Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-09-14
THE next LEGISLATURE
Some of the Problems to Confront
Iowa Legislature.
CONSERVATION OF IOWA SOIL
Items of State Wide Wide Interest
Reviewed by Our Special Iowa
Correspondent.

Des Moines. Ia, Sept. 49,
There has been much discussion al
the state capitol during the past
couple of weeks concerri-
lative problems to confror state IN. Ia.
eral assembly this winter. The
question of resubmission of the
prohibition amendment, the woman
suffrage question, amendment OF
the primary laws, additional labor
legislation and further restrictions
on corporations have caused many
to ask If the state and the country
too are not threatened with disaster
because of too much legislation.
This very question is taken ul
and SO optimistically treated by
Editor George Harvey of the North
American Review for September
that his conclusions are being gen.
orally commended. Mr.. Harvey
says:
History from the beginning OF
governments to the beginning OF
the republic is a seamy record OF
tyranny of the strong, the rich, the
powerful. To this day, in nearly
all lands except our own, real
dominance is exercised openly by a
class. In Russia, autocracy still
rules; in Germany. monarchy be-
queathed by God still has the final
word; in Italy, the nobility; in Eng
land, the aristocracy; in Spain, but
yesterday the church; even in
France, clearly a class, the social
lists, hold the balance of power.
Here We find no such ascendency.
The individual is still his own mas
ter at the polls and in his home.
Serfdom is no more. Personal SER
vice is not synonyms with polite
al servitude. Ours is still the land
OF the free; and whatever differ
ence exists representing the powers
of governance relate chiefly, on the
one hand, to the restriction of suff-
rage and on the other, to the elm
ination of sex qualification. Neither
project involves revolution. Each
seeks consideration upon the ground
of policy, despite the insistence, in
the second instance, of inherent
right. Could the Fathers have been
assured of so happy condition
among ninety millions of peple,
can we doubt that they would have
felt far more confident than they
did feel that the foundations they
were laying with such care and
fnrnciohf xx,;tl
er to exercise would prove indeed
everlasting. Assuredly there is no
visible breach in the wall of gov
ernment of and by the people"
The Iowa Board of Railroad
Commissioners will be represented
September 10 at the hearing on the
proposed increase in freight rates
before the examiner for the inter-
state commerce commission in Chi
cago, just as the board was repre-
sented week before last at the hear
ing. 1t is notable fact that Iowa
and Illinois were the only states
represented at the hearing by men,
bers of state boards of railway
commissioners. w. L. Eaton of
Usage, the lawyer member of the
Iowa board, will return to the hear
ing and will be accompanied by
another member. Secretary Dwight
N. Lewis of the board, who attend
ed the first hearing, said: mo in
terest of Iowa has been or will be
overlooked by the present board of
railway commissioners. The at
tendance at the interstate commerce
commission hearing is in pursuance
with a resolution passed by the
board some weeks ago. 1t may not
be generally known but it is a fact
that there is now pending before
the interstate commerce commission
number of cases involving prac-
tically every rate applying to inter-
state business, including packing
house rates. in which Iowa shippers
have any interest. In all these
cases the Attorney General is repre-
senting the Iowa board"
A formidable array of legal tai
ent has been retained by John Cow
ME to assist in the prosecution of
Governor B. F. Carroll on the
charge of criminal libel to be begun
in the Polk county district court
September 20. Those retained by
Mr.. Cownie are G.. C. Dowell, who
in the senate of the last session led
the fight against the governors ap-
pointment of successor to Cownie,
and was successful; Jerry B. Sulli-
van, one time democratic candidate
for governor. and w. L. Reed, an
able lawyer and democrat. These
three men will assist county at
torney Thomas Guthrie. Governor
Carroll will be defended by Nose
Cohen, James Parsons and A. c..