The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-03-13
AlfGISLATURf LETTER

n LIUUOlHUUNl llUulN
| Back from weeks recess extend
ing over the first Of March most OF
the house and senate members re-
turned to the capital Tuesday night
and Wednesday morning for the
hard grind Of the Ia last haIf OF m fne
usually when asked how they had
enjoyed their vacation these mem
beers said: ut was the busiest
week | ever put in" The bankers,
especially, and some Of the lawyers
looked it. With the farm and loan
and other first of March business
this year was added the income, tax
members had to deal with all these
things till there was scarcely time
for sleep.
Governor Bats Three-Bagger.
In baseball parlance Governor
Harding, batted for three, bases
Wednesday in the opinion of many
of the legislators when he appeared
at his own request before a joint
session Of the house and senate TO-
deliver a message on the sup1ect OF
case, wherein he pardoned Ernest
Rathbun after the latter had been
convicted of the crime of rape. The
house chamber was crowded with
legislators, clerks, employees and
their friends, and an atmosphere Of
tense interest pervaded the whole
at 1890 o'clock in the forenoon and
was escorted to the speakers rost-
rum, he looked pale and showed
that he was still weak from his
recent illness. In fact, it was said
he was barely able to remain stand
ing and get through his address.
Doubtless readers of this paper
statement as it was printed at the
time, and their minds are made up
as to the status Of this much-adver-
tised matter. The writer talked
with dozens of members right after
the governors address, and about
three out of four of them said they
believed the governor, had helped
, thought he showed weakness in pay
general as he did, and still others
declared outright that the effect OF
the address would be to defeat At
torney General Havner's pet bill for
SIS, 900 per year for the employ
ment of state agents for ferretings
law in this state. Some Of the gov
errors friends and many others
said he should have made the state
| ment three or six weeks before he
did.
State Agents Bill Trimmed.
The state agents bill, as it is call
| ed, was set as a special order of
| business in the senate at 1870 O'Clock
the same afternoon and the chamber
was packed, floor and galleries, for
tho most intense and interesting de-
hot IN nf
that an amendment by Senator Rat
cliff of Montgomery county to strike
out all the bill after the enacting
clause (Which would have killed it
effectually as cutting off dogs tail
| close up to the ears would kill the
dog) came within two votes of carry
ing. And although the session hung
on till after six o'clock in the even
ing, amendments were still offered
to further change and cripple the
bill, until when it finally passed it
was such a monstrosity that it's own
friends refused to recognize it, and
! they voted against it. while the SEN
ators who had been bucking against
it and lacking on these amendments
accomplished it's passage.
The state agents bill as it emery
ed from the mauling it got in the
senate provides for $4,000 for the
governor and Encouragement to
employ agents and assistants for the
ferreting out OF crime, and enforce
ment of law in Iowa, instead of the
$4,000 annually which the attor-
ney-general had been asking for and
working for during the session. MOI
only that but other amendments
made the fund disable only upon the
written statement of judge of the
district court that a state agent or
agents should be sent to any county
nj Il ,trs, ,o:, l,,1c
the bill now takes away from the
governor and the Encouragement
the right and freedom they had to
employ such state agents without
stint or limit and send them any
where as long as the funds appropri-
ated for that purpose lasted.
The debate in the senate, while
no time took on the aspect Of malice
or personal attack: In fact, all ref
erences to the officers most direct
ly concerned with the employment
and use of state agents was CHART
able and complimentary to de-
gree. But the poor state agents
(outIside Of the four main agents
skinned and tanned under the pub
lie gaze. most numerically. While
some friends read them a good rec
ord of accomplishment, t cir
enemies turned on the spotlight of
criticism bitterly. Court and other
records of immoral conduct, of
gross blunders and over officious-
ness amounting to crime itself were
offered by members.
Senator Balkema of Sioux county.
being the senator from the district
of Representative Dean OF Osceola
county, author of the agents bill,
introduced the subject and started
the bill on it's passage in the senate.
Immediately Senator Wilson of Ap-
panoose county attacked the bill
with his usual force and clear-cut
style He was followed in splendid
barley for the bill by Senator Proud
foot, and then Senator Ratcliff of
Montgomery county. tore loose the
cloak of politeness and velvet words
and offered court record from the
city of Das Mninas fhat fa]xan