Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-06
OFFICES BRING OUT MUCH RIVAL.
RY AMONG WoULD-BE
APPoiNTEEs
PRIMARY LAW
THE BIG FEATURE

During the Coming Session Of the leg.
islature the Members VIII LIN. Up
Early on This Qucstlon--Not Party
lssue-DemocratIc Leader Among ito
Opponents.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE 4
Des Moines Bureau of the Courier.
Des Moines, Jan. 5.
Suggestions for the abolishment Of
the offices of state printer and binder
are heard in the hotel lobbies among
the legislators.
Emory English and e. D. Chassell
who are the leading candidates for
state printer and binder are telling
the members Of the legislature that it
they get six years Of the office they
are seeking they will not ask for ex4
tensions Of term. i,
This Is hit at Bernard Murphy and
Howard Tedford who are insisting that
their third term of two years ought to-
be extended one year, giving them sew
en- years altogether. They claim this
Is reasonable because the biennial
elections amendment provides that the
terms of all elective officers shall be
adjusted to it's terms The contentious
OF the Erglish-C Chassell faction is that
elective In the amendment does not
refer to offlcers chosen by the legislat-
ure but only to o-ofhcers chosen by the
people.
1t is pointed out BY MAssrs Englist
and Chassell that when the legisla
ure changed the terms of the printer
and binder to make them begin with
the first month of the year, they not
'cfily xtefeaEt Ettsssw wsinsnlabent 4,
printer and binders terms from April
to January but instead, cut of their
terms from January to April.
May Abolish Offices.
1t Is not impossible that a proposi-
tion will grow out of this situation for
the abolishment of the Offices alto
gether. This would have been ac-
complished seven years ago had 1t not
been for the fact that Murphy and
Tedford were popular. 1t seemed to ba
In the cards that they should have
the Offices and 1T was thought by all
interested public men and the mem.
bers Of the legislature that 1t would
be hard to cut them out OF the SIX
years - and English and Chassell out
of six years following, and other good
fellows out of the emoluments OF thu
best offices In the state, for an indef-
mite time. Now, however. since thero
Is bitter controversy the idea has
been heard expressed that 1t would be
fine time to abolish the offices and
let the printing Of the state like any
other work, by contract.
The Primary Law.
The primary law is going to be the
big thing before the session Of the
legislature which convenes Monday. As
the members gather 1t becomes all the
more evident that this is going to be
the thing on which the big fight will
come. And in its determination tha
second congressional district is going
to occupy a specially prominent place.
Senator Lambert Of Jackson county,
is regarded as the real leader Of tho
democrats in the legislature. He has
been opposed to a primary law. It
is probable that 1t will be Impossible
to get twenty-six republican senator's
to vote for the measure, but friends
of the primary have believed that tho
republican plus the democratic sena.i
tors who favor the bill would make al
majority of the chamber. The attl.i
tude Of the democrats is likoly to de.I
pend to considerable extent on the,
attitude Of Senator Lambert.
Lambert's View on Primary.
He has lived across from Fulton
county, ILL.,, where they have a prirary
law for SO many years that lie is con.
vinced that the caucus system in
Iowa. bad as it is, isn't a marker 10.
the primary business in Illinois, where,
1t seems to be purely matter Of price,
The senator is expected 10 vote
against the bill. But will he influence
his democratic colleagues to any COM
siderable extent?
Naturally Senator Lambert is align,
ed with what may be called the res
form forces. He fought the printer
and binder business when 1t vas
yielding unlimited quantities OF graft,
until the thing was pared down to al
respectable basis. He was for the
board Of control. He was on the legis-l
latiye commission to investigate the
educational institutions and is in fay.l
or of reform in their management. He,
was lined up With those who turned
down an appointment by the governor
which he thought should be turned
down and always has occupied an In
dependent position in the a assembly.
So that, though he may be against the
primary bill himself, he may not seek
to force all of his democratic COLI,
leagues to go against it.
Cr<x.~, ~ \
the measure, and barring party infir
pncac will unta For ~ - 5a