Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-12
R[RR|OI1' 8 STATEMENT
"A Second Protest and Severe Denun.
citation Of Shaw and Secretary
Dohson.
State Treasurer Attacks the Cover.
nor and Secretary in Bitter
Terms

Charges Growing Out Of the Assess.
ment Re0pened- Text Of the
Document.
Des Moines, April 12. State Treasurer
Herriott has given out the statement he
has been preparing for some time, at
tacking the governor and secretary of
state and incidentally Chairman Weav-
ier of the state central committee. His
language is even more bitter than that
used in his first protest. Following is
the text Of the document:
On the 2sth day of March filed for
record with the secretary of the execu-
tive council of Iowa a statement" ex-
planning my relations to the late "un-
fortunate" railroad assessment deter
mined by the council at the Slavery ho-
tel sick room session. March %.
In that statement charged, as plain-
" as words could do 90, that my COLI
leagues in the council, the governor and
y
nored the plain mandate Of the code,
ID i'll making the assessment less than
the one-fo fourth actual va1uat ton. of the
railway properties of Iowa by law; (2)s
that they had inflicted gross Inequalities
in the assessment by assessing the rail-
roads at greatly varying; rates; ~ that
they had favored the large and strong
voa n f1,e, \, ,,,,
weaker systems; (i) that the great Chi
cago q Northwestern railway had been
Especially favored by the council with
undervaluations which meant to its di-s
rectors and stockholders thousands and
thousands OF dollars saved annually in
taxes and which meant correspondingly
increased tax burdens for the taxpayers
living in the counties along that great
trunk line All of these things charged
my colleagues openly with doing in vio-
to obey. With each charge Igaye u bill
therein specified amounted to malfeas-
ance in office. Ny. statement was given
to the public press and printed in full.
session at the time.
+
4 Governor Shaw and Secretary Oh State
4 Dobson, made to my specific indict-
ment? Silence,
True. counter statement comprising
a series of excuses twitil which / shall
deaD for failing to do their duty under
\ the law was published by them stimuli
3taneously with mine. which counter
Istatement was evidently composed be-
i|fore they fully realized the nature of
my arraignment. But no specific an
swer or defense has since been made by
\ either of the defendants in the case Civ
II en- to the jury March IS. What does
ltheir silence signify? What can it sig
/ Nifty but this: The charges made r5tlst
be true. assno defense is made. The jury
must bring in a verdict of guilty.
The Marshalltown Times Republican.
March 90. in commenting on my state
/ ment," among other things said that its
Judgment as to the merits of the contro-
lNersy would be reserved until the charg-
/ es made by the treasurer of state We're
\ l''invest tigated'' by the lgislature. sNeith-
4 err the public nor the editor of the
4 Times Republican has heard of any in
.|vestigation. supposed, of course that
Ian investigation would be ordered inn
4 ilmediately | supposed that the gover-
sI.nor would demand Il hearing before the
lawmakers to clear his character. ]
4 supposed of course that the secretary
4 of state would insist upon all his acts
i slrelative to railroad assessments being
Isharply scrutiniZed by the repres enta-
ltives of the people. who We're then in
Irregular session. But no message. no de-
mand to this effect was received by eith-
Ter house or senate from eitherof my
4 scoi.ea,,.es. The Significance of this Is
Iunnistakable. &
A During the three years lS61-64) / was
a in the Army of the Potomac. whenever
9 ian officers honor Was inlpugned or his
lacts criticised by n brother officer or by
Iother persons. and he felt himself un-
Justly accused, he demanded a trial By
|court martial. Shortly before the Span.
8 ish war Maj John I. Hume. late of thu
Fifty-trst Iowa, then of the Third regi-
|, Irnent. i. n. G.. was accused by a su.
perior of conduct unbeconing an officer
4 Maj. Hume promptly demanded a cour
martial and he was acquitted complete,
ly at the end of the trial. During tn,
extra session Of the twenty-seyentt gen
s eral assembly in 1897 serious charge.
!, were made in connection with certain
building and loan legislation which In,
volved the honor of the speaker Hon. II
w. Byers of Shelby county. Did Mr.
Byers SIT still under the charges? No
He perelmptorily demanded an investi
CATION and refused to act as speake
pending the report of the committee ap
pointed by the house to investigate tn
! charges. The committee, all will recall
, exonerated him and he again took up hi
q duties.
These recent instances are very ap
indeed and striking is the moral whicl
they enforce. Ny colleagues admit b.
their silence that my charges We're we
/ founded. The present treasurer does moi
think may presume to say. have
!. .Ireputation for making ill-considere
and untrustworthy statements or fo
j, reckless disregard of the truth. No,
! his charges We're clear, sharp and ring
! ing. No innocent man would have sa
. Istill under them for a moment.
3 The reason the legislature did not in
/ islstitute an investigation was probabl
because of the fact that the bill of pai
I lticulars filed by the treasurer March
; rendered a formal legislative inquir
lsuperfiuoue. AS to this phase OF tn
subject. I need say no more now.
AT this point I should take UP and ar