Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-03

GATHERED IN
THE BYWAYS.
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IBy Ora Williams


by Ora Williams.l
Special TO Times Republican.
Des Moines, May 3.-A feature of the
late session of the Iowa general assem-
bly, not much commented on. but
which was conspicuous. was its COM
parative freedom from all lobby and
cent years has done so many things
that were opposed by the regular
lobby. And no legislature in many
Years has been more free from the
domination OF any local newspaper in
tluence.
Newspaper dictation didn't Gu,
much figure said one Of the veteran
legislators on closing day. to the
writer BY that / mean the dogmatic
demanding of this or that thing under
yelled threats OF political harm"
Not that the legislators oid not read
the newspapers. for they did: but in
all the discussion and reference TO
newspap ers during the session there
was disregard of the demands made or
open defiance OF the belligerent atti-
tude taken by many.
In other days the legislatures in
Guided in the omnibus appropriation
bills an item to pay for newspapers
subscribed for by members. An APP
preparation bill of this kind before
the writer shows that several of the
newspapers Of today We're much APP
preciated, and were paid for out of the
state treasury, in the good old days
Of the past" Incidentally the appro-
priation dill shows that the legislature
Of Iowa authorized payment for sub
scrption to q paper called the Pro
gressive Republican, which some ar
dent progressive of the old times es
teemed
1t used to be the custom of some
Interested persons to have sent to
members of the Iowa Legislature GER
tain newspapers free of expense. For
a good many years the Burlington
Hawkeye was regularly sent to every
| mem Der of the legislature, That sSsi
TEN has ceased. The only paper thu
was sent free to practically all men.-
/ bers during the last session WAS n
! stock yards paper of Chicago whish
! badly cluttered up the waste baskets in
the legislative postoffice. But most
| of the legisla tors took from one 20 a
half dozen papers and practically ev+
cry one had daily paper froua his
home section Of the state. IT is abso-
lutely certain that there We're more
daily papers, of the fifty dailies that
are printed in Iowa. taken by mem
bers than ever before. Practically all
the legislative leaders wanted. not one
daily paper but several. so they would
| get a broad view OF what is going on
in the state, and not be compelled 10
rely on any one newspaper.
On one subject there was great
deal OF newspaper effort at lobbying.
and that was in regard to the state
board Of education. Not only was much
newspaper space used in the effort TO
convince the legislature but a strong
lobby was maintained. for the purpose
of compelling the legislature 10 pass a
bill amending the law as TO the power
, and duty Of the board Of education in
the matter Of duplication of work at
the colleges: but the legislature adj
tourned without having placed in the
session laws one solitary suggestion Of
this kind save and except as to the
homeopathic chairs at the university.
The attitude OF the before mentioned
Chicago stock yards paper was de-
cidedlv amusing to the members. 1t
seemed to have taken on its shoulders
the whole responsibility for framing
up the bill TO authorize enlargement
OF the hog cholera serum manufacture
in
members became suspicious that pos
siblv interested manufacturers were
engaged in trying to work the leg!s-
| lature for something or other. And
when the bill was finally passed the
Chicago paper promptly took all credit
70 itself: tho it probably had as little
as anyone to do with it. In fact, the
members of the legislature were ready
when they came to Des Moines to pass
a bill for a serum plant. and would
probably have done so at the first if
there had not been such difference Of
opinion as to just where it should be
located. There was never at any time
any opposition TO the same.
\ great many of the best weekly
papers of Iowa found their way to the
I
/ lature. along with dailies from the
medium sized cities of the state It
can never be said of the Thirty fourth
| general assembly that the members did
not have ample opportunity to find out
the trend of thought in the state.
40, for leadership in editorial work
| and newspaperins at the capital city
| like that Of the palmy days OF Ret
Ciarkson.' said one Of the members.
| But perhaps" he added, Gin view OF the
! high quality Of the newspapers Of the
state both weekly and daily and the
| fact that Iowa has larger number OF
newspapers per capita than any other
state, we shall not again return to
those good old days when one or two
men dictated what should or should
not be done in Iowa politics and busi-
ness and scf1o:s. Maybe Il is Just as
| WE'LL