Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-04-23
ACTIVITIES OF THE
STATE LEGISLATURE
TAKEN AFTER @
DAYS OF LEGISLATIVE BUSI-
NESS AND OTHER THINGS.
GOVERNOR HARDING IS CENsURED
Road Bill Now A Law. Primaries Re-
main Same. New Motor License
Law Passed.
Des Moines, Iowa, April, 10, 1919.

DeS MOlneS, Iowa, April, ~, 1913.
Today the Thifty-eight General
Assembly adjourns. after just 96 days
of legislative business that has cover
ed the usual scope and character
and some other things.
1t has been the usual jam and rush
of matters to end the session the past
few days. The governorship investi-
cation business interfered notably
with the proceedings, while it also
left bad taste in the mouths of all
concerned. In fact, the probe of the
Rathbun pardon matter and the at
torney-generaPs connection with the
subsequent proceedings at Ida Grove
whereby the pardon was set aside and
young Rathbun sent to the pen, after
,quashing of several in dictments at the
suggestion Of Attorney-General Hav-
ner and other legal lights employed
by the state, caused one fifteen hour
day of the House to be wasted.
| Governor Only Censured.
| The result of this long drawn-Out
controversy over the Ida county par
don matter came Wednesday night at
one o'clock, after fourteen hours con-
tinuous speaking on the question of
substituting the minority report Of the
judiciary committee for the majority
report The majority report Of the
committee was voted out by II Of the
members and recommended impeach-
ment of the governor, while the min
ority report signed by IA members,
recommended only censure Of the gov
ernor for his lack of care and investi-
cation in granting the pardon.
On the question of substituting the
minority for the majority report
the House went to bat at 900 o'clock
Wednesday morning. The debate was
arranged in order, first one speaker
supporting the minority report and
the next supporting the majority re-
port, In all, twenty orators felt call
ed upon to elucidate upon this NOM
entous question, and several of them
took over an hour of time each. But
one member talked less than ten min
utes. In it all there were some
pretty plain and damaging words.
The governor was accused al
most directly of taking money for
granting the pardon, and was as posi-.
lively shown to have not taken mon
ey. The evidence and the report OF
the special counsel in the case absolv-
ed the governor on that charge, hut
the impeachment charge was made
on the ground of malfeasance in Of
flee.
The final vote was taken at one o.
clock Thursday morning, and result
ed 70 to "a against impeachment by
the adoption of the minoity report,
which carried only censure with it.
Those voting for impeachment Of
the governor were as follows: Ad-
kins, Alderman, Beeman, Clark. Dur
bin, Edison, Finch, Findlay, Finley,
Francis, Gilmore, Gilner, Harring-
ton, Hauge Hook, Justice Kepple,
Langfitt. Larson of Montgomery
Lockin, Mantz, Messer, Moen, Ner
Pasons, Perkins, Scott of Marshall.
Slaught, Slosson, Springer, Stone,
Weaver, Wichman, Windett.
Coakley, Flenniken, Mayne and Say
ers were absent and did not vote
All other members voted against i'm
peachment.
Whitewashed Attorney.General.
On Thursday morning the other
phase of the pardon matter-the in
vestigation of the attorney-generars
actions in connection with the quash-
ing of indictments for the purpose OF
sending young Rathbun to prison and
setting aside the pardon-was taken
up. The debate on this matter took
less than an hour, but two speakers
being heard by agreement. Chair
man Harrington of Kossuth county
led off for the majority report exoner-
ating Havner, and Representative
Moore of Guthrie followed in TWEEN
ty-minute talk for the minority re-
port which severly censured the at
torney-general. The vote on this ques-
tion resulted first in a tie-51 to 81
but two members changed their votes
before the result was announced, max
ing it SO to 40 for the majority report
of the committee and clearing the at
Everybody was glad when the dirty
political mess that has been brewing
the whole session was over, and all
settled down to work to
clear up as much legislative business
as possible and adjourn this week.
Space forbids giving any extended
or complete report of the many bills
that were passed this week to become
laws within the next three months, but
we give summary as follows of i'm
portant measures passed.
Road Bill Now a Law.
The House took but a short time
Saturday in passing the new road law
for Iowa. by concurring in the Sen
ate amendments. among which was
the amendment requiring vote in
each county before any contract for
paving or hard surfacing of the roads
can be let. The bill expressly pro-
vides that the new law shall not effect
any contract for paving or road work
that has already been let. This provi-