Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-02
EXPLANATIONS
ARE BEING ASKED
Why the Standpatters are Anx-
ious to Return Home From
the Legislature
VOTERS MAKING INQUIRIES
They Are Beginning to Ask Why All
the Important Measures Favored by
the People and Opposed by the Rail-
roads and Corporations Were Ruth.
essIy Slaughtered.
.[By Ora Williams.l

BY Ora Williams.1
Special to mes-Republican.
Des Moines, April 2.-There can be
little doubt as to the real significance
of the sudden determination of the
legislative leaders to make haste and
to close the session of the general as
sembly as quickly as possible. Ten
days ago it was generally agreed that
the wise thing was for the legislature
to continue in session until early next
week. Suddenly the standpat leaders
made change and fixed the date for
Friday, and even now they are figur-
ing on getting away sooner.
The truth Is that there is call for
them TO get back to their homes and
to look after their political fences, and
1t is also true that some of the wise
politicians of the state recognize the
fact that the political work of these
standpat legislators has done them and
their cause no good. They have made
consistent record of opposing every
thing good. They fought the primary
election proposals to death. Full re-
sponsibility for this cannot be evaded.
They sought to give support to certain
bills SO as to claim they were really
for primaries-but the bills they sup
ported were confessedly and fagrantly
bad ones. The latest bill for which they
made stand was one which would not
have gone into effect for four years
and which would have outlawed every
volunteer primary system in the state
and substituted legalized conventions in
nearly every case.
Then in starting out to attack the
republican state administration and to
bring discredit on the whole state mere
Ely for factional advantage these
standpatters erred seriously. The Gill;
liland resolution proved boomerang.
and the fight against the proposed ma
tional convention to revise the United
State constitution was not approved
by the people. The defeat of the board
of regents bill because of hatred of the
governor was not a good move.
And so these standpatters have de-
creed that the best thing for them is
to get the legislature adjourned SO
there will be no more bad blunders
made. If 1t should remain In session
much longer they would only put an
end to all hopes Of fight In Iowa
politics this year.
The Anti-Pass Bill.
What will be done finally with the
anti.nass bill? Its fate will be watched
with great interest. The house tackled
On some amendments and passed the
hill. Chief among these amendments,
and one which was placed there strlcl-
ly for delay, was the puohcat atlon
clause. The representative OF tne
Burlington railroad on the floor OF the
house insisted upon this He wanted
it to go into effect at once. SO ne sald'
aid suggested that it could become a
law in time to prevent legislators from
riding home on passes He became ia
cetious about the matter, and said he
could walk to his home in three days.
Later he boasted of having pocket
full of passes and of his employment
by the Burlington railroad. But In the
senate the other representative OF
Blythe interests from the same town
insisted that the publication clause was
all unnecessary 1t should be stricken
out, and the senate became suddenly
stiff necked on the proposition. How
easy it was to fix up this program Tor
delay! With delay the bill can be
killed. Senator Hughes has always
said that he will believe there is to be
an anti-pass statute in Iowa only
when he sees the governors signature
to bill. He knows the W1les OF the
railroad attorneys and how they can
defeat legislation while seeming to be
for it. If the house should refuse TO
concur in the senate amendment.
conference would be necessity. Then
perhaps there is the sitting committee
to pass on the bill. What can be ex-
pected from committee controlled by
Jamison. Gale, Whipple and Molsberry?
But if it is shown that the pressure for
the bill from the people Of the state is
sufficiently strong to force it's passage
it will finally get thru-otherwise 1t
will be left at some side station. The
house will probably cut the matter
short by accepting the striking out OF
the publication clause.
The defeat of the reciprocal demur-
rage bill was expected. In fact the bill
in the form in which it came up for
passage was far from satisfactory to
many who favor the principle. But 1t
now goes back to the people for their
consideration and the representatives
who are elected this year will prob
ably have a better idea of what is real
ly needed than did their predecessors.
Temples Tactics.
The house under the insistence of
Colonel Temple on Saturday, made a
record that will hardly bear Investigate
ing. 1t undertook to and did amend a
bill at the time of concurrence in an
amendment by the senate, Which neces-
STATED a third roll call on one BILL III
was an effort to amend a bill alread!
passed and to rectify blunder made
some days ago. The special committee
on readjustment to the biennial period
had inserted in bill a clause requiring