Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-20
Suggestion Made That Arabian
Nights Principles ofGovern-
ment Be Adopted
HANcINes WOULD BE NUMEROUS
Not a Few Editor Critics Would 30
Elevated to Office and Lose Their
Jobs and Their Heads Governor
Criticized for Enforcing One Law
and for Failure to Enforce Others.
to T,mes-Republ,can.

Special to Times-Republican
| Des Moines, Nov. 20--Adopt the prin.
| ciples of government as laid down ir
some Of the tales Of the Arabian
Nights. When a man complains OF
the way the state Is run make him
governor for three months and IL he
does not himself do what he says ir
his criticism should be done, take him
out and hang him.
This is the latest idea for securing
harmony in state affairs in Iowa A
perusal Of the files of the newspapers
however, discloses the fact that Iowa
would soon be without any great edi-
| tors. 1t is more than likely that the
idea will not be adopted and SO it Is
thought safe to refer to some Of the
instances when the. principle might
IIhave been applied.
Early In July John CoWnie, Jr., pro-
prietor Of the Cownie glove works. and
II. 4. Blackburn, cashier Of the Iowa
Nationl bank, We're arrested for vio-
lating the child labor law. Governor
Cummins appointed the state labor
commissioner and the state labor COM
missioner in enforcing the law caused
the arrest OF the two men. 1t would
have been possible for the governor to
have prevented the enforcement of the
law in this instance by SO instructing
the labor commissioner, who could have
been removed by him IL he disregarded
the governors instructions. The gov
ernor refused to allow friendship to in
terfere with the enforcement Of the
law.
A few days after the two men had
pleaded guilty and paid their fines. the
Register and Leader said: Arrests
for alleged violation of the child la
Dor law when the offense consists
merely in giving bright boys something
to do during vacation time, do not APP
parently commend themselves to the
good judgment Of the state. There are
two ways to kill good laws. One Is by
taking advantage of technicalities to
evade them. The other is to enforce
them in narrow and technical way.
The editorial continued at some length
to indicate that the law should not be
enforced in this instance.
On the enforcement Of the liquor
laws where the saloon keepers merely
wish to keep open one hour longer than
the law allows and where the governor.
according to all competent lawyers of
the state without exception, has no au-
sth0rity to- enforce. the law except to
call out the militia to protect citizens,
the, Register and Leader has insisted
that the governor. had abundant au-
thority and has indicated plainly that
the governor should act in the case Of
the, Davenport trouble and had plenty
of authority on which to do. so.
Recently the Des Moines Capital,
speaking Of the Davenport situation,
advocated that the governor should use
the weight and influence of his office
and go down to Davenport and speak
to the people. The editorial seemed to
be written in all seriousness. 1t at
tempted to criticize the governor for
negligence Of duty and failure to at
tend to his duties
Not many days before this. and not
many days after there have been many
editorial utterances in the Des Moines
Capital ridiculing the governor for APP
pearing on the public platform so
much. Records Of the governors adj
dresses in Iowa disclose that in almost
every instance that he has appeared on
the platform he has spoken for a prop
er observance of the law and for law
enforcement He has advocated that
o10 nj
in Iowa than in most other states but
that there was vast room for improve
ment and that there should be cult
waited a respect for the law because
it is the law.
Files Of the newspapers disclose
many other similar instances which
space does not permit publishing 1t
is probable therefore that the adoption
and application Of the principles of
government set forth in the tales of the
Arabian Nights will never be adopted
in Iowa.
: B. e. Jones, of Burlington, and his
attorney, ]. c. McCoid, Of Mt Pleas
ant, were at the state house yester-
day in conference with Governor Cum
minis and Attorney General Byers with
respect to complaint which Mr.. Jones
has been working for a year or more
against the Burlington and Des Moines
county officials.
He was the victim Of an assault in
Burlington a year ago, following his
appearance as plaintiff in about one
hundred injunction cases against sa-
looms. He claims to know who as
saulted him, and he has presented the
matter to five grand juries, without
result.
About month ago he was here to
ask Governor Cummins to get into the
case in his behalf, and the governor
told him that If he was satisfied the
grand jury would not act to file an
Information, and If 1t were necessary
the executive office would furnish an
attorney to represent the state in the
preliminary hearing.
The conference yesterday was the
outcome Of that consultation. Mr.
Jones suggested that Mr.. McCoid be
deputized to represent the state, and
the matter was taken up with the at
torney general
It is probable that the attorney gen.
eral will select one Of his own force
se n -