Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-01-13
EK.Auditor Elliott.

The State Register in connection
with the mention of the name of
Hon. John A. Elliott as candidate
for Governor, gives very hatter-
ing review of the services rendered
by that gentleman while occupying
the position of Auditor of State.
Without indicating our own predelic
tons as regards the Governorship,
we can endorse heartily all that the
Register says below of Mr.. Elliott's
ability and efficiency as an officer:
During his service, Mr.. Elliott
introduced in the office, and sug-
gested and inauguratcd for the well
being of the State, not few things
of a reformatory and beneficial ma
turc. In the matter of the school
fund, which had been left in such
bad condition by the old Board of
School Fund Commissioners, he
managed for the State to effect quite
satisfactory settlements. His poll
cy and opinion in regard to this
troubled question, and the success
of his course in regard to it, were
marked with sagacity and good
sense. Particularly in the matter
of insurance, which in the last few
years has grown into such an i'm
mense business, has Mr.. Elliott rem
dered the public valuable service.
Under his direction, it has been
made source of large revenue to
the State, and the rights and inter-
ests of the people become carefully
guarded. Before the adoption OF
the law, which he was instrumental
in framing and getting passed, the
different insurance companies doing
business in the State merely filed
their statement, as to their financial
condition, without explanation or
being liza bic to examination. Under
the provisions of the law it is now
made the duty of the Auditor to ex-
anime officially the statements, and
the business and starding of the
company, and, if he find it unrelia-
BILE or Enthusiastically, to compel it
to go into the hands of a receiver,
thus preventing the practice of
fraud upon any parties patroni-
zing it. The system to which Mr..
Elliott reduced the work of supcrvi-
sion has been generally commended
by the officers in the same depart
ment of other States, some of whom
have adopted for their own use his
form Of blanks and manner of re
ports. So greatly did he help in
the increase of business of an insur-
ance character, that the last Legis-
lature had it in serious contempla-
ton to create department of the
State Government especially for it.
We might mention also the part
Mr. Elliott took in the introduction
IF the Office of County Auditor. He
has generally been termed the faith
er Of the new system, having been
he first to suggest it, and one of the
most efficient in inaugurating it.
The press of the State will long
have reason to gratefully remember
him for his friendly Offices in its be-
half. He advocates strongly the
passage of the bill ordering the pub
icalion Of the laws in the newspa-
pers of the State, always defending
the policy as wise and economical,
and actively interested himself to
check mate the action OF those who
last winter sought to effect its re-
peal. His claim in his last report,
that the statute presumes that the
citizen is acquainted with the laws
and that their general publication,
where all could see them, would
make the presumption reasonable
was an argument the enemies oftha
measure could not answer then and
cannot NOW ;,