Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-15
POLITICS WILL REMAIN.
ElectiveSystem in Iowa National
Guard Will Not Be Changed,
Because It Can Not
MEN HAVE POWER TO CHOOSE.
Constitution Gives MiIitiamen Privilege
Of Selecting Commanding Officers,
subiset TO Approval by the Governor
Promotion System GENERALLY "a.
vored but Impossible.
special to 1,imes-Republican.


Special to Times Republican.
Dss Moines, Oct. 15.--Altho it is ad-
nlitted by all that the Iowa Natlonai
Guard is full of politics because of the
system OF electing officers, yet 1t IS
said by well informed guardsmen that
there is going to be no change for the
simple reason that the constitution
prohibits it. 1t has been tried many
times to get around this provision OF
the constitution. The constitution
provides that all officers of the Nation
NJ Guard must be elected by the men
who are liable to serve under them.
The idea of having the guard elect
THE second lieutenant, which is the
lowest commissioned officer. and then
provide a system of promotions. does
not find consideration with old guard
men tho the theory is very pretty.
q The constitution of the state says in
section three, of article five: "All com
OFFICERS excepted) shall be elected by
the persons liable to perform military
duty. and shall be commissioned by
the governor" 1t is claimed that this
will not permit of a system of promo
tons above second lieutenant.
IL During the session Of the Thirty
E first general assembly this problem
was up 1t was proposed then to have
the captain and two lieutenants and
majors elected by the guard and have
these officers elect those higher. The
committee of the legislature dismissed
/ the idea In a hurry when it looked up
the constitution as being clearly I'M
constitutional.
The elective system brings politics in
!. nil right. The officer in command must
depend on his men for his election. 1t
/ is charged that this tends to destroy
3 military discipline for the reason that
It makes the officer katow to the pri-.
u vate, Furthermore 1t starts the Of
ficers wire pulling. One officer uses
his influence with his company or com
mand for the benefit of some other
I fellow who wants an office higher up.
Many guardsmen think that it would
be much better If the governor had
the appointment of all the commits
stoned officers, and then held them
j subject to a very rigid examination.
The officers now are elected by the
men and are then examined. The cleo
ton is subject to an examination but
no one ever heard of an officer failing
at an examination. The men elect for
their officers fellows who are popular
Some times they don't know anything
worth speaking of about the science Of
war fare and haven't the ability to
!, learn but they are always passed thru
the examination. They are good fell
{ lows and have influence with the boys
and the members Of the examining
B board may want to be elected to some
4 higher office some day.
About fifty delegates from over the
/ ttate will be in Des Moines today to
attend the suffragists convention to be
held today, Wednesday and Thursday;
An interesting program has been ar
ranged and a number of prominent
men and women, including Louis +.
Post and Margaret E. Haley are cons
. ing to Des Moines to speak.
The convention promises to be one
: LII
will be held in the Unitarian church.
y The principal feature of today's meet
I ing was the address of Mr.. Louis r.
Post of Chicago, editor of the Public
and noted lecturer, on Single Tax and
Political Economy" On Wednesday
evening Miss Margaret Haley Of Chi
cago will give the principal address It
the day. Miss Haley is editor of the
Teachers Bulletin and makes a bold
and courageous stand for measures she
knows are right regardless Of hostile
criticism. Among the other speakers
are Mr.. George Rinehart, Mrs. Row.
ena Stevens of Boone, State Regent.
D. A. r., Rev. Eleanor. Gordon, Mrs.
Julia NJ. Dakin of Mason City, DR..
Pauline Townsend of Marshalltown,
Mr.. johnson Brigham. Rev. j. G. Ste
venson of Waterloo and several others.
Music will be furnished by Mrs. Grace
Clark-De Graft, Max Schellner, Miss
fla Mount.
To sseure money. for q worldwide
search for a mysterious scientis- sup
posed to be Charles T. Tripler, inven
tor of liquid air, disguised and wan
dering thru Iowa in demenMl con-
dft!on. a stock company will be or
ganized by prominent Des Moines and
Manila, Iowa, business men.
A similar stock company capitalized
at $1,000 is already organized at Man
fila by M, C. Sutton, a druggist; F. A.
Jackson, agent for the Milwaukee rail-
/, road, and c. A. Sykes, proprietor of
furnishing house. An office has been
opened and a stenographer engaged
who is kept busy circulating letters to
ell the scientific colleges and institu-
lions of the United States to secure
his identity. If the mysterious man is
the noted inventor he is to be restored
to his family and If not, it is proposed
by the company to secure the formula
and start manufacturing company.
The man appeared in Manila with
his preparation last May and took
contract from the school board to burn
all rubbish and debris from the schools
with his liquid preparation. G. A.
Sykes, president of the school board,
let the contract. One bottle of the
liquid burned the piles OF accumulation
to nothing. leaving not pestige of an
ash. Then the people wondered and so
startled were they that his preparation
became In great demand. In every
sense of the word it did the work. His