The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
LEGISLATIVE LETTER.


Des Moines, March 10.-Action of
the legislature during the past week
makes it certain that when the next
campaign approaches candidates for
the legislature will be asked to state
their position definitely on two ques-
tons. In the first place the Oregon
plan has become law. Under the
provisions of this every candidate for
the legislature may file with the
auditor an affidavit that if elected he
will vote for that person for United
States Senator who receives the high
est vote in the primary, regardless
of politics. This is getting as near
popular election Of senators as pos
sible under the state law. Opera
ton of the law the first year in its
mother state resulted in e.ecting a
republican legislature, when was
compelled to elect democratic
United States Senator. OPTICIANS
here predict similar fate for Iowa.
Then the two branches OF the
legislature passed the joint resolu-
ton to amend the constitution so as
to provide woman's suffrage. If the
next Legislature also passes the same
resolution the proposition to amend
the constitution will then be submit
ted to the people at the general cleo
ton. The amendment as passed by
this assembly was cleverly devised
by the suffraget,es so as to leave on
the statute books no record that
there ever had been any distinction
in favor of the male sex. The SEN
ate also passed the Chase bill to
submit the question OF suffrage to
the women alone at the next cleo
ton to learn their true sentiments.
If this should pass the house the
members of the next assembly will
have definite means "Of knowing the
real sentiment of the women Of the
state as a whole.
Members of the legislature who
are urging the establishment OF
permanent tax commission are at
tempting to withhold from introduce
ton petitions sent protesting against
the commission and as substantial
ton are pointing out that there is
an apparent organized effort being
made to get the petitions. The SINH
larity of the petitions, their printed
form, ETC., would indicate this clear
ly. There usually is some organized
power behind a general protest. Be
this as it may, however, the fact re-
mains that thousands of farmers
have signed them and an effort to
intimate that the farmers were CO.
creed in a reflection on their judg-
ment-
One OF the chief fights this week
will be on the report of the house
committee on Suppression of Intern
perance to indefinitely postpone the
Shankland bill, which provides for
granting liquor permits by ballot in
stead of by petition. A minority re-
port will be made and an effort put
forth to get a record on the house
members.
The Blackford bill, designed to
break up the present closed corpora
ton method of the State Agriculture
al Society by providing each district
elect it's own member instead of the
present way of letting the whole
state select the distrist member,
was whisked back to the committee
tue other morning when the author
was caught off guard. He will at
tempt to have it Immediately report
ed out again for passage, ..
If the public utilities commission,
the permanent tax commission, the
employers liability commission, are
established by the present legisla-
ture it, is estimated one hundred and
fifty new state jobs will be created.
Representative klay has introduce
ed a bill to abolish the right OF ap-
peal to the district court of doctors
whose certificates are revoked by the
State Board of Medical Examiners.
The senate killed the bill to per-
nit Iowa bankers to loan money on
real estate mortgages in adjoining
states.