Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-10
Iowa Friends Informed That
Venerable Secretary of Agri-
culture Will Remain.
oT READY TO RETIRE
Wilson Desires to Continue the Work
During Active Period of Life-Lee, Of
Emmet County, Growing in Favor for
peakership-Attitude Of House To-
ward Boettser.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
| Des Moines. Nov. 10.--From close
| personal friends of Secretary James
| Wilson it is learned here that there
| is no doubt whatever that Wilson will
continue to be the IOWA member of the
cabinet at Washington under the Taft
administration. Wilson let it be known
while here that he had been given
assurance to that effect. He is, in fact,
desirous of continuing in the position
so long as he feels that he can be use
well in years he is vigorous and ac-
tive and his whole life is now bound
up in that work. For him to quit now
would mean retirement from all ac-
tivity and to settle down on his big
| farm. 1t will be recalled that very
strong pressure was brought to bear
upon Wilson last winter to become a
candidate for governor and for time
so. He became convinced, however,
that those who urged it were seeking
him for Interior purposes. Later he
was urged to become a candidate for
senator by the same influences and he
went so far as to counsel with some
of his friends in Iowa who are fairly
familiar with the situation and he de-
cided he would keep out. Now there
has been much talk of his retirement
from the cabinet to make way for 9th
ers to whom the president is under
obligations. But it seems that this is
not to be, and that Wilson will con-
tinue for some years in his present
place.
Lee, Of Emmet, is looming up large
as a candidate for speaker of the next
house. Frank p, Woods, the new con-
gresham from the Tenth, said yester-
day of him:
Il notice that the newspapers are
mentioning various names of candi-
dates for speaker of the house of the
Thirty-third general assembly. I was
pleased to see the name of Hon. Nels
j. Lee, Of Emmett, placed in the lists.
Mr.. Lee is. in my judgment, espec-
tally well fitted by experience for rhe
position of speaker. The tendency has
been in the past to select for presiding
officers of our deliberative bodies men
who will rush matters thru, sacrificing
everything else to haste and the mania
for doing things quickly. In my view
there is something else more important
and that is accuracy and good judg-
a;n OF e,1o M
Lee possesses the qualities of firmness,
fairness and deliberation which will
make him most excellent chairman
for the house. He has been an ardent
and effective advocate of those meas
ures which have met with the approval
Of the people of Iowa generally in re-
cent years, and can be depended upon
to treat every member of the house
with absolute fairness and equality"
Aside from two or three contests
in the house due to the closeness of the
vote at the recent election in some
legislative districts, there is likely to
be at least one controversy which will
be altogether unique in the history of
the state. There has been some very
serious and earnest talk among men,
bers of having the house consider
whether or not it will permit H. H.
Boettger, Of Davenport, to sit in the,
house. The objection to him is that he
is disloyal. 1t is recalled that after his
nomination an effort was made by his
friends to- withdraw his name so that
another could be substituted, because
Of the. discovery that he had been dis
missed from the militia for having
used language disrespectful of the
commander-in- chief of the army, the
president. 1t was explained that he
was young and perhaps did not mean
it in any serious way, but he was let
out of the guard and so far as known
the delinquency has never been made
right The house is the sole judge of
the qualifications of it's members and
if so inclined could prevent his sitting
in the body because of the alleged Ian
guage which would not be becoming to
a legislator. However, in some quar-
tiers that would be taken as indicating
a spirit of revenge or persecution and
members will be slow to act. Boettger
only had very narrow margin.
The governor intends to try to dis
pose of the Weems pardon case before
he leaves his office. The pardon board
has had the case twice and has acted
upon it, The governor at one time was
disposed to give pardon to the man.
The ease has been probed deeply and
there is q great deal of mystery about
it, In the minds of the public i'll Des
Moines where the murder was com
lnitted there is very little doubt that
Weems was guilty of terrible crime.
The detectives who made it their bus
mess to get evidence on which to con-
vict have been very active in keeping
up this impression Weems was con-
victed on the evidence of a man Who
turned states evidence and told nice
story as TO how Weems was really the
culprit Now the pardon board finds
that. the man who turned states evil
denee was the man who actually killed