Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-12
Democratic Chairman Miller and
Judge Mcpherson Form ALI
ance to Push Scheme
ABOUT AGRICULTURAL BOARD
Some Argument in Favor Of tho Plan
to Give Districts Privilege of Elect
ing Members-Pat Grove Appears
Before Governor to lnterceds for
Rogers, Life Prisoner.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, March 12.--Judge Smith
Mcpherson. United States district
Judge OF the southern district Of Iowa.
has combined forces with G. w. Miller
member OF the legislature from Brem-
err county and chairman of the demo-
cratic state central committee. to get
the. enactment OF q law that will give
Judge Mcpherson chance to work
politics into the election OF directors OF
the state department of agriculture
and thus secure the defeat of Hon.
Mike Mcdonald, OF Bayard. Iowa.
Judge Mcpherson would like to secure
the election of G. M. Hull of Red Oak.
to membership on the board OF direct
ors. Hull, tho he has been q candidate
several times. has always failed OF
election.
The bill that is to accomplish the de-
feat OF Mike Mcdonald OF Bayard, and
secure the election of Hull, was, 1t is
said, drafted by Judge Mcpherson. 1t
was introduced by Miller OF Bremen In
the house. The same proposition was
introduced in the senate last session
and was fathered by Senator Giflilland.
The Mcpherson Miller bill merely
amends the code SO that a director in
stead Of being elected by the entire
number of delegates from the state
would be elected by the delegates only
from the congressional district in
which the director resides.
There Is an excellent chance for q
play to the American spirit OF repre-
sentation OF the people In the bill. The
cPherson Gillilland- Miller people de-
clare to the legislature that 1t is I'M
American to do as the law now pro-
vides. They argue that when q man
is elected to the state department OF
agriculture as q director from q con-
gressional district, he should be elected
by the people he is elected to repre-
sent.
is excellent for oratory but they see a
huSC SOlOISQ SVIlllSIIlui III lIlC WOOuS
pile. The state department of agricul-
ture has never been troubled by poli-
tics under the present arrangement.
When a man has to work the entire
state to get elected as q. director to the
state department of agriculture, he is
UP against hard task. To round
up Of all the delegates from the entire
state on political basis is difficult for
the reason that delegates from remote
sections are liable to look at ones
qualifications irrespective of his po-
litical pulls. To line up the delegates
from one congressional district would
not be so difficult. the task standing
in the same proportion as the size Of
the congressional district to the entire
state. 1t is not believed the bill will
ever pass the committee.
Pat Grove, the Omaha kidnaper and
all round tough, undertook to play the
role Of defender Of the innocent by GO
ing before Governor Cummins to ask
parole for w. G. Rogers. He claims
Rogers is not guilty. Rogers was one
Of a bad gang operating from Omaha
in Iowa and elsewhere. He was con-
victed Of killing man in a saloon one
night in Council Bluffs He was iden-
titled and convicted despite his plea
of not being present While Grove
really added nothing to the knowledge
Of the case which has been presented
to the governor, the fact is that Rog-
ers has an alibi which is a good deal
better than most of those used by men
of his class. In fact, there has long
been among the papers in the case, a
hotel register in an Ohio hotel where
Rogers stopped just before the murder
in Council Bluffs, and it would have
been impossible for him to have trav-
eled from Ohio to Council Bluffs in
time to be in the saloon at the time OF
the crime. Theme there is the positive
testimony of the conductor on the
Northwestern with whom Rogers rode
to Council Bluffs at date just fol-
lowing the murder, and he is sure that
Rogers was on his train at the time.
But for the fact that Rogers was one
of very hard gang and probably
guilty of a good many things, he prob
ably would have been released ere
this.
Judge Wade came from Iowa City
to argue before the supreme court
case of great Importance to every city
of the state. 1t was a case involving
the right of the city to have laid on its
streets the so-called bitulithic pave
ment. A contract was made and then
citizen enjoined the council on the
ground that the article is patented,
hence there can be no real competition
among bidders. 1t turns out that
while the asphalt trust was nominal
ly defendant in.sthe case it backed the
suit on the other side and the whole
proceeding, is in fact one to crush out
d rival to the asphalt people. The
paving in question is a patented prep
aration with coal tar as a basis and is
said to he. giving satisfaction. At any
rate the asphalt trust is very much in
fear of it. and seeks to have established
the rule in Iowa that since it is pat
ented it cannot be used on the streets
of any city in the state. Similar cases
have come up in other states.