Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-01-31
GATHERED IN ME BY,NK.Ys 1
lBy Ora Williams1

reading clerk Of the senate. VINO PAUSED
here the other day to look in. on his
old haunts at the state house. John
has been in fine position to take note
Of the conduct of at least one class In
the school,
"Try as you WILL" he said in response
to a query about the way President
Woodrow Wilson Is getting along, you
can't get away from the impression
which he makes that he is Just the
college president before one Of his
classes talking plainly to the boys and
telling them what they must do. We
hold session to hear message. He
comes in briskly and appearing before
congress goes right at the subject IN
hand without any preliminaries. He
acts and talks just like dare say he
did down at Princeton. He has MS
messages written out on little slips OF
paper he helds in one hand and he
reads clearly and firmly. It's great
contrast to what we have been having.
The old way, you know. was for the
president to have his message printed
on large sheets from which to be read,
and members Of congress We're usually
supplied with copies before the reading
commenced. Well one of us would
read the address, and looking over the
top of the pages we could see that most
of the members We're way ahead of us
and reading their own copies. FIRE.
quently three or four Of the sheets
would stick together and we wouldn't
notice 1t as we turned the pages. We
would get thru soon that way, also. But
not so with the president we have now.
What he has to say comes fresh and
vigorous and they all listen.
And incidentally, I want to say to
you, If you want to know the facts,
said the tall reading clerk, president
Wilson has got 'em all going his way.
He is not only the scho olmaster but he
is master Of the school. He has caught
the fancy Of the people. The impress
sion is that he is by long odds the big
gest, brainiest man in the White House
in many years. And he is of the people.
None of your frils and gold lace and
ceremony go where he is. It's quite
refreshing situation we have there now.
Don't poke any fun at the new school
master; he's all right"
Some one disposed to be inquisitive
has suggested that if the kickers i'll
Van Buren, county want something
tangible to kick about Editor Rowley
should muster his force to begin kick
ing about the failure OF the county to
get its proper share of railroad taxes In
the past. While Rowley is sure that
the state executive council set out to
ruin him and his friends by a tax to
help give the state proper office build.
incs and surroundings. he fails to give
credit to the same people for removing
the discrimination as to railroad as
sessments. The governor and his as
sociates shifted the railroad valuations
so that this year Van Buren, county Will
get upwards Of 10000 more of railroad
taxes than last year. That good deal
more than offsets what the capitol ex-
tension will cost that county. But the
worst of it is that Van Buren, county
has been deprived of its fair share OF
railroad taxes each and every year
for thirty-fo years. The same is true
of seventy or more other counties OF
the state. Van Buren, didn't lose $4,000
each year, but some of its railroad val
ua.ion has every year for a third Of 4
century been sent over into some other
county where taxes were paid on the
said transferred valuation. Rowley
and the other kickers never raised a
protest against this. IF they had had
the money they lest in that way Keo-
sauqua could have had a million dol
lar court house.
And there are persons here SO un-
kind as to suggest that if the governor
is to be charged with what the capitol
tax costs Van Buren, county he should
also be credited with what they get
from the railroads more than the year
before.
Things are not what they used to
be here at the state capitol" Judge p.
B. Wolfe, of Clinton, as he sat with the
reporter exchanging "reminiscences of
ether days. Judge Wolfe was attending
supreme court. He served in sessions
of the legislature in 1885 and 1883. He
recalled the fight for the present rail-
road law "They had a room down at
one of the hotels" he said, "for head
quarters Of the fight to prevent any
legislation. In fact, they had severa!
rooms and there was plenty to eat and
drink. especially the latter have gone
into the rooms and seen a number laid
out on beds for recovery. l understand
they don't do things that way during
legislative sessions any more. But l
recall one incident which showed what
was doing in politics in those days.
Among others sent out here from Chi
cago to help defeat the bills before the
legislature was young Jim Blaine,
then living in Chicago and married to
one of the McCormicks. 1t somehow
got out that Blaine was here in a spe-
cial car to exert influence on the leg
islature to prevent passage Of the bills.
Ret Clarkson heard OF it and sent for
him. He told the young man plainly,
SO I was informed, that he, probably
couldn't have the slightest influence in
preventing the passage Of the legisla-
ton, but whether he could OF not if he
made himself too conspicuous in the
fight he would ruin the chance of ever
making his illustrous father president
thing Clarkson was always loyal to.
He wanted Blaine to be president. The
young man went back to his car and
the car was taken to Chicago that
night"
There are indications that the people
of the state approve of the policy OF
the state administration in regard to
the use of funds derived from hunters
licenses strictly for encouragem and
preservation Of fish and game and for
no other purpose, and the general pol
icy which has been pursued from the
first of preservation of all the real
lakes and bayous and their improve
ment The present executive council