Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-29

The senate Judiciary committee to-
dav reported back favorably the bill to
completely remodel the law as to the
duties OF a county attorney. A COM
plete substitute was adopted which re-
tains most OF the features of the orig
inal bill. It defines the duties of q
county attorney and provides he must
prosecute all cases. II greatly enlargss
his duties and powers and responsible
tiles.
Senator Peterson has practically
completed preparation OF q bill to
eliminate without putting the circle
back on the official ballot the trouble
which has arisen from the marking of
votes for president and vice president.
He Is also at work on bill to per-
feet the primary law as to many OF
the details and especially to get rid of
the alphabetical advantage Of the pres
ent arrangement Of names thereon.
The house judiciary committee killed
off the bill by Ffnlayson to punish
persons for remarrying within year In
violation Of the Iowa law. It is ex-
planned, however, that a new bill will
be prepared which win get at the mat
ter in a different way. The trouble
now is that persons go outside the
state and remarry, but when they re-
turn to Iowa no court has Jurisdiction.
Now it is the plan to provide for pun
ishment of persons living together as
husband and wife within the state
within one year after divorce. so that
Will hn ~ a ma orrio on h,if ha
living together that Is a crime. and this
will give the courts jurisdiction.
sass
The first OF the contest committees
to report was that in the contest from
Clinton county. The committee re-
ported this morning in favor Of leaving
the incumbent In his seat. The incum-
bent is Kendall. democrat. while the
contestant was Robb. republican The
vote Of the committee was three to two
in favor Of permitting the democrat to
retain his seat, Ward Wilson voting
with the democrats for the report. The
question at issue was the condition Of
the ballots with regard to a recount.
The majority report holds that the bal
lots having been exposed to the public
III {t lOCdl COIllcSl CoOlu tiON NC ASN
garded as having been so kept as to
insure their being just as voted. There
fore there will be no recount II the
house sustains this view of the mat
ter 1t may have material effect on the
three other contests where similar
questions have been raised.
sss
The senate discussion over the bill
to give the sherffs specific duties as
to enforcement Of law and especially
to obligate them to engage in detective
work and to ferret out crime and to
file informations where crime has
been committed or where the sheriff
has reason to believe a crime has been
committed. showed surprising ten
dency to acquiesce In the reform meas
ures which have been set down in the
official program for this general as
sembly. "A cornrA.teee anendss,ent
tackled to the bin provides that the
county attorney may direct sheriff
to make a special investigation and
report thereon and that under such
circumstances the county. can pay a
reasonable fee for expenses incurred.
Even this did not cause resentment,
tho Senator Frudden pointed out it
might open the way to presenting large
bills Ut was admitted by the author
of the bill, Senator Cosson. that in
writing it he had his eye on the in
fraction of the prohibitory liquor laws
especially, tho other laws were vio-
lated without any effort on the part
of the chosen officers Of the law to
prevent violation.