Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-08
OPPOSITION TO CONFIRMATION
OF PUBLISHER AMAZEs MA.
JoR,TY OF SENATE.
EFFORT TO "oEr EVEN"
WITH NEWSPAPER OWNER
Resentment over Attitude Of Register
and Leader Sole Reason For Effort
to HumiIiate cowIes-Houss Passes
Senate Bill AhoIishins Office Of Gus
todian Of Capitol.
pecial to rime.-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
| Des Moines,. April s.-The majority
Of members Of the senate were amazed
and shocked when it was disclosed to
them that a combination had been ar
ranged to condemn and humiliate the
| publisher OF leading daily newspaper
of the state by failure to confirm
Gardner Cowles for member OF the
state board of education. The executive
session and its outcome, which left a
decidedly bad taste with all the mem
bers, was the sole topic Of cloak room
gatherings yesterday.
It was rumored that a written pledge
or agreement had been signed up by
eighteen members to prevent the con-
| frmation of Mr.. Cowles. This was
| denied; but 1t was admitted the word
had been passed along that the eighteen
were to stand firm against the news
paper publisher.
The sole cause for the action was
| declared by many, and admitted by
others, to be resentment-deep seated
| and malevolent resentment over the
attitude of the Register and Leader
| toward the legislature on many topics.
The idea was to get back at the
newspaper for not having toadied to all
the elements. This feeling Of desire to
wreak vengeance circled around the
| wet and dry" fight, the highway bill.
the capitol extension matter, the COM
mittee fight, organization matters. and
in fact nearly everything that could. by
any possibility, feed a crouch or stir
an antagonism. Cady Chase led the
fight on Cowlee and was backed by
Hagemann and others. Cowles received
twenty eight votes. There were six
absent.
Ability Unqusstionsd.
Gardner Cowles has. in the few
weeks he has been on the board OF
education" said one who Is in official
position to know, "made one Of the
very best members Of the board. He Is
alive to the whole situation as to all
these educational institutions, familiar
with public affairs and has the capacity
to do the state great service"
There was no question raised, so 1t Is
declared, in the executive session OF the
senate, as to the capability Of Mr..
Cowles or his fitness for the place or
that his -salection was. an excellent one
from the standpoint Of efficiency. In
fact. it was. Admitted that the only
reason he should be turned down was
that he was owner Of a newspaper that
had not always pleased at least one
third of the members Of the senate.
The matter Of action on the appoint
ment was left up in the air on motion
to reconsider. It is believed that sena-
tors, when they have heard from their
constituents, will break away from
their attitude Of letting their resent
ments dictate as to public duties. and
confirm Mr.. Cowles.
Custodian's Office Abolished.
The house passed the bill abolishing
the office of custodian Of the capitol
and grounds just as it came from the
senate, so It is settled there will be no
special custodian, and the old soldier
question in connection with the run
ming Of the state house Is disposed of
for the present. The direction OF affairs
! viii be with Adjutant General Guy
Logan. The fact OF the matter Is that
as to the present custodian and some
others the Office has been largely per-
| functory and the real work has been
entrusted to others. 1t Is argued that
the adjutant general can give to the
work only general or supervisory con-
troll, but that has been true right along.
The fight against the present custodian
was largely janitor quarrel and an
effort on the part Of the element not in
office to discredit those that were in.
AS a result they are all out. Nothing
new or strange may be expected in the
management now, but the work will be
handled in businesslike way.
Pullman Company Condemned.
House and senate have now both
placed the seal of condemnation on the
Pullman Car Company system of COM
polling the travelling public to pay the
salaries of it's employees. But they have
not passed the same bill, and maybe
the poor car company will yet be saved
the humiliation of having to place its
employees on a wage basis.
The senate passed the Hagemann bill.
Caswell had attached to it clause
requiring the posting Of conspicuous
notices of mo Tipping Allowed" A
proposed amendment by Wilson to have
it not apply to corporations carrying
passengers was overwhelmingly de-
L 10 Y4fA