310 



IOWA. 



ITALY. 



an army basis and footing so that in time of war 

 it can be sent into the service without reorgan- 

 ization at that time. 



Authorizing and directing the authorities of the 

 State educational institutions to suspend students 

 who drink or frequent saloons. 



Prohibiting the manufacture of pearl buttons 

 and butter tubs in the State penitentiaries. 



Creating a department of agriculture. 



Requiring the State Board of Educational Ex- 

 aminers to examine all persons to whom State 

 certificates and diplomas are issued. This law 

 removes the complaint of discrimination in favor 

 of the graduates of the State University and the 

 State Normal School. 



Empowering the State Board of Educational Ex- 

 aminers to issue certificates to teachers of special 

 branches, as music, penmanship, etc., on the pass- 

 ing of a satisfactory examination. 



Increasing the amount that may be paid in 

 rural districts for transporting pupils to and from 

 the public schools from $5 to $10 a pupil a year. 



Providing for the experimental use of voting 

 machines. 



A proposition to amend the Constitution so as 

 to provide for biennial instead of annual elections. 



Prohibiting prize fights. 



A proposition to amend the Constitution so as 

 to establish woman suffrage was defeated in the 

 House, March 8, by a vote of 54 to 44. It also 

 failed to pass the Senate, where it received 24 

 votes. 



Political. The People's party held its State 

 convention at Des Moines, April 24, to choose dele- 

 gates to the national convention. Eugene V. Debs 

 was the choice for presidential nominee. 



The Weaver faction of the People's party met 

 in convention at Des Moines, April 17, and the 

 delegates were instructed to vote for the nomi- 

 nation of William J. Bryan. The resolutions con- 

 demned the war in the Philippines, favored an in- 

 come tax, denounced the currency bill, favored 

 initiative and referendum, expressed sympathy 

 with the Boers of the Transvaal, and denounced 

 trusts. 



The United Christian party held a State con- 

 vention on July 4, six members being present. A 

 State ticket was nominated, and a platform was 

 adopted which declared that all temporal gov- 

 ernments derive their just powers from God 

 through Christ, and by the consent of the gov- 

 erned; denounced all war; demanded abolition of 

 the liquor traffic, woman suffrage, election of 

 President by direct popular vote, and Government 

 ownership of public utilities. They approved the 

 nomination of Charles M. Sheldon for President of 

 the United States. 



The Republican State Convention met in Des 

 Moines, July 30. The 'following ticket was nomi- 

 nated : 



Secretary of State, W. B. Martin; Auditor, 

 Frank F. Merriam; Treasurer, G. S. Gilbertson; 

 Attorney-General, C. W. Mullan; Judge of Su- 

 preme Court, Emlin McClain; Railroad Commis- 

 sioner, David J. Palmer. 



The Democratic State Convention was held at 

 Cedar Rapids, Aug. 15. The significant parts of 

 the platform were these: As a phase of trust ques- 

 tion, bearing disastrously on manufacturing in- 

 terests in Iowa and other agricultural States, we 

 point to the fact that the combination of the 

 manufacturing trusts and the railway trust have 

 resulted in closing many such factories. Many 

 plants in Iowa now stand idle because they have 

 either been driven out of business by unfair com- 

 petition or have been absorbed by the trusts and 

 closed down. 



We demand that railway rates and taxation, as 

 well as legislation affecting railways, shall be 

 shaped and fixed for the benefit of the whole peo- 

 ple, without improper interference from the special 

 interests involved. 



\V'e condemn the subterfuge of the mulct and 

 pharmacy act by which the Republican party has 

 returned the saloon to Iowa while still main- 

 taining the farce of prohibition. The Democratic 

 party believes in majority rule, it favors the hon- 

 est and open policy of local control with stringent 

 regulations. 



The following ticket was nominated: 



Secretary of State, S. B. Crane; Auditor, I. M. 

 Gibson; Treasurer, H. L. Williams; Attorney- 

 General, T. G. Harper; Judge of Supreme Court, 

 J* W. Freeland; Railroad Commissioner, J. E. 

 Anderson. 



Two amendments to the Constitution were sub- 

 mitted to the people in November. The one pro- 

 viding for biennial elections was carried by a 

 majority of 25,591. In connection with this 

 amendment, arrangements were made for holding 

 legislative sessions in the even years, so that there 

 will not be another session until 1902. 



The other amendment provided for a constitu- 

 tional convention. This was defeated by a ma- 

 jority of 555. 



ITALY, a kingdom in southern Europe. The 

 throne is hereditary in the line of Savoy by male 

 descent in the order of primogeniture.- The reign- 

 ing King in the beginning of 1900 was Umberto I, 

 born March 14, 1844 ; died July 29, 1900. He was 

 the eldest son of Vittorio Emmanuele II of Sar- 

 dinia, the first King of united Italy. His suc- 

 cessor is Vittorio Emmanuele, Prince of Naples, 

 born Nov. 11, 1869. The legislative power is vested 

 in a Parliament composed of a Senate containing 

 at present 372 members nominated for life by rea- 

 son of public services or eminence in science, litera- 

 ture, or other pursuit tending to the benefit of the 

 nation, and a Chamber of Deputies containing 508 

 members, 1 to 57,000 of population, elected under 

 the law of 1895 by all adult male citizens who can 

 read and write and who pay 20 lire of direct taxes 

 or occupy a farm renting for 500 lire or a tene- 

 ment or place of business of a certain minimum 

 rental. Soldiers in active service are disqualified 

 while their term with the colors lasts, and no 

 priest filling a clerical charge nor any salaried 

 official except ministers and others answerable to 

 Parliament for the policy of the Government can 

 be elected a Deputy. 



In the Cabinet formed on May 14, 1899, and 

 still in office in the beginning of 1900, the min- 

 isters responsible for the different departments 

 were the following: President of the Council and 

 Minister of the Interior, Gen. Luigi Pelloux; Min- 

 ister of Foreign Affairs, Marchese Emil Visconti 

 Venosta; Minister of the Treasury, Dr. Paolo 

 Boselli ; Minister of Finance, Pietro Carmine ; Min- 

 ister of Justice and of Ecclesiastical Affairs, Prof. 

 Adeodato Bonasi ; Minister of War, Gen. Giuseppe 

 Mirri ; Minister of Marine, Rear- Admiral Giovanni 

 Bettolo; Minister of Commerce, Industry, and 

 Agriculture, Dr. Antonio Salandra; Minister of 

 Public Instruction, Prof. Guido Bacelli ; Minister 

 of Public Works, Pietro Lacava : Minister of Posts 

 and Telegraphs, Marchese Antonino di San Giu- 

 liano. 



Area and Population. Italy has an area of 

 110,646 square miles. The population was cli- 

 mated on Dec. 31, 1899, at 31.856,675, about 288 

 to the square mile. The emigration from Italy 

 is greater than that from any other country. Be- 

 sides the emigrants who intend to settle across 

 the sea, and in applying for passports declare their 



