Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-07

Inc life O. N famous COeSOn Jaw
which 40 effectively rid Des Moines
of It's redlight district after all other
laws had failed, is In the hands OF
Judge Brennan OF the equity division
Of the district court.
James NJ. Parsons, attorney for
Mrs. Laura Lynch argued that the
law ia unconstitutional; that 1t never
has been in force in the state, and
that the failure of Guy Feeley, speak
er OF the house ut the time the bill
was passed, to attach his signature
to It, makes the famous law worth
less than the paper II is written on.
The constitutionAlity Of the act IL
attacked in a demurrer filed In the
suit brought BY John B. Hammond
close the house Of Mrs. Lynch on
Fourth street on the ground that 10
IL a house Of Ill fame.
II Judge Brennan holds the law un-
constitutional, II 10 declared there Is
law on the statutes today that q
prevent . return Of the redlight dis
trict of days gone by.
Mr.. Parsons argument was a
strong one against the law. The con-
stitution expressly provides. that a
bill cannot become q law until It 10
passed by both houses, signed by thu
presiding officers OF each house and
the governor. Attorneys for Mr.. Ham.
mond and General Cosson himself
admit that Mr.. Feeley did not sign
the bill.
The supreme courts Of several
states have held that it Is impossible
to 60 back OF the enrolled bills" on
file to prove that a bill has been pass
ed. Attorneys for Hammond have a
certificate from the lieutenant gov
ernor to show that the bill In 4Ques-
ton passed the house. Mr.. Parsons
declares that this is not admissible
and that 1t is impossible to 60 fur
Their back than the enrolled bills TO
determine what was done.
st 10 not Mrs. Lynch that we are
trying here" said Mr.. Parsons. I'VE
are face to face with a big constitu-
tional question. The life Of onesof the
most famous laws of the state is at
stake. We are here to determine
whether the legislature so passed
this act that 1t became q law or
paper 1t Is written on"
Kansas City Journal: The big
European nations that are declining
to have anything to do with Cali
fornia's Panama exposition will be
lucky II the Hon. Hi Johnson does not
sever relations with them. You can't
fool with Hi.
Cedar Rapids Gazette: We hope
none Of the Iowa women who. are 60
ing to tour the state In the interest OF
woman suffrage will take pattern Of.
ter the English militants. But 1t isn't
necessary even to hope. We are ure
no Iowa woman will make q fool Of
herself.
MaYshalltown Times.Republican:
The internal revenue office will re-
main at Dubuque. That makes 1t con-
venient for Louie Murphy whatever
may be said Of the convenience Of the
rest Of the state. But actually It
doesn't make 30 much difference
where aS how the ONCE is rum.
Burlington Hawk-Eye: John Blaul
says this town needs more families
with emphasis upon the word families
in its fullest meaning. And that is a
local economic truth-more homes,
more families, more wage earning
citizens.
Sioux City Journal: The officials Of
the San francisco exposition wish,
however, to direct your attention to a
list of twenty-seven-count EN-
twenty.seven individual and distinct
foreign nations that will be represent
ed at the exposition. II anybody
doesn't believe they will all be there
he is dared to attend the exposition
and count 'em for himself.
Marion Register: What's the use Of
Aaying Colonel Bryan for deserving
Washington and engaging In a chau-
tauqua stunt? We would be glad II
every democrat from Woodrow Wilson
down the line would quit Washington
and for good. But there is one salts
faction-1916 is not far away and then
a long farewell to Woodrow and his
clan.
Cedar Rapids Republican: OF
course II the democratic party had
been more diligent In the proposed
work Of reducing the cost Of living,
Mr.. Bryan would never have been
compelled to make his explanations.
Mr.. Bryan seems to be the first and
most conspicuous. example of a failure
to reduce the cost Of living. But by
next summer the cost may have been
reduced sufficiently 50 that Mr.. Bryan
viii not have to lecture.
Des Moines Capital: II working
the Polk county prisoners on the high
ways hereabouts will result in I'M
proved roads In Polk county, the
sooner they are put to work the bet
ter. Supervisor Uhl believes that the
county could much better afford to put
It's prisoners to work on the roads than
to keep them in jail and feed them all
summer. This logic appears to the
Capital to be unanswerable. It is to
be hoped that Attorney Halloran Will
find that the law will permit the board
to carry out the project OF Mr.. tUhl.
A Few Laughs.