Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-16
STATE BAR ASSOCIATION ELECTS
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
MEET IN DEs MONIES
Would Prohibit Marriage Between In.
sane, Feeble-MInded and EpIleptlo
Persons-splrlted Discussions Upon
Law Reform Committee Report.


A. E. Swisher, of Iowa City, was
chosen president Of the Iowa State
Bar association at the close of this
mornings session Of the annual meet
ing which has been in progress at tho
Grand opera house In this city and
which closed this afternoon. w. H.
Bailey was elected to succeed to the
office Of vice-president, made vacant
by the choice of Mr.. Swisher as presi.
dent. Sam S. Wright. of Upton, was
for the eight consecutive time elected
secretary of the association and Jesse
Stevenson of Des Moines was re-elect.
ed to the position of treasurer.
p. e. McElroy, Of this city, was
named as the member of the execu.
tive committee from the sixth district.
Mills Not Present.
Luther Lafflin Mills, the noted Chi.
cago attorney who was to have ad-
dressed the members of the associa.
tion this morning at 10 o'clock, was
unable to be present. He was detain.
ed In Chicago on business and his en-.
forced absence caused great disap.
pointment not only to the members [
OF the association but also to a large
audience OF citizens who had gone to
the opera house to hear his address. (
Action on Report.
The announcement that Mr.. Mills
would not be able to be present
was made after the disposal
Of the report of the committee on law
reforms which was the first business
taken up at the morning session. The,
first recommendation of the commit.
tee in reference to the government of
cities by a council of three aldermen
was passed over till this afternodn's
session
The second recommendation asking
the passage Of law regulating and
prohibiting the marriage Of persons
| afflicted with imbecility, feeble mind.
edness, epilepsy or insanity and pre-.
scrfbing penalties for such violations
was adopted with an addition offered
by Attorney w. H. G. Jaques, of OF
tumwa, to the second section, adding
that an appeal might be taken from
the decision Of the clerk of the district
court should he refuse to grant III
cense and that the appeal should take
the precedence of all cases in the dis.
trict court and have an immediate
hearing. The passage of the recon.
mendation was championed by j. o.
Crosby, as leader and resulted in a
|
The recommendation a as followsa
We recommend the passage OF a
law by the state legislature substantial.
ly as follows:
An act regulating marriage and pro.
hibiting marriage by or with persons
afflicted with imbecility, feebleminded-
ness, epilepsy or insanity and prescrib-
ing penalties for the punishment Of
persons violating the provisions Of this
act. Be 1t enacted by the general as
sembly Of the State of Iowa:
i Section 1. No male or female, eth
er ON whom is epileptic, embecile, fee.
ble-minded or afflicted with insanity,
shall hereafter intermarry or marry
any other person within this state. It
Is also hereby made unlawful for any
person to marry any such feeble-mind-
ed, imbecile, or epileptic persons or
any one afflicted with insanity.
Section 2. No officer authorized by
law to issue marriage licenses in this
state shall hereafter issue such a Ii.
cense to any persons either of whom
Is afflicted with any of the diseases
mentioned in Section of this act If he
knows them to be SO afflicted or II
: he has reasonable grounds for believ-
ing either Of such persons to be SO af.
flicted.
Any applicant denied marriage II.
cense may appeal to the district court
from the decision of the officer deny.
ing the same and such appeal shall
stand for trial at the next term of said
{ court and take precedence to all other
civil cases
Section 3. ! No clergyman or officer
authorized by law to solemnize marri
!, ages within this state shall hereafter
perform marriage ceremony, uniting
persons in matrimony, either of whom
is afflicted with epilepsy, imbecility
feeblemindedness or insanity, knowing
} them to so afflicted.
Section A. Any person violating any
of the provisions Of this act shall, upon
conviction thereof be punished by q
:, fine of not more than Five Hundred
(S50000) Dollars or by Imprisonment
in the county Jail for not more than one
"a year, or by both such fine and i'm
prisonment.
Voted Down.
The third recommendation in refer
ence to the employment of expert wit
) nesses in medical and surgical casel
was voted down. This recommends
ton was as follows:
. All expert witnesses In medical anS
9 surgical cases shall be appointed ant
their compensation fixed by the court
v and any expert witness may be exam
t ined as to any compensation paid o.