Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-23
IRx Ora Milliams.l

by OI6 w
Des Moines, Jan. 2s-Some ambitious
historian looking for an opportunity
will find it in tracing the development
or transformation OF the committee
clerk system of the legislature. NO"
that the senate has deliberately lnVlt-
ed statewide discussion OF the SUD-
ject with the object of securing as
much publicity as possible FOR cohui-
lions as they exist and have existed
some notes on the subject are peril
nent.
If one will call the roll OF ex-com-
mittee clerks of the Legislature 1t VIII
disclose some familiar names. Many
prominent men have served the state
in this capacity A few years ago
state senator who served two terms
with ability was able to refer back TO
only a few sessions before when ne
became interested in public life ny
service as a committee clerk A prom :
inent member of the last legislature
was committee clerk just term or
two before. Formerly committee
clerk Was a valuable adjunct to the
legislature.
\ good many very excellent news
paper men have served as committee
clerks and have done good service.
Turning 20 the journals for 1902 not to
go further back an interesting thing is
disclosed. Listed as committee clerks
and on the payroll Of the legislature
We're these newspaper man-John
Snure. Joe Morcombe, George l.. Car
ter. j. : Elliott. Ora Williams. y. NJ.
Piper. W c. Ramsey, Del c. Huntoon,
Ernest CASTOR and William H. Flem-
ing In some other sessions there were
j. C. Weliver, Al W. Moore, S. G, Nc
Farland Frank w Bicknell and others
II win lee observed that the Des Moines
newspapers all had their men on the
payroll q the state They We're there
because OF the fact mat they were
connected with the newspapers and not
because OF any great service they
might render In most cases what
they received was just that much an
necessary expense. to put IL most
mil3ly Il is an actual fact, however.
that in some cases the reporters who
Inns went on the states payroll for
So a day IS committee clerks. had
Their compensation from the newspa-
pers reduced by that much, so that
Whatever of compensation there was
vent into the publishers cash box.
And that IS not graft. of course not.
The writer was on th~ payroll as
committee clerk. a committee clerk OF
the house. IN 1907 H. was clerk for
two committees. The chairman ap-
poi-ted him clerk and later he vas in
troduced 10 them and they were tod
of the fact. The record XIII disclose
mat there we're OF the TWO committees
some eight or len nominal meetings
Each committee had one meeting at
which nearly all OF the members at
tended One day the chairman of one
OF the committees met the clerk in an
aisle and said:
say. what are we going TO DO with
that bill which the committee has been
holding up for long time 81
Why" said the clerk. that's a good
bill. il ought to pass"
Very WE'LL said the chairman,
make up the record and report II for
passage
And the record was so made and
shows as a committee meeting.
The writer has said and said il a
NLtlQIcu llIiitS tildA az n O. 4''ii4s'']AA %
beneficiary of what was nothing else
than pure graft in that particular ses-
SIGN. In subsequent sessions, however,
he was committee clerk and per-
formed service which vas regarded by
members OF both houses as % greatest
value TO them service which could not
have been performed by any mere
pher. and he wei earned all
that he received for his work.
But to go back a little further Sit
ting near a senator the other day the
writer told of his own personal ex-
perience at another time 10 illustrate
the fact that however badly things are
done now they are better than they
! have been in other years He told Of
the fact that certain democratic
senator, a personal friend agreed 70
( appoint him clerk if nd got a chair
manship That was when only chair
men had committee clerks. When the
committees we're announced the sen
ator had Craftsmanship. "I'll have tc
| disappoint you he said. for in or
| der 20 get that Craftsmanship ! had to
promise the clerkship To another
! Later lrF"StiedtlpH HlscioS"u tia
among the committee clerks Of the sen
ate at that session there were five
nieces or other close relatives of the
presiding officer who named the com
mittees. That vas the old way.
| When was this Incident inquired
a senator.
That was in the Twenty first gen
eral assembly"