Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-04-10
For regulation of transportation o,

For regulation of transportation OF
dead bodies.
For limiting the hours of service OF
railroad employees.
For liberal appropriations to the
state educational institutions.
On the whole it is doubtful IL any
executive in any state of the union
has ever had an opportunity to look
at his address to a legislative assem-.
bly, and then at the acts of the assem-.
bly, and find such universal approval
of his recommendation as Governor
Cummins can find this year.
"Pure Food" Newberry.
Senator Newberry, the gigantic
statesman from Clayton county, has
gained the sobriquet of Pure Food"
Newberry. And he is entitled to the
name and all the credit that will come
to him when the laws which he has
fathered are put into practice by the
people of the state. Senator New
berry began his work on this line in
the session of the Thirty-first general
assembly and has given the latter a
large amount of study and careful
thought. He has been successful this
session in securing the adoption of
every bill he has presented. The list
of new laws on this subject which
bear his name include the following:
For purity in compounds, COMPEL
ing the showing of percentages of all
compounds used in mixtures and
blends.
Pure drugs. Following the lines of
the national law on that question.
Pure stock food and pure seeds.
Pure paints and oils.
Full length and full weight in bind
ing tw:ne packages. Compelling label
ing of each package sold or kept for
sale.
Fixing a standard for vinegar and
extracts and prohibiting the coloring
of the same.
Senator Newberry feels highly graft
fed at the results of his efforts and
has been assured from all sections OF
the state OF the appreciation of the
people for his work in their behalf.
How Primary Bill Was Compromised.
Senator Gillilland, from the Mills
Montgomery district, who has always
been opposed to the passage of
statewide plurality primary election
law, is given credit for having secured
from the progressive members of the
general assembly the concession which
led them to abandon the plain plural
ity system of nomination and take up
the declaration in favor of 35 per
cent primary. This means that under
the operation of the new law no can
didate will be declared nominated out
side of convention unless he has
received at the primary election at
least 35 per cent of all the votes cast
for the Office for which he was a can
didate. Shortly told. Senator Gillil-
lands part In securing that amend
ment to the original bill is as follows:
When the bill had been brought up
and by the votes of the standpat Re-
publicans and Democrats considera-
tion had been postponed for several
| days, Senator Durham of Delaware
gave notice of an amendment to
change the basis of nomination from
plurality to majority vote. The
plan was to have Durham call up his
resolution on the following Monday,
when the bill came up for special or
der, and then to yield the floor to
Giililland. On the Sunday previous to
the date set for consideration of the
bill it became apparent that straight
majority plan could not be put through
the senate. Then Senators Durham,
Gillilland and Whipple of Benton held
an extended conference and the 35
per cent idea was suggested. 1t was
taken to Senator Smith of Mitchell,
the leader of the progressive forces
and personal representative of Gov
ernor Cummins. Senator Smith agreed
to the idea. 1t was arranged then that
| Senator Gillilland should make the
address presenting the compromise.
He spoke for nearly half an hour and
nowhere in his address did he relin-
quish his belief that the statewide
plurality primary idea was grave
mistake, but he felt impelled to say
that primary election law was sure
ly TO be enacted, and in order to re-
tain something of the old order of con-
ference of leaders, and the conven-
tions, he would favor the declaration
that no candidate would be nominated
at The primary who had not received
80 per cent or more of the total vote
cast. His amendement was adopted,
and there the fight on the bill ended,
all the Republicans working in har-
mony on the question for the first
time in the past three sessions of the
assembly during which it has been un-
der discussion.
Politics in the Assembly.
| In the house candidates for speaker
of the Thirty-third general assembly
have sprung up numerously during
the past few days. Among the names
! OF those mentioned for the honor are
Lee of Emmett, Teter of Marion, Hack
Ter of Webster, Moore of Linn and
Harding of woodbury.. The present
speaker, N. E. Kendall of Abba, it is
understood, will not again be legis-
lative candidate, but will lift his eyes
to a seat in the national congress.
He is from the Sixth district where
Major Lacey was defeated at the
election last fall nv Dan Hamilton a