Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-01
Some Senators Beginning to
Worry Over the Situation
in Their Districts
THEY WANT A CHANCE TO HEDGE
Fact That Their Constituents are
"HolIerins' at Their Action in Stand
ing With the Railroad Crowd Bother
ins-TaIk of New Bill Effective
After Election. ;,
[By Ora williams.l
Special to Tines Republican.

session. There is now In process OF
formation primary law which will
be introduced In the senate probably
early next week after the return from
the recess. 1t is now in the hands of
the StandpatterS, who will father the
bill. 1t will be county primary law
only, but providing for primaries for
districts where the district is co-eN-
istent with the county and providing
for delegates who shall select where
there is not majority selection. 1t is
the, Saunders bill with some changes
to dress it in new garb One Of the
changes is that Of requiring registra-
ton at general election. This pro-
vision would prevent it going into eff
feet till after the next general election.
Just what other provision the bill will
have has not been definitely determined
yet. Among some Of the standpatters
there has been a move to keep the
thing rather quiet. 1t was to be sur
prise on the public, ana there is
strong supposition that the movement
is one designed to ease the consciences
have clamored for a primary, but who
were aligned with the railroad crowd
too strongly to allow them to vote for
the Crossley bill.
There seems to be no indication that
the democrats will vote differently on
the new bill than they did on the Saun-
ders substitute. On that they voted
solidly against it, Senator Young of
Lee county said today: "The demo-
Gratis were given an opportunity to
amend the Saunders substitute any
way we wished if we would only vote
for it. They came to us with the prop
osition. l went to some of the boys
with it, but the feeling was that the
time had not come to support any prl-
mary measure. My feeling in the mat
ter is this: Two years ago came here
and was opposed to the primary. My
people knew ii and since then there
have been county, district and state
conventions, and not single action
has been taken to indicate that my
party favored primary bill 1t seems
to me if the party had wanted pri
mary it would have passed some reso>
luton or put plank in. the platforms
SOHlGN ucIe,A anu OOll lSel llldt \
would be representing my district to
favor any primary bill at this time, for
the republicans as we'll as the demo-
Gratis of my district seem opposed to
it."
There has been some little talk OF
making the Polk county primary cleo
ton law apply to all cities of the state
as we'll as Palk county, but it is be-
lieved that this measure will meet the
same fate that all other primary move
ments seem destined to shake at the
hands of this legislature.
The Polk county law is now in some-
thing of a tangle. Senator Dowell tried
yesterday to call up the English bill Of
this session to provide that the county
recorder may be woman. This is be-
cause of the fact that woman now
holds the position and she desires re-
election. Senator Molsberry tried to
tack on an amendment SO that other
persons than residents of Polk county
can be voted on for state offices, and
this threw the whole matter over, as
the hour was late and there was not
time to perfect the amendment
Three of the most important meas
ures of this session are now before the
senate and will be acted upon soon.
One is the Hughes anti-pass bill which
has been made special order for March
s at ! o'clock and which 1t is believed
will pass. Another is the board of re-
gents bill
The indeterminate sentence law in
troduced by Saunders Of Council Bluffs
will be reported by the Subcommittee
to the judiciary committee the latter
part Of the next week after the recess
also, probably at the first meeting of
the committee. 1t is expected that the
judiciary committee will not long be
occupied with the bill and it will likely
go on the calendar for special order
following the Whipple bill.
Senator Hartshorn has introduced a
bill changing the drainage law so that
the supervisors instead Of the railroad
commissioners shall determine where
drainage ditch shall cross a railroad
track The bill also gives the super
visors authority to discharge an en-
gineer and hire another which the
present law does not provide. The
law passed at the last session provides
that it shall be additional to the law
then In force and the intention was
that proceeding for drainage ditch |
might be started under either the old |
or the new law. The courts held tho
that both laws were effective on the
same ditch and as the laws were con-
this could not be. Senator |
bill corrects this and pro-
vides that one or the other only can
be used in starting a ditch.
Senator Taylor has introduced a bill
providing that the state in criminal |
cases can take change of venue after
the defendant has taken a change.
The senate yesterday passed the bill
by Garst prohibiting Sunday I
Sunday theatres and every
other kind of a Sunday attraction
where an admission fee IS charged.
Senator Lewis tried to amend the law
so that Chautauquas which depend Oh
Sunday as the big day to swell their
gate receipts might charge an admit
lance, but the senate was disposed to
the idea that a Chautauqua which is
to lead in all good reforms
could not properly claim an exemption
from the law.
The senate yesterday defeated the