Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-13
Local Comment

|S Local comment g
Observation-Disclosures:
Local newspapers, the school board
and the superintendent have all re-
ceiyed notice from Dan Cupid that
school teachers will be scarcer next
term than this. 1t is to be regretted
that only few of them will continue
to reside In Marshalltown. When
young woman has qualified for a po-
sition in the schools Of this city, she
not only has certified to her member
ship in a superior class, but she has
convinced the community that it has a
great desire to see her promoted to
permanent position at home building,
next door neighbor to the rest OF us.
Il
The local enterprise In the vaude-
vile business feels that 1t Is about 10
engage in mortal combat with the oc-
topus. For some time the threats OF
the trust to annihilate presumptuous
upstarts have been heard. but disre-
garded The coming stranger may or
may not be the octopus in disguise
The Presbyterian society Is ready to
begin the erection Of new church
building. Standing as it will on SO
prominent corner, with the court
house and federal building for its set
ting. the whole community has an In
terest in its architectural effect. Let 1t
be a nice one. at once a credit to the
town. as we'll as to the church organ
ization that builds it,
y
Another ugly fire has been caught
and smothered before it gained de-
structive start. The difference Of ten
minutes between the promptness OF an
ever-ready paid department and the
necessarily unprepared volunteer force
determined just exactly the difference
between slight smoke damage and the
destruction of an entire block, with
costly stocks of goods, and, perhaps,
confiagration, for there was a gale
blowing at the time.
-
Since Marshall county's jury fiasco,
cape of forty indicted saloonkeepers in
Fayette county because of an illegal
grand jury, and the defense of Syr-
ian peddlef charged with murder has
thrown out an illegal grand jury for
the second time in Crawford county.
In Marshall county there should be no
confusion as to this mixup at the ex-
pense of the county attorney. Until
some defendant should challenge the
legality of the grand jury it was not
his place to do so, and incur unneces-
sary expense to the county. Two cases
did actually slip thru with the ques-
tionable grand jury, defendants when
bound over from a justice court failing
to object before the grand jury was
sworn. The certificate which should
guarantee that the list contained no
name of a person who had requested
to be put on, tho established by law
in 1896, had never been used in this
county until the poll books of 1906,
however. it was successfully estab-
lished that no election official had re-
quested to be put on and had not there
been actual failure in several precincts
of officials to sign the poll book lists
as filled out, the jury would have stood
| under the opinion of the district court.
The county attorney had no other al
| tentative than to go ahead until some
| defendant should prove the jury IL
| legal.
Now that there is a new state law
permitting cities to regulate dance
halls, the way is paved for the city
council to adopt an ordinance in con-
! formity with the new statute. which
is effective July 4. Under the law
city may specify the age limit Of at
| tendance upon public dances, and other
cities are already taking steps to draft
such ordinances. Des Moines' proposed
ordinance debars from attending dances
at night all girls under II years OF
ognized everywhere as being places OF
temptation, regulation is in line with
good sense, and the local council will
qualify if it will prepared, and have
ready for adoption when the new law
takes effect, an ordinance that will
make it a misdemeanor, on the part of
a dance hall promoter, to allow young
girls to attend.
The decision of the supreme court
this week on case from Clay county,
is a blow to dealers in liquors, drug
gist as we'll as saloonists. The supreme
court insists that both druggists and
saloonists who sell liquor to habitual
drunkards may be mulcted for dam
ages by injured relatives, and that the
statute requiring the seller of intoxi-
cants must personally know" the buy
err is not addicted to the liquor habit,
be strictly enforced. eff the seller does
not know he can refuse to SELL" says
the opinion, "and if he sells without
such knowledge 1t is an election on his
part to take the chances" The opinion
is in plain words regarding damages
sustained. and in the case in question
reversed the ruling of the lower court,
which was to the effect that a young
farmer who committed suicide after
having become intoxicated did not
commit the act as a result of the in
toxication. The supreme court holds
that the burden of such proof rests
with the liquor dealer, claiming that
an act not ordinarily to be expected
from a sane and sober person is the re-
suit of intoxication.
TWO TO MiTcHELLVILLE.
MurieI and Blanche Younges Taken to
Reform School for Girls.
,J,r;a, Nov, apd RJancha Beatrice