Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-16
A DEMOCRATIC BLUFF
Evans Tries to Fasten Blame
Upon Cummins For Insur-
ance Scandals
OPENING RALLY WAS SUCCESS
The Democrats Profess to Be Well Con-
tented With the Results-PoIiticaI
interest in Warren County is at
Low Ebb-Hearst Working to Secure
Iowa Vote.
special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
/ Des Moines, Oct. 1G.-The democrats
assert the belief that their opening
rally in this city last night was a
great success in every way and that
they are well satisfied with results.
One OF the features of the session was
a somewhat tiresome and poorly di-
| gested speech by Harry Evans, one of
! the two democratic candidates for the
house in this county. in which he un-
dertook to fasten upon Givernor A. b.
Cummins responsibility for the scan
dals in connection with the get-rich-
quick ten-year- gold-bond insurance
business Of the city and state, which
i the governor and the state auditor and
the attorney general have fairly driven
out of the state. Mr.. Evans did not
once refer to the fact that his colleague
on the ticket Is chief among the high
solaried men who are engaged In sell
! ing gold bonds and that he Is aud
/ itor OF the company which took over
the last of this business and carted it
out of Iowa. Neither did he indicate
| that the secretary of the democratic
national committee and number of
lother prominent democrats have been
actively engaged in selling this form
| of Insurance certificate. Mr.. Evans
recited a portion of the history OF these
life and trust CONCERNS and told of
| their enormous profits to stockholders,
but added that democrats being natur-
ally suspicious had not bit at the
game and therefore have no personal
cause OF complaint. He quoted one
statement which Is new, however. a
statement in a letter. which he said was
written by w. A. Kerr attorney of the
Minneapolis company which took over
the business Of the bits company here,
datei September q. lcas than a month
ago, in which he was protesting against
the contemplated new suits by holders
of the certificates in Iowa. in which he
Is said to have stated
The greatest relief which could be
obtained or granted to any or all policy
holders would be the appointment OF
receiver and the distribution of the
assets. Distributing all the as
sets of the company upon the theory
of the amount paid IN as premiums
with interest accretions, no policy hold
err would receive much more than %
per cent
This statement. If reliable, merely
confirms what has been written in this
correspondence the past year in re-
gard to the companies. But inasmuch
~, Ut, Sf JIa Nall rcf
ness is due to republican officials and
they have been doing IL bit of house
cleaning which has received, as it has
merited, the commentator of all re-
publicans, the attempt to make polit-
ical capital out of the matter for the
democratic ticket appears to be de-
cidedly strained Neither Governor
Cummns nor his associates at the
state house desire to conceal any mat
ter In relation to the whole business.
They proceeded somewhat cautiously,
but went straight forward and the
result Is that the business is cleared
from the state. There Is said to be an
exception. One company is said to
be still engaged in doing small
amount of this questionable invest
ment certificate business, but positive
proof of this fact has not vet come to
the notice OF the state officials.
Incidentally 1t might be stated that
the removal of this business from Des
Moines was quite loss In a business
way to the city. 1t was this fact that
led to much of the effort put forth here
to protect and preserve the business.
Des Moines was obtaining reputa-
ton as a great insurance center Ihere
were many who cared little as TO the
character Of their reputation, or the
business and who realized that the
business run thru the Des Moines post
office by four great financial concerns
was of real Importance i'll commercial |
way. But others believed that busi- j
ness OF this kind should not be en-
couraged even though it did swell the
bank and postoffice totals.
The political campaign for the re-
publicans of Warren county was to
have been opened at 1ndianola last
Saturday afternoon and N. e. Coffin,
brilliant speaker from this city, was
sent over to open it UP. But there was
a live stock sale in town that afternoon
and the usual Saturday crowd gathered
at the sale. A brave effort was made 10
get somebody to attend a political
meeting, but they Were all too busy
and Mr.. Coffin came back to Dss
Mones with his speech in his pocket.
And this sort of an experience In this
cempaign is not confined to any one
political party.
None Of the members of the Sherman
family from this city were able to at
tend the unveling of the General Sher-
man monument in Washington. Hoyt /
Sherman, the survivor of the four
brothers. still lives here quietly In re-
tirement, his home being an old
fashioned brick residence. on plot of
ground nearly a block in size, which
was when built far out III the suburbs,
but is now in the downtown district.
Mr. Sherman is an extensive property
owner here. His son, Charles M. Sher-
man, is lawyer In Chicago. Two Of
the brothers came to Des Moines in
early days-Hoyt and Lampson. The