TEMPORARY CAPITOLS OF IOWA.

3. IOWA CITY, 1841. 5. DES MOINES, 1858.

4. IOWA CITY, 1842. 6. DES MOINES (as remodeled), 1868.

1. BELMONT, 1836.

2 BURLINGTON, 1837.

the beginning, in the course of a few years their property passed into the control of interstate corporations and great discriminations, as to rates charged for traffic, became common. As a consequence, the State undertook the control of the business of these corporations so far as compelling equity and reasonable service at reasonable rates was concerned, and enacted laws and appointed commissioners, who, as officers of the State, were entrusted with the adjustment of these differences between the corporations and the people. Out of this has grown a State system that is among the most progressive and the most equitable that at present exists in any State. Iowa was a pioneer in the method of control of railways, in force within her borders, and time will prove the benefit of this system to both railways and the people they serve, as when the legal principle of State control has been established, the settling amicably the many problems of modern transportation can be satisfactorily accomplished.

109. Iowa's Capitals.-I. Belmont, Iowa county, Wisconsin, in 1836, was the first capital of any organized government in which representatives elected by the people, in the country west of the Mississippi river, sat as legislators. The site of this town is now in La Fayette county, Wisconsin, as the old town was long since abandoned. Here Governor Henry Dodge administered the oath of office to those who considered the problems of Iowa people, and here it was decided to move the capital of Wisconsin Territory to Burlington (Iowa), and to locate the permanent capital at Madison (Wisconsin).

2. Burlington became the capital by being able to

show that it could count more inhabitants, even if it did not have them, than its rival, Dubuque. The legislatures of 1836 and 1837 of Wisconsin Territory met at Burlington, and when Iowa became an organized Territory in 1838, it remained the capital until 1841, when the seat of government was moved to Iowa City.

3. Dissatisfaction with this location caused the first Territorial legislative assembly to order that a new capital, to be called Iowa City, should be selected in the wilderness, and a permanent building erected. This led to the construction of a stone capitol, now the central building on the State University grounds. In this capitol ten regular legislative sessions were held and three constitutional conventions. Much of the history of the State, during the formative period, is centered about this building in Iowa City—the first capitol of the State.

4. In 1857 Iowa City had also become remote from the center of population, and hence the capital was removed to Des Moines-the final home of organized State government. Here was erected first a temporary capitol, and afterwards the permanent capitol at a cost of more than $3,000,000. It is worthy of note that

in the long time devoted to the construction of this magnificent building, there was not a single transaction that was not honest and worthy of being approved by the people. Hence the State has a remarkably fine capitol, considering the amount of money expended, and it is also a monument to the integrity and fair dealing of the architects and builders.

110. The Policy of the State as to Debt.-Early

in the State's legislation, a small loan of money was made to maintain the government and float the debt that had accrued. During the war of 1861, the State increased its indebtedness by making a loan for a war and defense fund. Excepting these two loans, the policy of the State has been not to appropriate any money that it does not have for any purpose. Hence, the most of the fifty years of Statehood is a record of living within one's means, and no State debt has been accumulated. Therefore, when financial crises occur in the United States, the people of Iowa do not suffer from financial reverses in the world of commerce and of industry as much as States whose policy is different.

11. The Policy of the State as to Public Institutions. In the beginning Iowa adopted the policy of distributing its public institutions in different locations throughout the State. When new institutions are founded, they are located in places where no State institution at present exists. This policy has had the effect of bringing all the people more or less into sympathy with one or more separate institutions, and, taking into consideration the policy of "paying as we go," that governs appropriations, Iowa has notable and great institutions, all of which are highly valued and well supported by the people, who are developing them as rapidly as circumstances and the financial policy will permit. These things are a fair index of the progressive spirit of the people, and give much encouragement to hope for future greatness and more effective development.

112. Political Changes. From 1838 to 1854, was the era of Democratic party government in Iowa.

Since 1854, the principles and the ideas of the Republican party have controlled the affairs of the State. The history of these two periods is extremely interesting to the student, as it is, thereby, directly associated with development and change in civil government, and shows very plainly the effect of political ideas, and the consequence of political theories, on the management of public policies. Iowa is what she is to-day because of the constitutional and the legislative construction that the dominant principles of both of these historical periods produced. The study of Iowa civil government will establish this fact and lead to valuable and useful conclusions.

113. Productions. The soil of Iowa is all productive. There is scarcely any waste or swamp land within its borders. There is scarcely an acre that could not be used to help support human life by giving food, as a return for reasonable effort. Agricultural pursuits, therefore, occupy the majority of the people, though urban population and manufacturing is gradually increasing. There is no people in the world that, as a whole, are better fed and clothed and should, therefore, be happier than the people of Iowa. The chief staple is corn, Iowa being the first State in the Union in the quantity of its production. The United States Department of Agriculture, reports that Iowa in 1896 had 8,249,219 acres of corn, and that the crop amounted to 321,719,541 bushels-a greater amount than could be profitably put upon the market. The second staple is oats, in which Iowa is also the first State in the Union, the acreage of 1896 being 3,841,522 and the product 105,641,855 bushels.