Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-03-14
PASS ANTI-PASS BILL
SENATE UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS
HUGHES MEASURE.
Factionalism Rampant in Iowa Gen.
eral neutrality-suspicious. Pay
High Tribute to David B. Henderson.
Adopt Memorial Resolutions.

Adopt Memorial Resolutions.
Des MONIES, March 13.-The Hughes
anti-pass measure. prohibiting rail.
roads, street railways, telegraph and
telephone companies from issuing
passes and franks to state and ma
tional officials, with the exception of
railroad commissioners and newspa.
pcrs, passed the senate by a unani-
nous vote. The measure carries with
ii provision making violation OF
the law misdemeanor. punishable
by fine or Imprisonment. 1t has not
reached the house.
Factionalism in Legislature.
The present general assembly CT
Iowa is destined TO go down into his
tory as one of the most turbulent in
the way of factionalism and political
activity of any assembly in the history
OF the state. AS a general thing there
has been considerable wire pulling of
a political nature in Iowa assemblies,
but most of it has been enacted out
side of the chambers of the house.
and what has been done has received
the approval of the people in future
conventions or elections. But this
year the political germ has infested
both branches of the assembly and
nearly every question of Importance
which is brought up Is closely and
carefully scanned by leading mem
bers in order to discover what polit-
ical advantage or disadvantage is
hidden away in its provisions, if there
dc any.
1t is declared that factionalism, and
factionalism alone, has deprived Iowa
OF the advantage of having a primary
law placed on her statute books. 1t
back of the Senator Lewis resolution,
which provides for a convention of
the states TO be held in Des Moines
during the present year to take action
looking toward the amendment of the
United States constitution so United
States senators can be elected by d.
rect vote Of the people. The resolu-
ton has passed one body of the legis-
la:ure and strenuous efforts are being
made to get ii through the other
house, with bright prospects of sue
cess.
IL is also declared now that faction
alism has inspired the introduction Of
the bill by Representative Green of
Madison, which remodels the congress
sional districts of the state, making
changes in each of the eleven dis
tricts. The claim is made that the
bill is movement in the interest of
Governor Cummins, or the faction of
the Republican party which he repre-
seats, and that its adoption will give
the gPFernor and his friends control
of sevuK OF the districts when it comes
to the selection of state committee
men at the next state convention.
The bill has been before the house
committee on elections for several
weeks, but has now been recon-
mended out for passage. One feature
of the measure is that while it makes
changes in all of the present districts
as to territory included in their
boundaries, it does not remove a sim
Gle one OF the present congressman
from the district he now calls home.
The new districts as provided for by
the bill which has the approval Of
the committee are as follows:
First-Muscatine, Louisa, Washing
ton, Keokuk, Jefferson. Henry, Des
Mcines, Lee and Van Buren,.
Second-Linn, Jones, Jackson, Gin
ton and Scott.
Third-Butler. Bremen, Blackhawk,
Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Frank
lin and Wright.
Fourth-Winnebago, Worth. Mitch
ell. Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee,
Cerro Gordo, Floyd. Chickasaw. Fay
cite and Clayton
Fifth Hardin, Grundy, MarshaIi.
Tsma. Benton, Poweshiek, Iowa,
johnson and Cedar.
Sixth-Jasper, Marion, Mahaska,
Lucas, Monroe. Wapello. Appanoose
and Davis.
Seventh-Polk. Warren. Madison,
Adair. Dallas, and Story.
Eighth-Adams, Union. Clark, Ere
mont, Page, Taylor. Ringgold, De
ea'ur, Mills. Montgomery and Cass.
Ninth-Harrison. Shelby, Audubon.
Po;tawattamie, Guthrie. Carroll,
Greene, Boone and Monona.
Fenth-lda. Sac, Calhoun, Crawford,
Webster, Hamilton, Pocahontas, Hum
boldt. Kossuth, Hancock, Palo Alto
and Emmett.
Eleventh-Lyon. Osceola, Dickinson,
Sioux, O'Brien. Clay, Plymouth. Cher
okee, Buena Vista and Woodbury..
Politics will certainly make some
strange bedfellows If this bin is adopt
ed into law, for it separates many
counties from districts with which
they have been associated for long
terms of years and puts them into en-
iirely new company. The fate of the
bill cannot be predicted. but II Is
hardly deemed possible that it will
go through the senate In its present
form even should il pass the house.
Under the law, however, district
ms bill of some kind must be adopted
and while the concensus OF opinion
seems to be in favor OF a readoption
OF he present districts, there may be
q few changes, but none of wide ef.
foot IN tho palifical onunlax;1..