
ton is in the city today and completed ar
engagements for a Jefferson day banquet for
the democrats of lowe in Des Moines April
2. The purpose of the banquet is to stir
I'D the democrats who -avor adhering
strictly to the Kansas City platform of the
party in the campaign in Iowa this year
and in the national campaign next year.
The banquet will be in a sense a reply and
a defiance to the jackson day banquet at
Waterloo, where the reorganizers set out
TO present a candidate for governor.
The program, which was perfected this
| morning. for the event OF April 8 in Des
Moines. is as follows; POSTMASTER Hon.
Walt Fl. Butler; "Americanism." Charles
O. Holly, Des Moines; The Plutocracy,"
]. J. Shea. Council Bluffs; Imperialism"
]. B. Sullivan. Creston; The Declaration
of Independence" o. p. Myers, Newton;
1.-The Monroe Doctrine" Cato Sells, Vim
ton; Thomas Jefferson General James
B. Weaver, Colfax; "The Democracy" Will
liam J. Bryan.
The Kansas City platform democrats Of
the state are to be invited and about 300
will be seated at the banquet, which is to
be in the Slavery hotel at $3.50 a plate.
The speeches are to be limited to ten
minutes each, except the speech of Mr..
Bryan.
In the afternoon of the same day. at 8
o'clock, there will be a conference Of the
democrats who favor the Kansas City plat
form and An organization will be effected
for the purpose of working to secure con-
troll of the party organization in Iowa
and to control the convention this year.
This is distinctly a move to make Gen
eral Weaver the party leader this year, as
against Judge Van Wagner.
Levying Road Taxes.
Attorney General Mullan today rendered
an opinion in response to an inquiry as
to the manner Of levying road taxes under
the new law, which will be OF state wide
interest, in view of the many inquiries
in regard to the manner OF making the
change from the old to the new. He holds
that at the next meeting OF the township
trustees, the first week in April of this
year, 1t is their duty to make two levies
of road taxes, one for the year 1908 and
one for the year 1904. the former to be
! collected this year in the manner followed
in the past and the other to be collected
next year in the manner provided by the
new law. This is because the change is
from paying the taxes by working the
roads to cash payment. the cash payment
plan necessitating collection a year in ad-
vance. cd. -rsg
Strong Pressure for Pardon.
A number of Jasper county citizens were
IN the city today and before Governor
Cummins in behalf Of a pardon for NJ. r.
Hammer OF Newton, who is serving a term
of three and a half years for assault with
intent to commit murder on Oscar Wheat
croft. Self-defense is pleaded. though the
supreme court, in passing on the case last
summer. decided that it was clear that
Hammer had armed himself with a knife
and had deliberately sought a quarrel with
Wheatcroft in order that he might use the
weapon and carry out his oft-repeated
threats against him; therefore,, that self
defense could not be pleaded, no matter
how the actual fight began. The petition
for pardon is strongly backed, however
and may be granted.
IN "ChhOEy u Shu6C HuDDuEus
The time Of the state supreme court
was given over this afternoon for severaI
hours to a service in memory of the late
Judge n. M. Hubbard of Cedar Rapids, fol
many years general attorney for the Chi.
cago & Northwestern railroad. The attor.
neys from Cedar Rapids were in the city
attending court and there was a large at,
tendance at the meeting. Addresses were
uoada by AtIo Gath Tndua Cook I,,da.
Trimble and others.
Ferret Contract Was Good.
The supreme court this morning CAV,
hearty commentator to a contract be,
tween the Board of Supervisors of Cas-
county and c. w. Welman, by which the
latter was to engage in uncovering prop.
erty which had escaped taxation and wal
= to receive half of all money collected al
taxes on such hidden property. After thu
contract had been carried out a taxpayer
sought to enjoin payment OF the commits.
sion. The supreme court, in an opinion
, by Justice Sherwin, says that the CONTRACT
t was all right and the board had full au.
3 thority to make it and pay whatever com.
D., mission It desired. The fact that a part o
the taxes go TO the state makes no diff.
I ference, neither is the contract in any
sense against public policy, but highl!
. commendable.
Des MOineS Damage Case.
. The holdings Of Judge Holmes Of TIT
Polk county court in the case of Agi
, against Harbach we're upheld by an opin
ion prepared by Justice Bishop. Aga wa
injured by an electric shock while actint
as a substitute for the regular engineer
at Harbach's factory. He was familia
with the place and had worked there be
1 fore. In changing an electric light bull
l from one socket to another and at tn
y same time standing in a pool of water h
0 received a terrible shock. There was con
| hict as to just how the shock was re
ceived or why, but the courts held tina
u Harbach was not shown to have been liza
= BILE therefore, and the judgment was 70
the defense.
:, Candidate for Commander.
The Grand Army of the Republic pos
at Toledo, Tama county, has brought on
the name Of T. r. Irons for candidate 70
the position Of senior vice commander
: the Grand Army Of the Republic for low
m before the encampment to be held in Ceds
ar Rapids in June.
a A meeting Of the state auditors Of II
al state is to be held In Des Moines begiI
ming tomorrow. One thing they wi