Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-31
OUR LAWMAKERS

! Tho Sixty.third congress came to z
close on March 1, it, ANAL act Of spe-
cial Importance being the adoption Of
. resolution to strengthen the powere
of tho president In the enforcement OF
neutrality laws. Both branches agreed
to the conference report ON the naval
appropriation bill calling for two new
battleships, six destroyers and eight,
zen submarines. The presidents nom
nations for tho promotion Of army
and navy officers connected with the
building Of tho Panama canal wore
confirmed BY tho senate. % that Colo,
mel Cocktails and Brigadier General
Gorxas became major generals.
On January 26, the West virginia
legislature decidsd to submit . won$
an suffrage amendment ct tho 121e
election. Two days later. In TenneD4
see. the house passed bin for fefi
erendum vote ON woman suffrage. ~
ready passed by the upper house. Ar.
kansas declared for prohibition. In
Iowa, prohibition again becomes Of
fectivo on January /. 1916. Both Idaho
and Utah adopted prohibition bills.
March 6, the North Dakota legisla-
ture passed q bill abolishinE capital
punishment. South Dakota had taken
similar action January 80. March 10.
Rear Admirals Fletcher, Howard and
Cowles were made admirals, . new
naval grade established by the last
congress. March Is. Governor Spry of
Utah vetoed tho statewide prohibition
bill. April Z. the Alaska house passed
. measure submitting prohibition to,
the voters. A week later. It agreed to
the senate bill abolishing capital pun.
ishment. June 3. the government plea
to have the United States Steel cor
poration dissolved was denied by the
United States circuit court for New
Jersey and the defendant was held To-,
be a lawful enterprise.
Resignation Of Bryan. "
June 8, William J. Bryan resigned
the Office Of secretary OF state, declar.
ing himself out Of sympathy with the,
presidents policy toward the Euro,
pean war. On the following day. Presi19
dent Wilson appointed Robert Lau-L,
sing, counselor for the state depart-l,
ment. to take charge of the ONCE. Mr..
Lansing was made secretary of state
June %. Statewide prohibition bel
came operative In Alabama on July
/. On July %. the interstate COM
merce commission permitted advances
in express rates and on August II Ii
allowed increases in carload freight
rates on Al railroads In the middlo)
West. On the following day. It ordered
reductions in freight rates on anthra.
cite coal. August "a, the Eastman Ko-,
dak company was declared to be an 81
legal combination and ordered dis
solved. September 10. the members
of the constitutional convention OIL
New York state adopted the proposed
constitution. but It was overwhelming
ly defeated at the polls November 2.
Statewide prohibition triumphed in;
South Carolina. September IA, by . de-,
cisive majority.
President Wilson announced. Octol
Der s. his intention to vote for woman
suffrage at the special election In New
Jersey ON October 10. At that election.
the proposed constitutional amend
ment was defeated by . majority OF
$4,000. November elections were held
n eight states. Four Of these Ken.
lucky. Maryland. Massachusetts, and
Mississippi-choso governors. In three
states-Massachuset New York and.
Pennsylvania-woman suffrage wan.
rejected by largo ma3orities. In Ohio.
. statewide prohibition measure WAS
defeated by . majority Of $4,000.
Changes In the national house Of rep.
resentatives reduced the Democratic
majority to TWENTY-FIVE. The Sixty
fourth congress opened December s..
Senator Clarke Of Arkansas was elect
ed president pro tenn OF the senate and
Champ Clark was reelected speaker. j
45s fS>nr,t4n..eS m poUn Coyosr \ ~