Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-26
Senate Committee Turns Down
application of Hardin County
Men Serving Life Sentences
WEEMs, sMITH-MAsoN LUCKY
Wiil be ,Psroled if Legislature Follows
Reconnnendations of Committee -
Legislators Who Want to Make
Economy Record Get Jolt-Explan-
alton Of Some of the Primary Votes.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Molnes, March 26.-Betsy Smith
| will not lie moved to self-destruction
in prison. George Weems will be able
10 reach the bedside of his dying moth
! Ter, Jasper Mason will soon be free to
perfectrhi;s inventions in electrical ma
chinery- provided the senate pardons
lcommitte.: report is adopted. These
three have been recommended for pa
role. The cases of Otto Often and Or
man Mcpherson have not been passed
on. All others have received new meal
tickets and will continue to feed at
state expense The list of those re-
jected includes Burns, Williams Glyn-
don. Storms, Warren, Haley. Foster.
Robbard. Taylor. Watson, Stegall and
1.-The two Rainsbargers. A good show
ling was made in behalf of Betsy Smith
Ito Indicate she did not poison her hus-
band am: that this crime should have
been laid at the door of her daughter.
And it is, known that she has said she
would not again submit her case to
Iany legislative body, but would carry
lit up higher for vindication. In the
case OF iNeems. senators have become
firmly convinced that he did not do
the shooting of Conductor Redpath.
and peru APPS he was not present at all,
land the touching plea of his aged sol
der father will be needed. Mason has
served ling enough, anyway. He al
ways claimed defense, but he was
among strangers, and his own story
Of what transpired when murder was,
committed was never heard at the
time of his trial. 1t is possible that
Mcpherson and Often will also be pa
rolled, as both cases have made a deep
impression on members The senate
will act first on all these cases and the
house will follow as soon as 1t can DIP
house will follow as soon as 1t can be
done.
The legislators who want to make a
record for economy got Jolt on Mon
day when they inadvertently voted for
an Increase in the pay of the adjutant
general from. $1,000 to $4,000 Some
of these same senators have been try
ing to make record for them selves
by refusing to raise the spay.of really
hard working officials $20A and $500
each from small sums. To'@make the
record look better, they sought re-
consideration of the vote on the ground
that they had been mfsled, but it was
shown that the matter was in fact fully
explained before the senate. The bill
also includes an. increase OF the allow
ance for the national guard from $S2,-
600 to 100000.
Some little interest may attach to the
explanations, offered by those who
failed TO vote on the primary election
bills and those who voted against 1t.
Over ii the house there were six MEM
bers who failed to vote on the primary
electors bill. Three of them, Anderson
Of Hamilton, Harding Of Woodbury.,
both republicans, and Geneva of Keo-
kuk, a democrat, were absent for one
reason or another. Mr.. Anderson was
called away to attend the funeral of
an old soldier constituent of promin-
ence. Mr. Harding was called to Sioux
City ON L usiness, and Mr.. Geneva, who
was sick with the grippe, dragged
sIlIlIlS6la, tOut I'LL SS3 SSSpdldlC odyS AOuIy
to lave the consideration of the bill
postponed and when a vrte was final
" reached was. too sick to attend.
Their explanations of their votes a-e
as fonaws:,
w. IT,. Harding-"I was absent when
the roll was taken on the senate file ESQ
and would have voted yea had been
present."
William Anderson-'I was absent
when the roll was called on the primary
on account of the funeral of an old sol
der friend and neighbor, Alfred Greer,
and would have voted aye had been
present"
Thomas Geneva was under the
doctors care with the grippe when the
primary bill came up. There were
some points in the bill that did not
suit me but am in favor of pri
mary law; therefore would have voted
aye had been able to be present"
S. A. Feay OF Lyons,-"I voted aye
on this bill only because my constitu-
ents have demanded primary election
bill and this is the only one before the
house."
Clyde G. Sparks OF Wapello-'I vote
aye on this bill because I am en-
phatically for a primary law and find
this is the best law this legislature
will allow to pass"
F. F. Offill of Jasper-'T vote aye
and explain my vote thus: The party
is pledged to primary law. be-
lieve. this primary law will prove the
most expensive the most unsatisfac-
tory, the most unpopular measure ever
passed by any general assembly in this
state, and my Judgment is that there
will be q demand for its repeal"
Gt.orge w. Swan, Of Appanoose-stM My
reason for voting for this bill is that
my party is pledged to primary law."I