Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-03-06
GRIND rs AGAIN ON
LEGISLATIVE WORK WILL NOW
GO FORWARD WITH A RUSH.
Debate on Primary Election Bill Elk
pected to Be Most Interesting Feat
ure of Session--Measure Will Be Re
ported for Passage This Week.

ure OF SeSSion-MeaSure VIII BE ne
ported for Passage This Week.
Des Moines, March 5.-Practically
every member of the general assembly
was in his seat this afternoon, wher
the legislature reconvened after va
cation of five days, during which time
most of the members visited theiI
homes on matters of business or fol
social reasons.
The members returned imbued with
new energy and from this time forth
it is expected the work will go for
ward with a rush that will bring adj
journment at the farthest during the
first week in April.
The primary election bill prepared
by the subcommittee on elections
which has been completed for several
days, will go to the joint committee
of both houses either this evening OF
tomorrow, and it is expected will be
reported out for passage by Thursday
or Friday. 1t will be given a special
place on the calendar and its discus
sion will be the most interesting feat.
ure of the whole session, though 1t is
stated the efforts of the subcommittee
have gone a long way toward harmon.
izing the differences that have existed
in the majority party on the propo
sition.
No Corporation Help.
In the house on Wednesday the Pc
terson bill, forbidding corporations OF
their agents to contribute in any way
to the nomination or election of can.
didates for office, will come up for
passage. The bill passed the senate
several days ago without opposition
and it is thought will go through the
house in the same manner.
The bill makes il crime for any
corporation in the state, or any Off
Ger. agent or representative thereof,
TO give or contribute any money, prop
erty, labor or thing of value, either
directly or indirectly, to any political
committee, political party, or repre-
sentative thereof, or TO any candidate
for any Office or to the representative
of such candidate for campaign eX.
penses, or for any political purpose
whatever. 1t is also made unlawful
for any party committee or candidate
to solicit. request or knowingly re-
ceive any such contributions. In or
der that convictions may be found
under the act it is provided that mo
person, and no agent or officer of any
corporation within the purview of this
act shall be privileged from testify.
ing in relation to anything herein pro
hibited; and no person having thus
testified shall be liable to punishment
or prosecution for any offense concern
ing which he is required TO give his
testimony, provided that he shall not
be exempt from prosecution on the
charge of perjury"
Two-Cent Fare in July.
Governor Cummins has signed the
2-cent fare bill, but the law will not
go into effect until July 4. The record
of the Iowa legislature on this propo-
sition is bound to stand out as unique
in the records of the states which this
year have enacted or will enact 2.
cent bill for railway passenger rates.
This is so, because in neither house
of the general assembly was there a
vote cast against the proposition.
And there was no lodging. Out OF the
15S members of the two houses. 154
are on record as having voted for the
bill and the four whose names are
missing on the roll call were absent
from the capitol on excuse. They
would have favored the bill had they
been in their seats. The bill Classics
the Iowa lines as A, b and G roads
and the maximum fare which can be
charged is cents for the first class.
2h cents for the second and 3 cents
for the third class roads. In effect.
however, the bill means fiat 2-cent
rate on all roads in the state, for COM
petition will bring all the lines into
one class. Before the passage OF the
measure the senate tackled onto the
bill an amendment which provides
that a fare not exceeding 10 cents
may be charged by the roads for any
distance under five miles. Children
under twelve years of age will ride at
half fare rates, the same as under the
present law. After the passage OF the
bill there was some discussion over
the half-fare provision and it was stat
ed the railroads might take advantage
of the wording and charge half-fare
for children of any age, even infants
in arms. The scare is apparently UNI
founded though, for look over the
statutes governing passenger hares
today show that they make no pro-
visions for passengers under twelve
years of age and the roads have not
collected fares for any child under six.
For Constitutional Convention.
Governor Cummins has also signed
the resolution asking congress to call
a convention of the states of the
union for the purpose of revising the
United States constitution. The prin-
cipal object of the convention, accord
ing to its sponsors, is for the purpose
OF amending the constitution so that
United States senators may be elected
by the people by direct vote. instead Of
by the legislatures, as now. II is adj
mitted, however, that there can be no
limit Oh the work OF the convention,
should il be called, and there are
many other sections of the national
document at the foundation of our