Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-24
cssson Thinks Administering Of Rssu-
latiens will Grow in Importance a.
National Prohibition 10 Enacted
lewa Supreme Court Held Of Rank
!. Next 20 National judiciary.
znec,a,i 70 r,mes-R,publican.


upon the following:
There are too many laws, senator
Root has presented figures showing
that in the past year, in states and the
nation. upwards Of 62,500 laws have
been enacted In the United States
There is too much reckless and indis-
crfmtnate passage OF laws.
There IL legislation enough and
what IL needed is enforcement of the
laws. There Is much just complaint
because laws are not enforced. The
state accountants in going over the
counties have the past year 1onno
shortages aggregating about 100000.
Much Of this Is being paid back the
fault lies in failure to live up strictly
to the laws we have.
enforcement Grows in Importance.
The Importance Of law enforcement
will be seen even more wnen the t!E:e
comes, no matter when or how, when
It Is seen that the saloon is to be ban
ished and prohibition Of the liquor
traffic is to be the universal rule.
Then it will be still more important
that laws be enforced. The custom
OF some towns Of refusing to license
saloons but electing officials in SYM
pafhy with them will be ended.
In regard to the county jails Mr..
Cosson would. Of course. see the enc
Of the present system Of having county
iails. The reports will show that in
che past year there have
10000 commitments to the county and
city 1ails in Iowa. This is not 10000
different persons but that many in all.
OF these 1000 were women. The
state must adopt the policy Of placing
hose people out on farms or giving
hem industry Of. some kind. he cited
the success had In Detroit and Wash
fngton In making institutions for work
for jail inmates self-supporting.
Compliments Supreme Court.
In regard to reform in the work OF
the courts and practice Of law Mr.. Co.'S
son complimented highly the Iowa SUI
preme court on Its exceptionally high
standing In I'll matters affecting con-
stitutional questions. There Is no court
in any state standing higher and 1t is
recognized as next to the United States
supreme court In the proper settle
ment OF great questions. But in re-
gard to criminal law the Iowa system
is confessedly weak. Whatever Of de-
lay there is in decisions is usually due
to lawyers. But there are too many
criminal cases appealed. In the bien-
NAL period ending 1912 there were ap-
pealed to the Iowa supreme court 116
criminal cases of which "a were re-
versed In Wisconsin in the same per-
fpd there were 80 appeals and revers-
ais of which two were by the United
States supreme court. The last period
iowa had ninety-one cases appealed
and sixteen reversals; Wisconsin had
twenty one appeals and one reversal
IN Wisconsin the law has been changed
from the old rule
Justice Should Rule.
Mr.. Cosson will again recommend
adoption OF the rule that there shall
not be a reversal Of case unless it
is shown that on the whole record of
the case there has been denial Of
substantial justice.
In civil cases he would have tie linn
ii raised from 800 to $3.50.
He would recommend the plan which
Is now IN vogue in many states Of hav
ing persons acquitted of crime on the
ground Of insanity placed in an fnsti1,
tuition for the criminal insane and be
Kept there.
There has been much discussion in
Oes iMoines lately Of the evils Of the
dope" traffic. Mr.. Cosson suggests
there is abundance Of law against the
Sale or use Of harmful drugs. but 1t all
comes back again to the matter Of an
forcement. But IL any Strengthening
As needed then the matter Of sale Of
opium, cocaine. ETC.. could be placed
under the ban as IN the redlight law
and the injunction process be used to
stop Illegal sales He would also have
added to the law regarding unprofes-
sional conduct on the part Of doctor
the prescribing Of these harmful drugs
without cause He would make 1t a
felony for one to sell these drugs with
i out q prescription and give the phar-
macy commission the right to revoke
d certificate for sale Of such drugs.
Should Danish Private Banks.
In regard to the banking business
he suggested that the state has reached
the point where It ought to cease to
permit irregular banking. The private
banks should be subject to examina-
& Il : m, regulation and make reports. In
Iowa there have been seven bank fail
ures the past year and not one OF a
savings or state bank.
Mr. Cosson referred to the constitu-
tiOnal amendments pending. and called
attention to the very great Importance
OF the one which would permit Of tax
alton OF corporations Of statewide con-
Germ like railroads by the state direct
and would permit Of the state raising
allaits revenue in this manner. It is
being done that way elsewhere and
should be IN Iowa
= he. would provide for publication Of
roll calls in legislative committees;
also the budget system for state nm
sances.
y He recomm ended the movement for a
rigid loan shark bill
ID In regard to housing conditions he
urged that something be done and
commenced the agitation by the lieu
tenant governor He cited some start
ling incidents allowing the actual need
tor aodaethtnG being done right now.