Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-20

90 ~ ouSSCbo . " 90 VAsS
open under d%isorderly house ordin-
ances In many OF the larger cities OF
Iowa, as many as %ninety-four saloons
running openly In Ottumwa alone al
one time, and where there Is now not
one. That such experiment c%ontribut-
ed in part to defeat the republican
party In the state campaigns for/gov-
ernor in 1S90.1S92. That many devot-
ed men were prosecuted because OF
their attitude in support of law en-
forcement.
The Rev. George c. Haddock, pastor
Of the First Methodist Episcopal
church at Sioux City, was shot to in
slant death August 3, 1886, because OF
his activity in prosecuting twenty-five
liquor injunction proceedings. On
the night Of May 10, 1888, the homes
of John Mahin, editor of the Musca-
tine Journal; N. Rosenterger, lawyer
aud L. M. Kessinger, banker, all ac-
tive in law enforcement at Muscatine.
were dynamited; as was the home or
w. E. Blake, August Is, 1884, at Bur-
]inston, because of his activity as a
lawyer in prosecuting violators OF the
law. Almost within the shadow OF the
state university at Iowa City, a prose-
cutting attorney was tarred and feath.
cred and for the same reason. The
home of the Clarkson brothers, pub
fishers of the Des Moines Register,
was burned, SO far as known because
of their editorial policy in support of
the law.
Whether or not we are to have a re-
turn Of these loose conditions depends
somewhat upon the attorney g~enerafs
office. While that officer is not a state
executive, and his duties r confined
to the judicial department., administer
ing Justice, yet upon him rests con
siderable responsibility as ia. whether
or not the commands of the legislative
branch shall be enforced. The previ-
Gus want Of success in administering
the prohibitory laws was due largely
to defects in them and which have
since been corrected by enactment OF
the Webb Kenyon bill in congress, the
state law providing for removal of To-
cal officials who knowingly tolerate
continuous fragrant violations of the
laws, and those making it a peniten-
tiary ofiense to persist in selling liquor
contrary to law, as well as numerous
other regulatory measures. Ihat II
chosen to the high once to which ne
aspires, he could assure the public OF
earnest, diligent and impartial efforts
to perform the duties thereof.
That he realizes fully that the office
of attorney general has no o to
do with the liquor laws than with
other laws: that there are other large
subjects of equal Importance for that
officer to handle, and which call for a
man of general ability. And the SEN
ator stated he disclaimed being a "one
idea" candidates; and stated that his
long professional career had carried
him into all the general lines of prac-
tice, so that he could Is well as any
of the other able candidates handle
the diversified duties of the position.
Senator Whitmore is an Iowa boy
born at Burlington in 1859, and edu-
Gated in the common and high schools
of the state. Acquired a knowledge
of shorthand and worked his way
through a three.year law course in the
Chicago college of law (the law de-
partment of Lake Forest university ),
obtaining his degree of B. L.. In 1877.
Then served-a an Apprenticeship OF sev.
eral years in different large law Of
fees in Chicago. He moved to Ottum'
wa and there hung out his single In
1900, where he has since been con
t~inuously and successfully engaged in
the exclusive practice of his profes'
sion, in both state and federal courts,
supreme as we'll as district. Has been
mi ged in many important cases,
such as the five year fight resulting IN
the elimination of saloons from Quinn
wa, commencing in 1909 with l46 iowa
215, and but recently ending IN loo
Iowa 1879; and such as that sustaining
the constitutionality OF n WeDo-
Kenyon bill found in 1874 Iowa III;
as well as those sustaining the ~
soldiers preference law found IN l37
Iowa 275, and las Iowa ~.
In 1914 he was elected On b repuo'
lican ticket az state senator from the
thirteenth state senatorial district,
comprising Wapello county, for q four
wear term, comprising two regular leg
islative sessions, in the first Of which,
the thirty-sixth, he served last year.
In the senate he was chairman OF
the committee on military ahairs, IN
Producing the various bills reorganiz-
ing the Iowa national guard; n was
a member of the following commit
tees, Ways and means, Judiciary No.
2, manufactures, public health, public
utilities, board Of control, mines ana
mining. He voted for constitutional
prohibition, and for repeal of the muict
law. closing all saloons, in the state:
He was the author Of and introduced
the following senate bills on. the liquor
question and which were enacted into
law:
No. - authorizing district judges to
issue liquor search warrant.
No. 41S, requiring every person,
railroad and express company carrying
liquor for hire, to keep a record OF all
liquor shipments. (The words .or
private consumpticn' appearing IN MS
law we're not in the original bill. s..
F. No. II introduced by Senator Whit
more, but were insisted upon by otner
members without whose vote the
measure could not have been passed,
such members insisting on the change
because of the wording of the Webb
Kenyon act. and because OF the decis-
ion of the Iowa supreme court in the