The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-01-16
.A.LfGISLATURE LETTER
Des Moines, Jan. IL, 1919.

-1AdLlOn-anQ pOlltlCS-luClueuI u
the work Of the Thirty-eighth gen
eral assembly of the state of Iowa
Prelminaries of legislative SEES
sion are very much like the prelim-
inaries Of political convention, and
the smiling handshaking, smoking
bunch of Intelligent and well-dress-
ed men filling the hotel lobb6ies
/, clan of the days before the primary
laws came in when there were real
political conventions in Iowa. There
is not so much politics going among
the senators present as among the
house members o+ The senator's sn have
the acknowledgements, and there
fore that disturbing and exciting
process is eliminated from the pre-
liminaries seen here just now. But
the house Of representatives has its
thereby hangs much contention.
Just why they call the presiding
officer of the house the Speaker"
We have not been informed. The
fact is that sometimes he is anything
but speaker; oftentimes not even
"a sort of politician with big axe to
grind.
1t is generally conceded that this
time there is the cleanest, ablest and
best lot of candidates for the speak
ership that has been seen on the
McFarlane, a travelling man from
Waterloo, has seemed to have the
prize sewed up in his vest pocket for
several; days. Promises and pledges
made before the session adjourned
two years ago are said TO still hold
good with his friends though this
is disputed by some of the opposing
candidates. +. P. Harrington, an at
Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, anoth-
er lawyer, and John NJ. Wormley,
of Kingsley, Plymouth county, have
been most prominently in the oppo-
sition to McFarlane, with a gradual
Finley, whose pleasing, calm and
confident demeanor has impressed
all.
Committecships the Big Thing.
When you have sifted the facts
and uncovered the real purpose Of
some candidates for positions OF
this kind, you find that they were
pose of impressing somebody. with
the necessity OF naming certain gen
tlemen for certain prominent COM
mitteeships, either of influence or
fame. Just watch now, the an
nouncements of committees named
in the house when the regular ses,
more to be chairman of the judici-
airy committee, for instance, than
they would to be Acknowledgements
of iowa. Others would rather have
the craftsmanship of the appropria-
tons or ways and means committees
than a county office + with i; a salary nsCy
Just now some men here would fight
harder to get the Craftsmanship, OF
the roads and highways committee
than they would to be secretary OF
state. II. is up to the speaker of the
house, directly, and to his friends
indirectly to reward the deserving
ones with such appointments.
Much Of the dissatisfaction and
confusion that became notorious in
the last session of the legislature
was because of the stacked cards
sprung on the members after. they
had been inveigled into electlng a
certain man for speaker: Men d de-
great ability were turned down cold
and shunted off the legislative map,
almost, to make way for some who
had been willing tools of a political
machine that aimed at the control
of Iowa. OF which, more anon.
Outside of his appointing powers
it does not make much difference to
anybody or all in the state who, is
elected speaker. 1t would be in min
itely better if the speaker were
chosen as the president OF the SEN
ate is chosen, by the vote Of the peo-
pie of the state.
Some Fine Characters Seen.
The preliminary gatherings o., or
hotel Hobbies impress the observer
with the fact that there are some
splendid men and fine characters
among the members, and as the diff,
ferent ones arrive the hum and
roar of the Hobbies changes, and
echoes to the sentiment. A lot OF
former house members are not ar
irving at all. They never got any,
where when they did show up, and
will never return. But here. is a
grand old man coming in, M. l..
Temple of Clarke county, who was III
five sessions back twenty years ago
Gus Temple amendment to the con
stitution, he suffered defeat for be-
again. seventy years old, retired
from active business life, but with
health and vigor and the same old
oratorical powers and gifts OF lead
ership. a..
Two members of the house this
year are men in the uniform OF
Uncle Sans soldiers-H. e: David
son of Page county, and VIII L;
King of Hardin county. Davidson Il
the sort to make good substantial
member, too, and in his college s &c ca a
foot race and hard to beat in the
world. King comes as the youngest
man in the house, just p and out
), Of the army after his election.
Douglas Rogers of Manning, Car.
roll county, vas one, one OF the the last nS
A Democrat, one of 16 of that party
out Of the lOs members c Rogeris last last
Influence than any other one man
on either side. Had his influence
been with the good roads instead OF
with the Pitt-Johnston crowd there
would have been no road fight worth
mentioning in the last general as
sembly.
Rapids. dropped in quietly THURSDAY haI DAY
lieutenant, Senator w. G. Haskei
Of Cedar Rapids. Governor
Moore, as he is called here, has the
: love of his cOnfrereeS completely