Manchester Democrat., 1921-04-06
IT'S NOW The Shank SHANK!
OF THE SESSION
IMPORTANT BILLS RECEIVING
HARD TREATMENT IN BOTH
HOUSES THIS WEEK
BLUE SKY BILL is PASSED
Some Side.Lights On Men Who Have
Made This Session Memorable
And Others
Des Moines, April 4, 1921

DeS MONIES, April 4, 1Sll
Five days of this week will COM
plete the 39th session of the Iowa
General Assembly. AS consequence
everything is going at fever heat.
Success or failure has already perch
ed on the banners of the members.
and the continued grind Of business
now has most of them suffering from
case of nerves" AS one senator
expressed it: II am so .darned mad
today that I feel like cussing every
thing and everybody, and don't know
why either. It is just nerves and
the strain of these last days, I guess" !"
And as usual about this time of
every session some of the sensational
newspapers try to stir things up and
make trouble One Des Moines paper
| howls scandal" and corporation con-
troll, and hints at graft, and probably
! will later conjure some more social
scandal, bringing in alleged chic
kens" and wine dinners, etc., as it did
two years ago on the closing day of
the session.
Some pretty good legislative rec
ords have been made at this session,
too. The Senate has some mighty
fine, high-class men in it. Stoddard
of Woodbury. is ace-high as a clean
cut, fair and square legislator. Adams
of Kossuth and Abben of Lyon have
no superiors, and none make less fuss
about it. Anderson of Greene coun-
ty is a man whose service to the state
of Iowa will never be measured. He
has had much unpleasantness heap
ed on him at this session by reason
of unfounded rumors Of graft and
scandal in the state house, which his
| departmental affairs committe has
had to look into. He feels he has
been compelled to waste lot of very
| valuable time, and he hates it. Geo.
S. Banta of Delaware county has
proven Senator worth while during
all the session. He learned the game
Of craftsmanship quickly and has
| conscientiously handled many diff
cult problems including reform of the
| primary. Senator butcher of Iowa
City towers among the strongest men
in either body of the legislators. II
he will give his services he certainly
| should be kept there. Senator Fos-
kett of Page county has again earned
ten times his salary as chairman
of the appropriations committee IN
the Senate and on the r. and r. COM
mittee. Haskell of Cedar Rapids has
been invaluable in his peculiar way,
and Holdoegel Of Rockwell City has
had few equals as a senator in re-
cent sessions. B.. w. Newberry OF
Clayton county is still six and half
feet of statesman and growing bet
ter for the state all the time. Olson
of Story-Boone district has made good
as a new man and Rainbow of Black
Hawk, Reed of Howard, Scott OF
Marshalltown and Scott Of ChickasaW
have been splendid men in the Sen
ate. Everybody likes the unostenta-
tious Senator Slosson of Worth coun-
ty and Tuck of the Adams-Taylor dis
trict. Van Alstine Of Humbolt is al
ways an interesting figure in the Sen
ate and strong one, too, while Harry
C. White, one of the two Democratic
senators and one of the oldest men,
bers now serving, is a positive, de-
pendable, steady and safe legislator
all the time but he declares this is
his last session. Senator Wichman
of Hancock county has made splen-
did record as a new man in this ses-
sion. Joe Frailey Of Lee county Is
probably one of the most noted SEN
ators, as we'll as one Of the Oldest in
service, with rare ability, and Senator
Ed, NJ. Smith Of Winterset, Madison
county, is rated by everybody as one
of the safe and sane sort, with great
power in his understanding OF legis-
latiye matters and procedure. Sew
eral others have not taken part in
legislation to their particular credit,
But on the whole the senators have
been a conscientious and conserva-
tive lot, worthy of much credit and
little condemnation.
Say what you please, but Senator
Pitt of Harrison county, upon whom
they all like to heap Goals of fire
has proven one of the best speakers
and strongest debators the senate has
had in recent years. He makes the
chairs very hot for some Of the other
senators, but on the whole is con-
siderate. And Senator Price. "the
pest of the Senate as one member
has referred to him-this Welchman
of legal attainment and judicial MIND
lis a stubborn and absolutely fear
less debater. He has perhaps not al
ways been on popular sides, nor us
ing his ability to the best purpose
but he has it. Senator Thompson Of
Burlington has been rather free
lance this session, having little ol
personal interest, but occasionally
rising to burn 'em up.
Pitt For Congress
While they have all been trying tc
imagine Pitt of Harrison county as
a candidate for governor, they forget
that office is pre-empted for at least
three years yet. Pitt might have tt
fight to get the nomination again fol
the Senate, and if he is going to fight
he might as we'll have a good figh