The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-02-22
PROOF DEMANDED
OF UGLY CHARGES
LEGISLATURE SMARTs UNDER
GOVERNORS sLuRs.
WHERE is MONEY BEING UsRD3
Resolution Passes the Senate Calling
Upon Mr.. cummins to Point Out
More Specific Instances
Of Bribery.
scrlpps.McRae Telegram.

Des Moines, Feb. 21.--The Iowa leg.
islature is smarting under the whole
sale slur cast upon it by Gov. A. B.
Cummins, in his address to the @repub-
licans of Iowa. The charges con-
tanned in this letter, involving all the
opponents of the plurality primary
election bill in the general assembly.
are considered too serious to pass un-
noticed.
Senator Shirley Gillilland of Mills
county introduced resolution calling
on the governor to produce written
proof of his accusations which
amounted to no less than a distinct
charge OF bribery.
The reading of the resolution was
one of the most sensational occur
rences in the history of the general
assembly For the first time a COVER
nor of this state had placed the mem
bers Of the general assembly in the
light of scoundrels, for the first time
q governor had been called on to give
an account of such an act.
The resolution was given the custo-
mary first reading amid profound ST
lence and the closest attention. 1t
was then laid over under the rules to
be taken UP later.
AS soon as the senate adjourned,
Senator Gillilland's desk was surround
ed by members of the senate who COM
mended him for his act. One of the
most venerable members of that body
approached the Mills county man and
held out his hand.
IF you have ever done me an injury
at any time in the past" he said, Il
want to forgive you with interest. The
resolution must go through. The
charges made In that letter to the re-
publicans of Iowa are far too serious
| to go unnoticed We cannot sit in ST.
lence under this charge of isfamy, and
have the governor of this state place
us in class with scoundrels without
opening our mouths in protest"
The offensive charges made by the
governor are practically reiteration
of bribery accusation which appear
ed in the Register and Leader, the
Cummins mouthpiece. The following
paragraph appeared in the issue Of
January %:
Nor is the fight against tne primary
confined to pounding men who believe
in it into the ground, but is being
waged in every ingenious way that
money permits"
If the governor has not better proof
Of his bribery charge than the state
ments of this paper, he will have no
little trouble in explaining himself to
the satisfaction of the members of the
general assembly.
The paragraphs in his letter pub.
lished yesterday, which are especially
objected to by the members of lie
legislature are as follows:
"The railroads are exerting every
ounce of strength which money and
organization can create to defeat the
primary bill,
"They have an organization as per-
feet as money = can make it.
"They have innumerable avenues OF
approach to the selfshness Of man.
kind"
The primary Bill.
The primary election bill will be
introduced next Monday If the calen-
dar is followed and the outcome OF
the vote is very uncertain at present.
The democrats are splitting and it is
hard thing to tell how the vote will
go. Neither OF the republican factions
will be solid, either for or against the
measure and although constant lobby
| ing is being done, the outlook at pres
ent does not give decisive clue to
the final result.
Senator Jones of Mahaska has In
troduced two bills during the past
week, one to correct an apparent con-
fiict in the statute. In one place
the law states that the pay Of the
township clerks should be per cent
of all money taken in, and in another
place it states that payment of 2
per cent should be made. The bill OF
Senator Jones provides that per cent
be the payment made the township
clerks. His other measure was le-
galizing act, clearing up title on
some Mahaska county land.