The Government of Iowa (1911)

by Frank E. Horack

For other versions of this work, see The Government of Iowa.

THE GOVERNMENT

OF

IOWA

---

FRANK E. HORACK

THE GOVERNMENT OF IOWA

THE GOVERNMENT OF IOWA

BY

FRANK EDWARD HORACK, A.M., Ph.D.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE IN THE

STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, AND SECRETARY

OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OF IOWA

NEW YORK

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

1911

COPYRIGHT, 1911

BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

 

Charles Scribner's Sons logo

TO THE MEMORY OF MY MOTHER

PREFACE.

In the preparation of this book it has not been the author's purpose to write an exhaustive treatise on the Constitutional Law of Iowa. On the contrary, he has aimed in these pages to give a narrative and descriptive account of the government of Iowa, divorced as far as possible from legal verbiage and prosaic references to articles, titles, chapters, sections, and paragraphs of Constitution, Code, and Statutes. For the convenience of students and teachers who desire the exact wording of the State Constitution, the text of that instrument has been added in an Appendix.

The tendency, in recent years, of constitution makers to limit the powers of the legislature by incorporating numerous and often non-essential subjects in the Constitution has made many of our State Constitutions lengthy documents. Sometimes we find jumbled up with the outline of the framework of the government subjects which have no place in a written Constitution. Where such provisions occur in the Constitution of Iowa, they have frequently been passed over by the author as unimportant in the study of Iowa government. Moreover, our State Constitution is not altogether systematic in its arrangement. Sometimes the same subject is referred to in several places. By the adoption of the topical method it is believed that a more convenient arrangement for study has been provided.

Wherever statutory legislation has supplemented constitutional provisions herein considered, the author has endeavored so far as practicable to make use of such material. Some of the newer institutional forms of democracy which have recently been enacted into law, such as the primary election, the commission plan of city government, and the like, have been included in the discussion. Statutory provisions are, of course, subject to change at any session of the General Assembly; and so, a text-book on State and local government must always be supplemented by legislation enacted subsequent to its publication.

The purpose of the author has been to explain both the organization and the functions of government. Nor has he hesitated to express freely his own opinions relative to the organization or activities of the State. Teachers and students alike must always bear in mind the fact that government in the United States is popular government, and that changes in organization and administration are constantly being made to meet the most recent demands of the people. The old notion that the individual exists for the State has been discarded: we now say that the State exists for the individual. Government is a very human institution and at every point the human element is apparent. It should be the duty of the teacher to instil sound notions of public morality, to teach both the spirit and the letter of the law, and to encourage the pupil to observe for himself the actual workings of government so that he may ever after take an intelligent and high-minded interest in public affairs.

The author is especially indebted to Professor Benjamin F. Shambaugh, Head of the Department of Political Science in the State University of Iowa, for his many valuable suggestions during the preparation of this book, and for his critical reading of the entire manuscript. Furthermore, the Maps Illustrative of the Boundary History of Iowa were compiled by Professor Shambaugh in connection with an article written by him for The Iowa Journal of History and Politics. The maps are copyrighted by the State Historical Society of Iowa and are reproduced here by permission of the Society.

The plates for the map showing the accessions of territory from the Indians, made for the Iowa Census of 1905, were kindly loaned by Hon. A. H. Davison, Secretary of the Executive Council of Iowa. Professor John E. Brindley of Ames kindly read and revised the chapter on taxation, and Professor Forrest C. Ensign, State High School Inspector, gave many helpful suggestions in reference to our school system. To Dr. Dan E. Clark, Assistant Editor for the State Historical Society of Iowa, I am deeply indebted for the excellent index to this volume, and for his careful and expert proof reading. To many others who have given me encouragement and assistance, I am likewise much indebted.

FRANK EDWARD HORACK.

The State University of Iowa,

Iowa City, Iowa,

1911.

CONTENTS
 

chapter		page
I.	The Land and Resources	1
II.	Population and Ethnic Elements	6
III.	Early History and Explorations	13
IV.	The Foundations of Government in Iowa	22
V.	The Organic Act and Constitutions of Iowa	26
VI.	Our Civil Rights	35
VII.	Suffrage, Elections, Party Machinery	43
VIII.	The Legislative Department	51
IX.	The House of Representatives, or Lower House	60
X.	The Senate, or Upper House	69
XI.	The Executive Department	73
XII.	Administrative Officers, Boards, and Commissions	87
XIII.	The Judicial Department	105
XIV.	The County and its Government	112
XV.	The Civil Township and its Government	122
XVI.	The Government of Cities and Towns	125
XVII.	Amendments to the Constitution	135
XVIII.	Taxation	139
XIX.	Education and the School System	145
XX.	Social and Economic Legislation	155
Appendix —The Constitution of Iowa		167
Index		207

LIST OF MAPS.

Map I. Illustrative of Indian Land Cessions in Iowa

between pages 8 and 9

Map II. Illustrative of the Northwest Territory, the Territory of Indiana, and the Territory of Michigan

between pages 18 and 19

Map III. Illustrative of the Boundaries of the Original Territory of Wisconsin and the Separate Territory of Iowa

between pages 20 and 21

Map IV. Illustrative of the Lucas Boundaries

between pages 28 and 29

Map V. Illustrative of the Nicollet Boundaries

between pages 30 and 31

Map VI. Illustrative of the Date of Establishment and Present Boundaries of Counties in Iowa

between pages 112 and 113