IOWA. 



341 



Imposing upon life insurance associations the 

 same penalties as are imposed upon fire insurance 

 companies for giving rebates and making discrimi- 

 nations. 



Requiring weeds to be cut in parking along 

 streets in cities and towns, the cost to be charged 

 to the abutting property. 



To keep girls in the reform school until twenty- 

 one years of age, if necessary to complete reforma- 

 tion. 



Requiring husband and wife to testify in cases 

 where they are accused of fraudulent transfer of 

 property, one to the other, to prevent collection of 

 debts. 



Prohibiting manufacture and sale of adulterated 

 linseed oil, unless it is branded adulterated. 



Providing that a pharmacist's permit to sell 

 liquor can not be revoked on account of a violation 

 >jf the law occurring more than 'two years before 

 the action is begun. 



Providing that the cost of transcribing testimony 

 in cases of appeal from the District to the Supreme 

 Court shall be taxed as costs in the case, to be paid 

 by the losing party. 



Raising the taxes of express companies from 1 

 to 2 per cent, upon the gross receipts for business 

 done within the State. 



Making valid and legal all the contracts by build- 

 ing and loan associations prior to the passage in 

 1896 of the new law. 



Prohibiting killing, maiming, or trapping any 

 deer, elk, or goat, under penalty of $25 fine or one 

 month in jail. 



A joint resolution which had passed two Legisla- 

 tures provided for submission to the people at the 

 general election in 1898 of a new plan of represen- 

 tation in the lower House of the Legislature. It 

 was proposed that the ratio of representation should 

 be fixed by dividing the total population of the 

 State according to the last State or Federal census 

 by the number of counties, giving each county one 

 representative, and each county having a population 

 of one and three-fifths times the ratio or more, two 

 repi'esentatives ; but not more than two. This was 

 defeated at the November election by a vote of 33,- 

 872 for, to 76,391 against it. It would have increased 

 the number of representatives from 100 to 115. 



Another constitutional amendment was proposed 

 by a resolution which passed this Assembly and 

 must pass the next before it is submitted to the 

 people. It provides for biennial elections. 



A joint resolution proposing an amendment to 

 the constitution giving the elective franchise to 

 women was defeated by a vote of 49 to 48. 



Judicial Decisions. In a case involving the 

 constitutionality of the Iowa law rendering void 

 any contract with a railroad limiting the liability in 

 cases of loss, the United States Supreme Court af- 

 firmed the opinion of the State court that the law 

 did not interfere with interstate commerce, and the 

 regulation attempted was within the province of the 

 States. 



The law taxing collateral inheritances was pro- 

 nounced unconstitutional in a district court at 

 Council Bluffs in February, on the ground that it 

 was in contravention of the fourteenth amendment 

 to the Constitution of the United States in that it 

 took property without due process of law, and also 

 because the law contained no provision for annui- 

 ties. The law provides for a 5 per-cent. tax on all 

 bequests other than to direct heirs. An appeal will 

 be taken by the State. 



The United States Supreme Court gave a decision 

 in May involving the construction of the law for- 

 bidding the sale of liquors in the State and mak- 

 ing it a crime to transport them, and dealing with 

 construction of the State law under the Wilson act 





of Congress, which it was claimed would render the 

 State law valid. The decision reversed the verdict 

 of the State Supreme Court. T. H. Rhodes was a 

 railroad agent at Brighton, Iowa, and was convicted 

 of participating in the transportation of a package 

 of goods shipped from Dallas, 111., to Brighton, his 

 part of the transaction being the removal of the 

 package a distance of six feet from the platform to 

 the warehouse. The United States court held that 

 Rhodes's act was a part of the act of shipment from 

 one State to another, and therefore not subject to 

 question. The State could control the sale of liquor 

 in the State, but it could not, the justice said, ex- 

 tend its jurisdiction beyond the State's borders. 



Justices Gray, Harlan, and Brown dissented, on 

 the ground that the State law was valid as a police 

 regulation. 



In a decision at Sioux City in February it was 

 held that when a voter marks a cross in a square 

 opposite to a blank space on an Australian ballot it 

 does not invalidate his vote, and it can not be con- 

 strued as a mark of identification. 



Political. The State convention of the Mid- 

 dle-of-the-Road Populists was held at Des Moines, 

 June 2, with 34 delegates. The resolutions declared 

 that fusion with other party organizations had been 

 productive of only confusion, distraction, and de- 

 struction to the People's party, and said : 



"Therefore, be it resolved, that a high sense of 

 honor demands that all true and earnest members 

 of the People's party in the State of Iowa do hence- 

 forth refuse to fuse or swap votes for offices, great 

 or small, either in matters of national, State, or 

 local importance, with any other party. 



" We deny that the platform of any other leading 

 political party is in harmony with the principles 

 enunciated in the platform of the People's party 

 adopted at Omaha and St. Louis on the subjects of 

 money, land, transportation, Government ownership 

 of public utilities, monopolies, bonded indebtedness 

 and coin, or gold redemption." 



They declared in favor of the initiative and ref- 

 erendum, and approved the war, but opposed the 

 acquisition of conquered territory ; opposed bond 

 issues and favored free silver for foreign commerce ; 

 urged that money should be issued solely by the 

 Government ; favored Government ownership of 

 public utilities. 



The nominations were: For Secretary of State, 

 R. M. Daniels; Auditor of State, C. A. Wicks; 

 Treasurer of State, A. M. Hutchinson ; Supreme 

 Judge, L. II. Weller ; Attorney-General, J. A. Low- 

 enberg; Railroad Commissioner, Joseph Ash; Clerk 

 Supreme Court, Alii Reed. 



The Prohibitionists in State convention at Des 

 Moines, June 28 and 29, besides reiterating prohibi- 

 tion principles, said : 



" We declare that the so-called regulation by li- 

 cense, mulct or taxation whereby a revenue is de- 

 rived from this traffic, is contrary to good govern- 

 ment, is complicity with the liquor crime, and 

 corrupting the public conscience. Therefore, we 

 demand the repeal of the mulct and the manufac- 

 turing laws, and that a prohibitory constitutional 

 amendment should be submitted to a direct vote of 

 the people. 



" Experience teaches us that any political party 

 not openly opposing this traffic will court the favor 

 of the liquor interests, and will shape legislation to 

 secure or retain its support. We therefore declare 

 for prohibition with a Prohibition party back of 

 it." 



The resolutions also declared in favor of a free 

 ballot and Sabbath observance. The candidates 

 named were : For Secretary of State, Malcolm 

 Smith ; Auditor of State, Edgar Brintnall ; Treas- 

 urer of State, J. C. Reed ; Judge of the Supreme 



