Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-04-11
BACK TO THE PEOPLE
IOWA LEGISLATORS COMPLETE
THEIR LABORS AND ADJOURN.

THEIR LAsoRs AND ADJOURN.
Action of Committee on Pardons in
Refusing cIemency for Murderers
Likely to Be Followed by First Ju-
diciaI Execution in Years.
Des Moines, April 10.-Back to the
people. That's where the members OF
the Thirty-first general assembly OF
Iowa now find themselves. Whatever
explanations they may have to make
for laws which were enacted by them
or for proposed laws which they failed
to enact, the members can severally
now explain to the constituents, face
to face. If they have been In touch
with the people and their wishes, the
coming few months will demonstrate
that fact. II they have, because OF
the, time which has elapsed since
they were elected drought about by
the adoption of the biennial election
amendment in 1900, wandered away
from the straight and narrow path OF
following the desires of the voters,
the elections coming this fall will
give due evidence to them.
The general opinion of. those who
have followed general assemblies in
Iowa for years, is that the Thirty-first
has been no exception to the proceed
ing bodies of lawmakers. They have
always been composed of big major
ity of men whose strongest desire
throughout every days session has
been to do the right thing, as their
consciences have dictated to them.
The assembly which just closed has
performed a large amount of work. II
has considered in both houses nearly
800 bills. 1t has adopted more than
200 of these into laws. That is fair
average for three months work OF
any body Of lawmakers. Perhaps 200
bills were more than should have
been enacted into law. Perhaps some
of those which have become laws are
not what they should be; and per-
haps some Of those which were
smothered in committee or met open
defeat and death on the floor of the
two houses of the assembly should
have been adopted. There will be
difference of opinion about all these
points, but when the people look over
the work accomplished and review
the results attained by the assembly
in legislation for the state, there is
no doubt but the verdict will be one
of approval, more than disapproval.
Real Test in November.
OF the dead bills about which there
has been the most clamor-the prim-
AIRY election bill, the 2-cent fare bill
and the state board OF regents bill
time will demonstrate as to the wis
dom or unwisdom of the assembly.
In regard to the state wide primary,
ference of opinion amongst the legis-
lators as to the necessity for such a
law, and wider difference regarding
the question as to whether the people
were asking for any sucn legislation.
1T cannot be denied that petitions by
the hundreds and thousands flooded
the assembly chambers for several
weeks early in the session of the as
sembly, but there is undoubtedly good
ground for the claim which was made
at the time, that the petitions were
not the patriotic, earnest outburst of
public sentiment which they were de-
clared to represent, but were largely
made up of manufactured opinion and
much of it of merely political ma
ture. This was shown by the fact
that many of the preambles to the
petitions were worded exactly the
same, and in printed form, though
coming from widely separated Sec
tions of the state; also from the fact
that the largest petition of all was
worked out by newspaper publishing
blank form and urging sfgners, be-
sides going to the expense of securing
the men to circulate the petition In
various localities. Then, a systematic
and studied effort was made to reach
all of the farmers institutes which
were held in the state during the clos
ing months of winter. To these ready
prepared set Of resolutions was in
variably presented, and in every case
a number of signatures were obtained.
The question. as stated, will now be
TO determine il this sentiment was
fictitious or not. IL 1t was not, then
the people will be heard from In No
vember, and a largely new set of men
will come to Des Moines next winter
to represent them.
Thirty-Second General Assembly.
The Thirty-second general assembly
will be composed of 10S members of
the house. gain of eight members
over the assembly just ended, and
fifty members of the senate. The
house members will all either be
new men or present members re-
turned. The senate in 1907 will be
composed of twenty.nine holdover
members and twenty-one who will
either be new men or old members re.
elected.
Speaker Clarke of the house, who
has served through two successive
sessions of that body, will not be a
candidate for reelection, having de-
cided to devote his time to his pro-