Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-12
MESSAGE Will
MARX LEGISLATION
Governor Will Outline Probable
Legislative Program In
State Document
WILL DEAL WITH CORPORATIONS
Great Interest Attaches to What Cum
Minis Will Say on Railroad Control
and Other Timely ouestions-WilI
Favor Two. Cent Fare Bill and
Freieht Reductions-other Features.

\ Freight Reductions-other Features
i Special to Times-R Republican
Des Moines, Jan 12.-The message
4 of Governor Cummins has been COM
pleted, and it will be in the hands OF
i the newspapers, at the time 1t is de-
4 livered, which will probably be on
4 Tuesday.
\ The legislative program for the SEES
sion will be largely marked out by the
message of the governor. J. 1t will be a
document helpful in every way to the
Legislators seeking help and desiring to
do something Of real benefit to the
state.
| The feature of the message that will
be of greatest interest not only to the
public but to the lobby will be the
governors treatment of the questions
arising from the growth in power and
| Importance of great corporations and
especially the railroads. In this the
| governor will follow closely the lines
of his inaugural message of five years
ago and his various and frequent ex-
pressions since that time. He has not
deviated in the least from the. general
principles that have been his guide at
all times in public service, but he has
worked out some details by reason of
his greater familiarity with the practi-
cal problems. 1t will be recalled that
Governor Cummins in his inaugural
address five years ago declared his
firm belief that corporations as such
should be vigorously excluded In every
form from participation in political at
fairs, and he denounced the hired lob
byist, who haunts the chambers of leg
islation and taints its atmosphere with
his corrupt designs. as "a criminal
whose approach Is an insult and to
whom the doors Of the capitol should
never swing inward" That he will add
a few more to the choice phrases in the
literature of exposure of political cor
poration influence is asserted by those
VINO ought to Know.
The railroad lobby, 1t is evident, has
already become appraised of what is
likely to take place next week when
the message is delivered, for the lobby
lis beginning to show signs of activity.
Someone started the story that the
railroads were going to lie down and
permit all the measures for the peo-
pie to be passed without opposition.
This is Indignantly denied by the rail-
road men here. The 2-cent fare bill
| will be especially opposed by them,
and demurrage will be fought to a
| finish.
The 2-cent fare proposition will be a
conspicuous feature of the message.
Governor Cummins will present the
| matter in a way that will unhorse his
| opponents. The political parties are
/ pledged to this reform and the people
are demanding it. With free transpor-
| tation eliminated entirely and all who
ride paying just the same, there is no
reason why the 2-cent fare should not
prevail for Iowa people as for those in
other states not more favored.
Second only in Importance to the
reduction Of passenger fares for Iowa
people is the proposal for some rem
| edy for the alleged excessive charges
for freight handling in the state. The
| fact is that there is great discrimin-
\ alton on freight rates and that freight
rates, at least upon many commodi-
| ties in Iowa, are too high; and the
Legislative program will be to find some
| way of effecting a remedy. The de-
mand for reciprocal demurrage in the
interest of the dealers in grain and
live stock is so strong that it cannot
longer be resisted and bill to pro-
assembly. The whole problem of the
proper regulation of rates on the rail-
roads in the interest of the public
will be called to the attention of the
Legislature by the governor.
Everyone knows that the governor
in his message will speak plainly as
to necessary reforms in the methods OF
choosing officials, in high and low
II places. The primary bill which has
4 been Endorsed by the people at the polls
4 will receive first consideration. There
is reason to believe that this time the
railroad lobby will mot in fact oppose
this measure, save as they may at.
tempt to so confuse and befuddle the
members that no effective measure car
be passed.
Reform in the matter of laws for in
surance business will receive some at
tention also. The program will not be
| for do-nothing policy, but to accom-
plish something substantial in the way
of restoring life insurance, especially
to it's rightful place as an indemnity
The insurance lobby makes pretense OF
being entirely satisfied with the situa-
ton and the belief that nothing at all
will be done during the. session. But
this is by no means certain.
The proposal to restore the circle
| to the ballot and to thus return to the
old system of voting where confusion
reigned SO long. will come up early.
But there does not appear to be any
great demand for this change.
A good deal of the time of the leg
| islature will be taken up with mat
tiers in which the city of Des Moines
| or at least few persons in the city
/ of Des Moines, are alone interested
4 One of these is the proposal to au.
| thorize abolition of the city govern.
ment and placing the city in the hand.
! of a board Of receivers or a commits
sion to be administered in an arbi-
4 trary way. Another question will be
that OF some reform in the manner O.
i drawing juries so that an honest jur,