The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-01-09
A LfGISLAI IRE LETTER
The Reporters Special Legislative,
Representative Starts Service to
Cover News OF Session.

Representative Starts Service to
Cover News OF Session.
The Reporter has secured the serv-
Denisen, to furnish us with a weekly
letter covering the coming session of
the legislature which convenes on
| Monday, January 18th. Senator
Caswell served in the last two ses-
sions, and is one of the best editor
ial writer's in Iowa. 1t is feature
which Reporter readers will appre-
ciate, for it will give real news of
what is being done by our legislature.
(By Ex-senator G. l.. Caswell.)
Des Moines, Iowa,
January 4, 1919.
Now comes the law makers. Not
only the state of Iowa, but half the
states of the union are to become
blessed, or possessed, with gather
ings of statesmen elected by the SOW
| erign people of this free and self
governed land to represent them in
butchering or passing laws to govern
and direct the rest of us. 1t lis go
I ing to be the writer's duty and re-
sponsibility to observe all the ses-
sions of the Iowa law makers at
this session, sift and winnoW the
l
| casion and bring to the readers of
this paper in as interesting and sat
| isfying a manner as possible what
they most want to know concerning
! the session.
The second Monday in January is
the date set for the opening of the
January ga! as isth, the Sau ThirtyVeigh nA'
general assembly will convene at the
state house, as we believe, facing
the most momentOus problems in the
reconstruction period after the war
that any assembly has faced since
| the old fellows of 1865 tried to for
see what we of this day would find
| to be their wise and careful judg-
| ment.
What Difference About Speaker?
| with gossip and more or less. politi
cal "dope" that is neither warrant
ed nor loaded with consequences of
vital Importance to the people. For
| instance, what difference is it going
to make to the people of Iowa who
is elected speaker OF the House Of
tu 1 e convenes? Yet all ' you see now
is that so-and-so has the forces of
the house all lined up to put him
| across, and that other statesmen OF
| ambition are entering into combina-
tons to see that he does not be-
come speaker.
at the meetings of that body, Osten-
sibly, but his duties as such presid-
ing officer require him to be fair
| and to be guided by rules laid down
by those whose hair is now Whiten-
ed by many years of action, or who
have long ago gone to report to the
Master Mind of the Universe. Should
1 he - cot ocSd q
would be. torn as by pack of wolves
or banished to shame even as the
kaiser who recently sought to rule
the world.
The speaker is, however, power
more in his relation to the makeup
of the house, committees. He ap-
points them He doesn't always Sc
handed out to him on cold shove.
just whom he shall appoint to head
| certain important committees, else
he will not be elected speaker. In
stance recent session OF the house
wherein outsiders-men who never
We're and never could be. members,
were said to have nominated and
directed certain committee appoint
ments. Thank goodness, the outlook
| is far more honorable in the present
contest for speaker.
| If Arch w. McFarlane of Waterloo
is chosen to preside in the house;
or if F. S. Finley Of Mt; Pleasant
the throw of the political dice should
elevate Representative T, P. Har-
rington of Algona or John NJ Worm
| ley of Plymouth county to the speak
ership, in either case we believe the
house would be independently hand
led from the chair, and, within view
of certain obligations not at all dis
l Il q
chairmanships arranged with view
| to ability and experience, and not be-
cause certain men stand opposed to
certain road legislation or willing to
hand out certain state jobs.
Shall we prognosticate in this in
it to YOU, dear reader: McFarlane,
| able and experienced as a presiding
officer pro tenn last session, is said
to claim AZ Republican votes pledged
to his election as speaker. II he goes
into hte Republican caucus next Sat
urday with that many, votes, they
control the. caucus. There er are e., lo u,
are Republicans. Forty-seven is ov.
er half of 92-McFarlane is chosen!
But-suppose Finley and Harrington
and Wormley happen to have "a
votes altogether on the opening 6aS
lot of the caucus? They think they
will have that many, sure: I Inc
question then is where those votes
will go on the break. It's wise
man who keeps his pledges and
stands hitched, but there are few
men who will stand hitched to any
old post!
But, as stated above, what's the
difference to the state at large, JUS
SO it is man with brains and abil
ity and a desire to do right who i:
| chosen sneaker The members O.
the house really control, and they
, are the ones collectively who must b
blamed for the success or failure o
; the session they represent.
New Phase in Road Question.
Ever hear of that road question
, Sounds familiar, we say, to hear /
featured in every conversation a
people read the papers, But here i
,, comes up this time greatly changed
from anything considered or though
, of two sessions ago. Legislation
1 nrnnnsed then as PROGRESSIVE WOull