Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-20

| VIII arise from the practice under the
| law. Il can readily see how such a
law could be abused he said. 1T
| would be all right to punish some men,
| who fully deserve the penalties pro-
vided, but a good many persons en-
| tirely innocent would also be made to
suffer under this law And then, we
| have laws to cover such cases. There
are the divorce courts and the pro-
visions for alimony and all that. The
penalty provided under this bill is
| pretty severe
| Representative Bealer, of Cedar
Rapids, is confined to his room by
| illness.
Representative Cummings, on taking
the chair for the first time as speaker
pro tenn, made a neat little speech
| thanking the members for the honor
conferred upon him. 1t was his first
| opportunity to do so and he brought
| forth applause for his brief remarks in
| which he pledged himself to fairness
and business in presiding.
| A peculiar petition was that which
came addressed to the chairman of the
| judiciary committee of the house from
one Arthur Macdonald, of Washington,
| d. G.. He submitted bill which was
| introduced in congress and another
| which went before the New York leg
| slature, both contemplating the es-
Establishment of a laboratory for the
study of the criminal pauper and de-
| fective classes He suggests that this
can best be done by the states separ-
ately. He would have sort of bureau
organized to make special study of
his subject, work now being done
in part, at least by the board of con-
| troll and the heads of various institu-
lions in the state Accompanying the
letter was a quantity of literature
bearing on the Importance of making
this study so as to prepare the states
for proper dealing with the subject.
| Old claims will crop up OCCASION
| ally. Here is the claim Of the heirs
of John Bryan asking pay for work
| done by Bryan on the old state house
| in Des NIoines in the winter of 1888.
His claim was originally for $1,400,
| but with interest it now amounts to
s5,376 1t stands very little show of
winning.
| Charles R. Brenton, of Dallas Cen
ter, the newly elected member of the
board of trustees of the college at
Ames, is wealthy banker and bust
ness man of Dallas county. He is a
nephew of ex-Mayor Brenton of Des
Moines. His business interests include
extensive farming operations and he
has never taken much part in political
matters. He was elected by a vote of
seven to three over j. A. King, of Ne
vada whose name was presented, but
who was not in any sense candidate.
The Seventh district caucus was first
to be held. The selection of Hon. Car
roll Wright the well-known attorney
of Des Moines, was unanimous, for
his place on the board of regents of the
State university. position he has
filled with great credit for many years.
He has long been recognized as one of
| the strong members of the board of re-
gents There are regents to be elect
ed this year from the First. Second.
Sixth and Seventh districts: trustees
from the Fifth. Seventh, Tenth and
Eleventh; and on the normal school
board trustees to succeed McDuffie and
Leavitt.
The report of the ma jority of the
committee on the Youde-Whitmer con-
test did not satisfy all members. Mr..
Teter started the movement for post
ponement, and Mr.. Temple took it up.
Mr. Temples argument which pre-
vailed, was that the matter is too i'm
portant to be disposed of practically
without consideration by the members
of the house, that it affects every seat,
that it is far more important in the
matter of setting a precedent for the
future than in its bearings on the two
men involved and all the members
should have time to hear arguments
and consider all phases of the matter. 1t
is a question on the construction Of
the constitution and the laws. The
vote on the postponement was SO to %.
The democrats will file a strong mi
nority report which will be the basis
for the discussion.
The bill which Senator COPYRIGHT
introduced yesterday on request, would
entirely change the divorce laws of the
state and make them conform to the
scriptural requirements as nearly as
could be under present day customs.
The bill repeats all other divorce leg
islation now on the statute books and
in the place provides that an absolute
divorce can be given only on the
proof of charge of adultery and then
only the innocent party shall be al
lowed to remarry. Divorce can be
granted on a proof Of drunkenness in
compatibility of temperament or de-
sertion, but in such cases the bill ex-
plicitly states that the divorce is a di-
vorce of bed and board only and that
neither party shall be allowed to re-
marry during the life Of the other.
With the exception that the parties can
not remarry except to remarry each
other, the bill provides that they shall
bear the relation of persons who have
never been married. The bill by eX-
plicit statement provides that in cases
of drunkenness, desertion or incom-
patabilitv the parties may remarry
each other.
Senator Gale proposes to devote con-
siderable time to pushing the equal
suffrage resolution which he will in
troduce soon. Senator Gale will not
say that he is in favor of striking the
word male" from the constitution but