The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-02-19
PRIMARY Law
PASSES SENATE
of the Present Primary
Election Law Creates Oratorical
Sparring in Iowa Senate
INSANITY GROUND FOR DIVORCE
No Provision on Statute Books for
the Allowance Of Divorce in Case
of lncurabIe Insanity

torical sparring in the senate when the
Kimball bill came up for final passage.
Those opposed to the measure were
not numerous but dreadfully in earn
est. Some really spring speeches were
made on both sides of the controver-
sey, but the final roll call resulted in a
vote of four to one in favor of the bill
and so it went through without amend
ment, except that if any party fails to
| have a full ticket in the field at the
primary it will be unlawful for such
party to fill vacancies either by petit
tion or by convention. AS amended
by the senate Iowas famous primary
election law for the nomination of
party candidates is as follows: Can
didates for governor, lieutenant gov
ernor, United States senator's, con-
gressmen and all county officials must
be nominated at primary and all
state officers except as above noted
must be nominated at convention.
Provision is made for the proper Sc.
lection of delegates SO as to prevent
the abuses of the old time caucus sys-
tenn. 1t is believed the house will vote
favorably upon the bill.
| While the senate was wrestling with
the primary reform bill the house was
engrossed in passing the bill by Rep
resentative Dean of Osceola county
making an appropriation of $4,000 a
year for Attorney General Havner's
state agents The 37th general assem-
| bly, created these state agents and set
aside $25,O00 a year for their support.
Attorney General Havner's biennial re-
port made most excellent showing in
law enforcement but this did not pre-
vent vigorous fight in the house to
defeat the Dean bin. Rogers of Car
roll led the opposition and there were
some earnest and eloquent addresses,
made pro and con. All attempts to
weaken the bill by amendments failed
and after several hours Of debate,
sharp retorts and acrimonious accu-
sations a vote was reached and the bill
passed SO to 1S.
Those voting against the bill were
Becker Coakley, CARRIER Hansen, Kel-
| logg, Lake. Miles. Miller of Lucas. Ne
biker. O'Donnell, Oertel, Powers.
Quick, Rogers, Sutherland, Temple and
Young. r.e 5
In the senate the Meredith bill to
repeal the present law of choosing
county superintendents of schools and
go back to the old method of popular
vote was defeated by vote of three
to one
The house defeated bill by a large
vote that had for its object the amend
ing the soldiers preference law passed
some years ago in the interest of the
survivors Of the war of the. rebellion,
so that it would include the soldiers
in the war with Germany.
Col. M. l.. Temple of Clarke coun-
ty lead the opposition to the measure
and carried his point with practical
unanimity.
Our soldiers" said Mr.. Temple.
were largely recruited by means of
a selective. draft, which chose those
who must remain home in the factor
les and on the farms, as we'll as those
who put on the uniform. There were
many who remained at home who
would have much preferred to go to
war, but they were needed more in the
industries.
There should be no discrimination
between these equally patriotic and
equally essential classes. BY legisla.
tion tending to make preferred class;
of soldiers we will move to create a
jealousy that will exist and grow i'll
the years to come. There is nothing
too good for the men who fought in
France. but they do not ask to be pre-
ferred above those other men who
helped at home. The future of tho
country is before us. We must be just
instead of sentimental We want har-
! mony, and it becomes us not to allow
sentiment and justified pride to cloud
our judgment"
The three biggest issues to be set
tied by the passage of appropriate
bills are those touching highway i'm
provements, better housing facilities in
cities and creating a public utility
measure. The latter has been before
every legislature for the past twenty
five years and on several cases passed
one or the other branches of the leg
islature.
A Meritorious Bill
! DR.. Coakley, representative from
Union county, comes forward with a
bill of unusual merit The matters
involved are now before committee
for action. The bill provides for con-
| upoi DOul uS VI oupclflSOIS du-
thority to establish employment dis
tricts. These districts may comprise
road working opportunities or any 9TH
er public Improvement. Upon convic-
tion in the district court for any crime
that justifies Jail sentence the culprit
must be sentenced to hard labor and
turned over to some authority that
will see to it that the sentence is car
ried out. This authority may rest with
the township trustees or with the
road superintendent. The prisoner
is under control of such authorities
during the day and must be returned
to the Jail for lodging. Such prison.
ers shall receive current wages for
their labors, less the cost of feeding
them and the wage SO received is to be
turned over to the family or depend