Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-30

funds, the record of the Iowa fair COM
mission is worthy of note.
IOWA PRESS COMMENT.
The Atlantic Telegraph sees no good
reason why a cumbersome, expensiveI
primary law should be forced upon the
voters of this state land It does not
believe that the present legislature
will enact such measure as is pro-
posed by Senator Crossley. 1T is too
bulky. too expensive--a rich mans
declares the Telegraph. 1t
Is the Telegraph's opinion that the
present optional primary law should
be retained after being amended so
as to guard against democrats par
ticipating in republican primaries, and
vice versa.
gave the name of William Larrabee
to the state" says the Des Moines
Capital. "In 1888 it was the caucus
system which gave Iowa an anti
monopoly legislature which enacted
the present railway law, the best In
the union. These things all show that
the people can triumph under any sys-
tenn Of nomination If they desire to do
So"
"If Iowa had been bossed and boss
ridden politically in the past there
might be some excuse for changing
present methods of nominating state
officials, but it has not" says the
Indianola Herald.
The Dubuque Telegraph commends|
the Offil bill to restrict the sale of
flrecrackers on the Fourth of July and
fc ntY ont nn1ahrq
which claims the sight, fingers OF
arms Of the celebrants, and frequently
the lives, Is neither sane nor safe
and restrictions should be put on it,
declares the Telegraph.
The Council Bluffs Nonpareil be-
lieves that the Off1l flrecracker bill is
OF real value, and it, guests that the
legislature might sage IN less
Of the measure.
What has happened all at once"
asks the Cedar Falls Record, refer
ring to the agitation for state pri-
mary law, that the plan that has
worked SO successfully IN giving cap
able officials to the commonwealth all
and the charge made that 'bossism' Is
rampant"
The Waterloo Reporter comments
favorably on the Cobb bill providing
for the listing of mortgages for the
purpose Of taxation. 1t says a good
many sensible people doubt the wis
dom of taxing mortgages, but 1t does
not believe a bill to relieve mortgages
of taxation would receive even scant
consideration in the legislature. The
most profitable benefit that might ac-
crue, continues the Reporter, "is likely
to come from the law which will make
all mortgages subject to taxation be-
fore they can have a legal standing.
That can best be accomplished by a
registry law
The Des Moines Register and Leader
believes that work is better cure for
the drinking habit than the gold cure
or other medication. There has been
a marked diminution of drunkenness
since the inebriate law was enacted
it says. "The diminution will be more
marked as the law begins to be more
rigidly enforced. No law has been put
upon the statute books better calcu-
lated to insure sobriety. But 1t Is a
law that will not do all that may rea-
sonably be expected of 1t unless in
generation is. made to mean serious
labor, self restraint and training for a
subsequent life of sobriety and work. .
ut has almost come to be an axiom
that anything under Des MONIES
ldate line is to be distrusted,' says
the Cedar Rapids Republican. "Going
Ito Des Moines to report for news
paper seems to act very much like
opium on a mans character and hab-
| its. The sensational microbe is so
yirulent down there that no one seems
able to Withstand it,
"The public is honest" says the Du-
| buque Telegraph. ut has simply to
thing, and once persuaded, 1t will as
sert it's opinion decisively."
| In many so-called tomato catsups
! 1t has been found that the body is
made Of potatoes and the color sup
piled with dyes. "And SO 1t goes
comments the waterloo Courier. "The
public Is robbed right and left that
commercial pirates may prosper"
I'm Page county, the home of Con-
gresham Hepburn, few fellows
think they are big enough to defeat
him." says the Clinton Herald. but
when the colonel gets busy they vii
discover their error. The people Of
Iowa do not want a change In thai
] district"
Very generally the men who urged
! the adoption of the biennial elections
amendment for the sake Of economy
are now arguing that the primary
election law should not be considered
from so sordid standpoint as that o.
mere money, says the Creston Ad-
vertiser biennial elections and 9
primary law would be far more ex.
pensive both to the individual and the
country than the annual election un-
der the old system. The people o.
Iowa voted for biennial elections
largely as matter of economy. W.
never believed that the saving would