Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-09
HOPES FOR CAPITOL
IOWA CITY ASKS REMOVAL OF
STATES HEADQUARTERS FROM
DIES MONIES.
People Of the Former First City of the
State Think They Can House the
Legislature and State officers-c
Removal An Error.

IilS 1SLlof oil I'll Lie SCdl6 Capital VI III
wa Ion Des Moines to Iowa City.
She can furnish temporary accommo-
dations for the legislature in the old
state capitol building, now used as the
administrative building for the State
University of Iowa, an excellent site
for the new capitol, excellent fire pro-
lection and fine moral surroundings.
Iowa City was the old capital of the
state, the capital being removed from
Iowa City in 1857 to Des Moines. Iowa
City now asks the state to acknowl-
edge the error it made in removing the
capital from Iowa City and the correc-
ton of that error by the removal Of
the capital back to Iowa City, now that
new capitol will have to be built.
A Site Ready.
The site that Iowa City will present
to the state for the new capitol is
across the bluffs from the state uni
versity campus, the site of the park re-
serve of the university. 1t is on the
banks of the river, very slightly re-
moved from the water works plant and
near enough to the large fire engine OF
the state university engineering de-
partment so that this large fire de-
stroyer could be called out to shoot
water to the top of the highest dome
that could be built for the new capitol
Des Moines politicians who aspire to
state honors are thought to be in fav-
or of the removal of the capital, for at
the present time much of their ambi-
ton bids to be checked on account of
the prejudice against their candidates.
because they are from the capital city
BY the removal Of the capital to Iowa
City this will be removed. Iowa City
politicians are willing to assume the
prejudice, sacrifice they make to Sc
cure the capital to their city.
Citizens In Earnest.
eve will be able to offer very fine
location to the state for the new cap
itol building" said j. w. Dvorsl1y, the
secretary of the Iowa City Commercial
club, today. 1--WE can offer also the
best fire protection. Sentiment will
be fostered by the coming back of the
capitol to it's own hcme There is no
reason why the educational capital of
state should not also be the legal CAPT.
tall"
iowa City will undoubtedly be glad
said Mayor Frank Stebbins today.
we VIII OuSF uue Inducements. an ex-
cel1ent site for the capitol, and excel
lent fire protection. The card that
will appeal strongest to the legislators
Is the fine moral surroundings that
Iowa City offers. The freedom Of the
city from the immoral surroundings OF
Des Moines will appeal irresistibly as
an argument for the change"
Merchants Opposed.
A few merchants, when asked their
opinion on the change of the capital
expressed themselves as opposed to il
because of the bad moral surrounding
that would come with the capita
These merchants have been seen by
the Commercial club special commit
tees, however, and quieted.
The Commercial club will at once
send out letters and workers asking
the legislature to call a constitutional
convention to change the capital
committee has been appointed to con
fer with the university authorities
regarding the temporary use of the
old capitol senate and house cham Der.
for the coming meeting of the genera
assembly, which meets Monday.