Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-01
Iowa Newspapers
AGREES WITH CUMMINs,
tRegister and Lender


1.-THE reform provided for in the
Quarles- Cooper bill and a recommends
alton for which Governor Cummins
his message to the congress which
meets next month is In the very adr,''
said Railroad Commissioner-elect N
8. Ketchum here, yesterday, and II
has no relation to hot air. either. 1t
Is serious matter, and the people are
thinking along that line very inde-
pendently.
1T is right that the interstate COM
merce commission should have some
power. 1t is valueless If recommend
ations are as far as the commission
can go in the settlement of disputes
over complaints. Give the board
power to fix rate and the body will
become of some account and Of some
value to the people. Az it Is now, 1t
seems of little value and the congress
should put some life and power into
1t.
1.-THE Iowa commission, for example,
has power with respect to rates; there
ought not to be any objection to
clothing the interstate commerce COM
mission with similar responsibilities
The people are looking to the next con-
gress to act in this matter. The peo-
pie are talking of the subject and
watching Washington, closely"
Yesterday was the first visit which
Mr.. Ketchum has made to Des Moines
since his election, and he received the
congratulations of hosts Of friends in
the city and the state house with be-
coming modesty.
mo, have no special plans" he
said, when asked II he had in View any
particular acts as railroad commits
sioner. II expect to spend good deal
of my time at the state mouse, how
ever, and shall do my portion Of the
boards business to the best of my
ability. OF course, have not yet re-
ceived a certificate of election, but ex-
pect that to be issued next week when
the canvassing board gets thru
business, for understand that the re-
publican ticket managed to get elected
in Iowa, after all. saw q cartoon the
other day which was quite amusing,
showing Roosevelt's hand holding open
door while lot Of office holders
poured in at the aperture. don't
know whether that was meant to re-
fer to q lot of us On Iowa, or not, but
I reckon 1t could not, inasmuch as we
have a republican majority not far
from $4,000 at any time"
CRIMINALS AND MILD METHODS.
lCedar Rapids Republican,
The reign Of terror which criminals
have inaugurated in several of the
large cities Of the country, thus early
In the fall season, Is turning public
attention to the matter Of our meth
obs Of dealing with criminals. OF
late years the tendency has been al
together toward what ds styled hui
name methods but this might be more
ftlv characterized as lax methods
This so-caMed Humanitarian idea has
caused Judges to exercise great leni-
encv IA sentencing criminals; 1t has
induced governors to freely exercise
their powers Of pardon and parole. and
the effect Of It is noticeable In the ex-
tension Of privileges to prisoners in
almost all our penitentfaries and jails
Far be It for this paper to advo-
cate ANYTHING like brutality in prison
methods, or to condemn tne exercise OF
mercy on the part of judges ana exc
cutiyes. But the line ought to be
strictly drawn as between lnose De-
ginning a criminal career and those
who have given abundant evidence
that they are totally depraved and In
capable of reformation.
when a man IL first convicted OF Z
crime, Ills worth while 70 take som'