Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-10
HOUSES TURN OUT
IN OPEN REVOLT
STEAM ROLLER OF ADMiNISTRA-
TON is CAUGHT AND REVERS-
ED IN COUNTER ATTACK.
BY Carl Dixon.

Des Moines. April THE week saw
both houses break out in open revolt
against the administration.
It saw the steam roller of the ad'
ministration captured by the enemy,
converted into a tank" and its guns
turned on the administrations
trenches with deadly enfilading fire.
The counter attack has disorganized
and in a measure demoralized the ad'
ministration or the Pitt-Johnston
forces who sat so cockily upon the
throne Of the rulers.
1t completely routed the kitchen
cabinet. that condoned "willtull
group" that has set itself up as the gen.
eral staff of the administration, either
with or without the consent Of the ad.
ministration. The chief members OF
the cabinet have not been e Q in leg.
i~slative halls since the senate arose In
its wrath and started upon the back
track to undo some Of the things 1t
had done in its blindness.
The Salingers were openly rebuked
and given due and timely warning to
keep hands off,, that the legislature
prefers to do all the legislating with
out outside interference.
Against SaIingertsm.
The revolt was more against Sal
ingerism than the administration.
but since there has not come from
the administration either claim or
reputation OF the Kitchen cabinet,
the administration bears the brunt.
The administration is In the most
critical period Of its young career TO-
day, and 1t seems to be up to the ad'
ministration to determine whether the
administration shall continue to be as.
The significant killing Of the eighth
Judge bill by the concerted action OF
the senate and house, after 1t had
passed both bodies, showed the tenn
per of the legislature, the temper that
has developed within the last "
weeks. The still more significant action
of the senate in stretching out until
it has almost strained a point, to kill
the four-yearterm bill disclosed that
the feeling Is deeper than just one
bill.
But when the Observation-Disclosures
forces of both houses devote their
waking hours to an attempt to find a
to wipe out the new state banking
department they helped to create with
their own hands not more than a
month ago, there's more than resent
ment behind it all.
And that's just what's cooking.
There was a bill prepared IN the on
ate repeating the thirty-seventh gen
eral assembly's own law separating
the state banking department from
the auditor of states Office n Great
ing the position Of state banking com
missioner to which George Messenger,
kitchen cabineteer, was appointed
The sitting committee had two votes
of Its seven against the repeal so the
committee. couldn't bring out the re
peal bill. So the bill was sent over to
the house to the anti-administration
forces over there. to 9 II q commit
tee cannot be found that will introduce
the measure. The time has passd when
an individual member of the assembly
q introduce a bill; That's why they
are looking for a committee. Speaker
Pitt tried not to make any mistakes
by appointing other than a~dninistra-
ton men to the house committees.
He made very few. Thus 1t may be
hard to find a committee that Will
listen to the move.
Not Undertaken BllndIy.
The move has not been undertaken
blindly. It's hackers feel reasonably
sure they have a majority in both
houses to do the deed. They have de-
tailed to themselves a big Job to try to
unwind some legislation Of their own
making that has gone before.
The animus behind the move is the
same animus that was behind tho
killing of the eighth Judge bill and is
behind the assault upon the four-year-
term bill.
To go back to the beginning Of the
revolt. The eighth Judge bill passed
both houses. So did the four year
term bill. Both were generally rscog.
nized as administration bills backed
by the Kitchen cabinet The banking
department bill had passed both
houses without much Of a mention OF
the administration. 1t was proposed
by a banker as a m~eritorious bill. by
Rayburn Of Poweshiek.
Senator Perry Holdoegel resented
the activity in certain quarters. work
for the eighth Judge bill. He charged
that the bill was a part Of a program
of those who would build up a political
machine to control the state OF Iowa
But the majority Of the senate was not
convinced by Holdoegel and the
eighth Judge bill passed. with an
amendment providing for senate con
frmation of the appointment. 1t went
back to the house.
Take Up Fight.
The house had passed the bill "A tc
10. The old Elwood-Mackie factor
took up Holdoegel's fight and after two
weeks of battle. they massed sixty-twc
votes and killed the bill. And this
after it had passed with only nineteer
votes against 1t. The opposition In the
senate was ready for action If it came
back, but it died before returning
Then the senate began to think abou'
the four year term bill. By passing |
both houses had legislated 297 audi
| tors, sheriffs and clerks into office TO,
two years. The question was asked
why the bill had not provided for the
! extension Of terms TO four years afteI
the next election instead of legislatins
a certain group or three groups int
Office. II was charged the kitchen cab