Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-13
WILL fight FOR
NEW PRIMARY BILL
Progressives Believe New State
wide Primary Bill May
Be Passed
WOULD NOT APPLY THIS YEAR
Measure Will Test Sincerity of the
standpatters' Arguments Against
crossIey BiII-House Passes Bill to
Return to Old System of Collecting
Vital Statistics.
[By Ora Williams.l
ecial to mes-Repupiican.

| Special to Times Republican
| Des Moines, March 13-The new
primary bill introduced in the house
| is one that will cause perhaps quite as
much discussion as the one which was
| so much considered in the senate 1t
is a very liberal bill. While the sem
ate. bill was prepared and introduced
by a standpatter, the house bill was
prepared by progressives and will be
fathered as their bill. There is belief
that 1t can and will be passed. Those
who have sought primary law in
Iowa have done so with the sincere de-
sire that Iowa shall take front rank
in the progressive states They have
cared much more for the primary
principle than for the details Of a bill.
But the Crossley bill represented years
of hard labor in preparation. for a bill
and they were willing to accept it as
the beginning of a great reform in
iowa. The opponents Of all primary
systems decreed that lit should die In
the senate. The greatest objection to
the Crossley primary bill seemed to be
that 1t would make certain the nomina-
ton Of Governor Cummins for governor
and most of the opposition to the bill
was based ostensibly on this fact But
the new bill just introduced cuts out
all possibility of criticism on this
score, for II is provided in the bill that
1t shall not affect the nominations this
year. Then there was some opposition
to the Crossley bill on the ground that
judges of the courts would have to be
nominated by vote of the people in
stead OF in conventions, or In some
cases by bar nominations. All this is
left out. In short the bill has been
prepared so that great many Of the
objections that were made to the
Crossley bill will have no force. The
bill will be put fairly to the house and
it will be seen whether the objections
which were urged to the Crossley bill
Were in fact the real objections or mere
shams The new bill has many feat
ures that are stronger than the Cross
ley bill. 1t is at once liberal and
strong. The fact appears to be that
the standpatters who had boosted few
days ago that they We're going to have
a real primary bill and would pass 1t
have disagreed and have utterly failed
to prepare a measure.
The house passed bill repeating
most of the law in regard to registra-
ton and reporting of vital statistics
and which requires return to the old
system of reports from assessors. The
law was placed on the statute books
less than two years ago.
The Lewis joint resolution looking
to the calling of convention of the
states in iowa for the purpose of fur
thering the movement for election of
United States senators passed the
house late Monday afternoon. by
vote of 81 to %. Some of the stand
patters and one democrat Whftmer.
voted against the resolution, but all
the other democrats joined with the
progressive republicans and passed the
measure. There was no discussion of
the resolution.
The hill to permit a raise in the SAL
diers' home to $4,000 year, should
UHe DUdEu Ol COIlIOl ucSlIG W uO So,
passed the house. The house also
passed bill to raise the salary Of the
clerk of the land office to $1,000 year.
Mr.. Freeman, Of Pottawattamie, has
introduced bill fixing the weight Of
bushels of various kinds of grain and
material sold by quantity and making
some minor changes in weights.
80
Mr. Meredith, Of Cass, introduced
bill requiring that In all towns where
there are two or more telephone ex-
changes each company shall maintain
in its office a phone of the other ex-
changes. S
A move to raise the compensation OF
members Of the legislature has been
started by Mr.. Wright who introduced
a bill to fix the compensation at $500
year instead of $500 as at present.
The Cheney bill to repeal the SOL
der preference law was reported to
the house for killing today. The off,
GERS of the G. A. r. were active in
lobbying against the bill and the mil
itary committee felt that it was not yet
time to effect repeal of the law.
AAs
The house committee on railroads
will this evening take up the anti
pass bill and will hear any who are
interested in the subject. AS members
of the house have given the matter
little consideration nobody knows how
the bill will fare in the house. 1t is
probable that the 2-cent fare bill will
also be taken up at once.
The senate appropriations commits |
tee yesterday reported out a substitute |
for the board of regents bill. TIE sub |
stitute is not a radical departure from |
the bill but there are a great many |
1 ranges in the details of the meas sure. |
The main provisions of the board of |
fifteen is retained and the executive
committee ds retained but renamed the
finance committee instead of the ex
ecutive committee. On THE request of
Senator Whipple OF Vinton, the bill has
been made special order for Thursday
at 10 o'clock. Three hundred extra
copies of the bill are to be- printed. 1t
is understood that there will be NUM-
Der OF amendments offered. The sup
position that the bill! is going to be
passed has little to support it and is
U,,oss work What fIot. ssanate M. hnil sd