Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-01-27
LEGISLATURE RECONV[NES.
Thirtieth General Assembly Re-
sumes It's Labors.
FIGHT FOR STATE MARsHALs.
Clubs Formulate Bill and Committee
Will Push it at LegisIature-Second
District Republicans May Nominate
A. r. Dawson for Congress.

Des Moines, Jan. 26.-The thirtieth
general assembly reconvened today
after a recess of eleven days. The
house met in its chamber, where it
found the effects of the fire pretty
thoroughly hidden through the art Of
the decorator The canvas ceiling
and the walls of the same material
which shut out the galleries, are neat
and the effects of the fire along the
upper part of the side walls and the
Scagliola columns have been lastly
covered with draperies. The report
ers' desks have been draped to hide
the rough boards used in repairing
them and the desks of the speaker
and clerks have been stained and
made to appear almost as good as
new" The score or more of desks
which were destroyed have been re-
placed by strong tables, which can
be made to do for one session. The
rest of the desks were not in the
chamber at the time of the fire and
were not injured. The carpet has
been renovated and b. using part Of
tie carpet which was in the galleries
to patch it up, it does not look so bad
1y, and in fact the chamber has quite
a home-like appearance in spite Of
the disaster. Chairman Funk of the
capitol commission says the cost of
the temporary repairs will not reach
more than $4,000. 1t will remain for
the legislature to say when the work
of reconstruction shall commence,
but 1t has been suggested that as
there seems to be no prospect of an
extra session, the work might be put
on until next year, and thus more
money will be available without cut
ting down this years allowance to the
other institutions.
Battle Likely Over Iowa Idea.
OF course the principal subject Of
conversation in political circles the
past week has been the position taken
by Governor Cummins in his inau-
gural address on the question of reci-
procity, and especially with Canada.
Since delivering his address, the gov
ernor has been in Washington, where
he has had a consultation with the
president, and has also been inter
viewed by the newspaper men on his
position. 1t may be said that, in
these interviews as we'll as in con-
versations with his friends in Des
Moines before he left for Washing
ton, the governor stands by the po-
sition he took publicly on the day Of
his Inauguration. He believes that
the people of the state of Iowa have
endorsed the principle of reciprocity
and he also believes that the applica.
ton of that principle to the extension
of our trade with Canada, even il we
have to make some concessions, will
be of great benefit to the farmers OF
Iowa. Believing thus, he and his
friends say that it is no more than
just that he should be at the head of
the delegation to the national Repub-
lican convention from Iowa and that
a majority of the delegation should be
men who represented the same views
as the governor So much for the po-
sition of the Cunmins people. The
"stand patters" on the other hand,
claim that it Is by no means certain
that the majority of the Republicans
of the state endorse reciprocity OF
the "Cummins brand" as some of
them term it, and they talk of a con-
test in the state convention over the
selection of delegates to Chicago. OF
course the convention is quite way
of at present and peaceful counsels
may prevail, but there is much talk
around the capital city of political
encounter, in which Governor Cum
minis will lead one wing and j. w.
Blythe the other If it should come
TO that, we may expect battle royal,
for each are adopts in the arts of pol
itics.
The primary object of the govern
or's trip to Washington was to en-
deavor to secure correction of the
proposed record of the Fifteenth and
Sixteenth Iowa regiments on the bat
tie monuments at Shiloh. II seems
that the commission had not given
these regiments credit for being in
the battle. The governor was forti-
fed by large number OF affidavits
and he laid the case before the secre-
tary of war, with the result that the
commission will be reconvened and
instructed to do justice to the Iowa
boys.
To Enforce Liquor Laws.
The convention of State Marshals'
clubs was held In Des Moines last
Thursday. This is the organization
that A. c. Rankin of Chicago has been
promoting for some time past. and
the object Is to secure the passage Of
a law establishing a system OF state
constabulary. The bill as 1t was final
ly approved by the convention, divides
the state into five districts, each OF
which is to be under the charge Of a
district marshal. The various pro-
posed districts, with the location Of
the district marshal are as follows:
First district, headquarters Des
Moines-Boone, Story, Marshall.
Tama, Dallas, Polk, Jasper. Powe-
shiek, Madison, Warren. Marion. Ma
haska, Clark, Lucas. Wapello, Deca-
49, yu.yna hnnanooca Davia