Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-06
ON EPPS BILL
TURN
ATTEMPT TO SWING TWELFTH
DISTRICT VOTES WITH UNDER
STANDING ABOUT JUDGE.
Special Correspondence

special J
Des Moines. April A new move
in the fight over the Epps bill to add
an eighth justice to the supreme court
that caused the house Of the Iowa
legislature to gasp with surprise was
disclosed yesterday.
An attempt was made to swing the
votes of the representatives Of the
counties in the twelfth judicial dis
trict behind the judge bill on the un'
Outstanding that Judge Kelly OF
Charles City, now on the district
bench, will be appointed to the SUI
preme bench when the next vacancy
occurs.
A conference was held at the Slavery
ihotel in Des Moines Monday night, IN
the of H. L. Lockwood, an at
torney of Charles City. It was attend
ed by Senator Evans and Represents
tives Dunkelberg. Slosson, Smith,
Jones, Wichman and Anderson of Win
nebago, all representatives Of twelfth
district counties.
According to the statements Of sew
eral Of the above named, Lockwood
told the conference he had been given
assurances that when the next va
cancy occurred on the supreme bench,
and it is expected in a short time.
Judge Kelly would be the appointee. He
said that the health Of Justice Weaver
is quite bad and that he is not expect
ed to be on the bench much longer.
He urged the representatives to sup
port the eighth judge bill on the &C
count of Judge Kelly.
Tho nrocontotiv told him thew
would stick by the ship and vote
against the bill, refusing to change
their votes on alleged assurances con-
corning Judge Kelly.
Every one Of the representatives has
been against the bill. Their votes were
needed to prevent its being killed by
the motion to table introduced in the
house last Friday. The motion to table
carried 81 to 40 but after several days
Of de%liberation Speaker Pitt has an
nounced he will rule it out of order.
Pitt hopes that he will save the bill
by defeating the motion to table.
The votes Of the 18th district represent
atives would ave it because it would
afford the administration forces
enough votes to sustain the speaker
on an appeal from his ruling. 1t would
also give them enough votes to ap.
prove Of the amendment attached to
the bill by the senate and in which
the house must concur before the
bill becomes law.
The sudden opposition to the bill in
the house, arising on the return Of the
from the senate after 1t has
passed the house originally 70 to IA,
is due to the sudden disclosures in the
senate that if Justice B. l. Salinger,
chief worker for the bill, was not be
hind in his work. the extra justice
would in all probability not be needed,
and for the further reaso that Gov
ernor Harding is reported as being
prepared to appoint Judge T%heophilus
Of Davenport to the position. Strong
objection is found to Theophilus fol-
political reasons.
1t Is charged among representatives
that Justice Salinger told Lockwood
he would use his influence in favor OF
Judge Kelly.
Speaker Pitt Is holding up his de-
cision on the point of order for some
unknown reason. He says it is because
many Of the representatives are abb
sent. Opponents Of the measure, who
claim they have sixty votes to over
rule the speaker If he attempts to
knock out their tabling Of the bill, are
taking no chances and will have their
men on deck when the gavel sounds
the opening OF each session. They
were defeated on the four year term
bill because administration forces
waited until a good many Of the op.
posing representatives were away
from the state house and called up a
motion to reconsider, defeating 1t be.
cause the opponents did not have
enough votes present for a constitu.
tional majority.
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