Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-20
rBy Ora williams.l

to get away from fancleu oppreSSNS
system in the Iowa state senate. Inere
is an assumption that the priniaiS
cause of the near breakdown OIL liie
whole legislative principle in Iowa Is
the fact that one man, instead % q
half dozen men, appoints the com
r. ittees of the senate, ana the LUZ 'ieA
thought that the one VINO Goes ap
roint the committees is not pehoiueii
to the senate for MS authority. AS q
matter of fact this is not at an wiiae
is the matter with legislation IN iowa
but for the present the attehtloh -
directed toward this committee man
ing. The senate is promised OIL. "
make it a law that the presiding ohlSei
shall not name the committees. Du'
the constitution provides that ea.ii
branch of tle les islature shall ioi
self determine its own orsani"o
and ru,es. ANY legislative body that
desires to take from me presioeht ilIs
right under ordinary parliamentary
! rules, to name the standlns COMM.
tees can do SO. Any legislative booy
| that desires to SUBSTITUTE ne"
| of committees for any suggested by
the presiding officer can 40 50
I majority vote There are plainly some
committee lists made by one man IN
! stnad of by a few. The idea of hav-
| ing the senate itself name It's own
icommittees is somewhat fascinating,
| bur every one knows that IN practice
| II will resolve itself into selection OF
, the committees by the ruling chque
of tho senate whatever that may pc.
1T will mean a bis political game right
!
give and take between the members
and the shrewdest and least scrupu-
lions will win. One weakness OF the
house NJ the present time is that its
committee makeup vas framed around
the speakership contest, and speakers
ARE seldom left free to make sucn
selection of committees as they Wouio
really like. But after all it is mat
ter of minor importance how the com
nittees are named. The committee
making has been done in Iowa lnteLl-
gently and fairly Under the present
system. 1t is not to blame Tor any
weakness that is manifest just no" IN
the legislative situation.
During the past week two events
have occurred in Des MONIES which
have some bearing on the future VI
itba movement for women voting
When the franchise amendment was
adopted two years ago the women So.
a reception - the members oi ~"
lIeeis,ature at the settlement house
where a great good work IS peihs u w..
.or many Des Moines people. rms
year the women gave dinner at
younrers' tea room and it was an
r
tended by perhaps $50 persons inter
es,ed IN the cause There was speech
bv Miss Dunlap, president II the state
lossociatinn. and one could not hear
iher sneak without feeling that mere
lis one who stands very high in the
world as a clear thinker, logical rea'
soner and earnest advocate. But the
significant part cf the entertainment
was that these women presented
nlaylet which was in fact an expose o.
tbe ridiculous attitude of some OF tht
s,1ffragettes, more especially the mill
tant English suffragettes. 1t demon
strated what some men have reiuse'
to believe, that women are capaple
standing for the ridicule and the sharl
thrusts of politics. These women on
NOT hesitate to present for amuse
mont. that which held up TO rldicui
some of the foibles Of their own sex
; And II was all enjoyed much by every
: body. ..,i,
mont nv members of Chapter Q OF IN
p +. O. order, at the Hoyt Sherman
Mace a large number OF leglslator
and their wives being present. IN
, Ecbanter is a very strong orsanlZa'io
= of advanced women. and the entertain
!. mont included a representation Oh IN
: I.stvle show and NUMBER OIL oti,e
things. But it also included a piaSie
:, which was votes for women propo
;, s;t;on # was a mock legislative com
a mittee meeting at period I'D 10"
q history when the men haFlhs NC.
a ranchised, were before the 1eHlai
4 LEGISLATORS asking for an ameno1nen
n 70 again give them the right 10 'o.
: Familiar arguments, with whlch III
q valls of legislative committee room
have resounded for years, were pre-
conted again, with the sex oasis re
1arsad and conditions all topsy tur'e'
r, was cleyerly worked out ana Pre-
" sented with such spirit that Speahs
"a Atk;nson nearly broke down his chal
N ISenator Clarkson screamed with oeisi
"a .nd Judge Prouty fairly doubled MN
" self up with laughter over the WI al
RI sarcasm Of the play. And the De
re nort of II was that the entire play W.
written by DIR. Nina Dewey one o, u
leading suffragists and Is oecioeu
fv original conception.
ls II is now evident that the equai su
TO frage question is going to play sen
Mt part in politics along with the la,e
ar and essential issue OF wet VS.. CT
ne which has been thrust into stare pc
no itics for everybody. The canoloat
re for state office will have to line up
as tha question of being for or again
in. votes for women, not that women d
C. going to vote in the primary nor III
ed there is anything more for any eject
ar official 10 do: but that there Will be
es moral effect to be observed anu
err women are going to have great
auence in the June primary as wei
later It will be observed that amo
ny those who are talked Of for nom1n
of tiou for high office there has neen
,st taking of sides on this question as W
s. as others.
as
he Some consideration has been CIV
IS lately as to the possible repuoilc
candidates for lieutenant govern
EVERY one knows there are three
four actual candidates for the nom
Of alton for governor. But who TOR s.
ter ond place? Out OF the senate