Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-02
FAILS BY ONE VOTE TO SECURE
THE REQUIRED coNsTlTU.
gTIoNAL MAJORITY.
Bill Was Distorted BY Adoption Of
Several Changes and Lost Support
of Many Of Its Original Friends Be-
fore Time Came for Vote.
(BY LEON .BROWN.)
Des Molnes Bureau of the Courier.
Des Majnes AnriI 4 .

Des MONIES, April I.
The Iowa senate yesterday killed
the famous Hughes anti-pass bill which
provided that state and county Off
Gals would not be allowed to ride on
railway passes. The bill has been the
subject of much derision and as well
of much serious thought and it has
probably attracted more attention
than any other measure proposed for
passage during the present session of
the general assembly.
Senator Hughes is from the Iowa
Johnson county district and has been
in the state legislature, before. His
hobby is given full swing in the bill
which bears his name and which yes
terday went down in defeat by a
vote of "a for and IS against after the
amendments proposed had been adopt
ed. This is one short of the constitu-
tional majority required to pass such
bill. Before the result was announc-
ed Senator Hughes changed his vote
to read against the bill SO that he
might have an opportunity to move
reconsideration later on.
Bill Was Distorted.
When the bill came UP for the final
vote in the senate it was changed so
that it would have been almost non
effective if passed. 1t prohibited Of
ficers and delegates to conventions
from taking railroad passes only when
they felt that they were being given.
| for the purpose of corrupting those
who received them. This was obvious
ly SO silly provision that it turned
some of the original friends of the bill
against it,
Appropriation Stands.
After a long debate the house yes
terday refused to reconsider the vote
by which $685. 900 was appropriated for
the erection of an inebriate esylum at
Knoxville The vote on the motion to
reconsider was thirty-three for and
fifty-seven against.
Must Take Examinations.
The bill to permit the state board
of education to issue teachers certifi-
Gates to graduates of the state educa-
tional institutions without examina-
ton was defeated in the house.
For Davenport Park.
The house, by bare constitutional
majority yesterday passed the bill
to appropriate $25,000 for the purchase
of the south 1872 acres of old Camp Nc
Clelland at Davenport for use by the
city as park. The city is to raise
$50, 900 to add to the appropriation if
the latter passes the senate.
Primary Bill Defeated.
The senate defeated the bill
reported by the committee on
elections as a substitute for the
bills for a primary election law. Sena-
tor Crossley had charge of the bill and
urged it's passage as representing the
best thought of the committee on this
subject. He said it was drafted from
bills that had been presented and also
included the best features of the laws
now in force in various states.
The bill was state wide in it's appli-
cation, which probably contributed to
it's defeat, as many members say they
are willing to help out Polk county
but do not believe there is a general
demand for such a measure from other
parts of the state.
: Extradition Law Unnecessary.
The new bill to reach cases ii
which murder is committed by sendins
poison through the mails is drafted
on the basis of preserving the consti
tutional rights of the citizens of thu
+ state.
: Under it, if a person is charged
e with causing the death of another b,
sending poisoned candy through tn
n mails to the victim he may be trie'
for murder in this state, at home.
The first bill sought to regulate tn
relations between states which wa
ridiculous and provided a way il
which citizens of Iowa might be seiz
r ed at their homes in this state, drag
ged across the continent and trie
= among strangers in strange land
+ without friends or relatives about TO
: a crime committed in some othe
/. state at time when the citizen Q
# Iowa was at home.
5 An effort was made to pass thi
II kind of bill in the house. Repre-
g sentative N. E. Kendall, chairman Q
the judiciary committee, urging it an
It saying that Governor Cummins an
: Attorney General Mullan had super
q intended. the drafting of the measure
{ Representative Temple of Clark
q county saw the difficulty first an
: promptly moved to amend the bill an
then to lay it over until it could b
n considered. The result was the ne'
s. bill which Senator Dowell of the SCI
ale judiciary committee drafted an
: got through the senate ade
i quately reaching the defect complain
ed of without permitting Iowa cit
A. zens to be outraged.
: New Educational Bill.
The Nichols bill relative to til
o. school year which was passed by tn
is house without dissent wa
designed for the purpose of remed.
l. ing very serious defects in the pre-
e ent law, and is the first considerabl
change in the laws which has gon
through without fight at this Sc
sion The law amends large numbe
. of sections.
!" 1t provides that the second annu,
regular meetings of school boarG
t. each year, the taking of the scho'
l. census, the reports of the secretarie
!. and treasurers of the districts, til
as taking of school census in the SUI
Sc districts. ETC., shall be in July instea
Of of September. 1t provides that IL
a legal school year shall be identic;
y, 50 -.