Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-19
LESSER'S FRIENDS SUFFER
Lose Prestige in Local Political Fight Of
Which he Was the Center.
SHELToRs SPEECH STlRS UP FARMERS
Take Exceptions to His Statements
Regarding the
Hot Fight f. on for Judge
ship Nomination.
(From a STAFF Correspondent

(From a Stan Correspondent
DIES MONIES, Jan. 1s.-(Special)-The
Indictment OF w. r. Lesser of Tama, Ia,
in the United States court in Nebraska for
classifying his accounts after he had been
suspended from office, where he was acting
as United States land agent, created a
great deal Of surprise in political circles in
Iowa, where Lesser is we'll known, though
in his home tow Of Tama there was little
sympathy expressed for him. Lesser has
been active in politics for years. He was
United States Indian agent at Tama under
Harrison and sought reappointment to the
position under President Mckinley, but
local opposition caused him to fail. He
then secured a place in the land depart
ment by the efforts of State Senator PEN
rose OF his county and through Senators
Gear and Allison. Lesser is owner Of a
newspaper at Tama and has carried on a
bitter fractional fight in that county. Now
that he has been indicted the fractional
feeling has become stronger and the Incl
dent bids fair to drag down both Lesser
and the political friends who have supported
him many years.
Farmers and Their Schools.
Before the recent meeting of the State
eSAAN ~ ~ ASAhNe tAS
then president of the association, Charles
Shelton of Simpson college, uttered words
deprecatory OF the rural schools of Iowa.
He was quoted as saying that rs per cent
Of the instruction Of the rural schools Is
useless and rs per cent of the money ex-
pended on rural schools is wasted. This
unqualified assertion has raised a storm Of
protest from the people OF the state. The
newly-elected president of the association.
County superintendent Witter of Muscatine,
has felt called upon to repudiate the senti-
mert of Shelton, who is a candidate for the
presidency of the State college. At Ed
ridge, in Scott county, a armers' institute
was held last week and all Of one session
was taken up by the farmers with discus
sion of Shelton's assertions and a discds-
sion of the rural school problem. A large
number of the representative farmers Of
the county we're present and they evinced
the ~liveliest interest in the topic and
showed great familiarity with the schools
and school work in their community. Presi-
dent Shelton was alternately denounced
and pitied and finally a resolution was
unanimously passed to the effect that 1--WE
condemn the assertion as false, slanderous
| misleading, and refer to the experiences
{ the county superintendent of the state.
based on the quality of the work done by
rural pupils as compared with pupils of
graded schools" 1t is probable that II
President Shelton should ever by chance
get into a meeting of farmers he would get
into a hot discussion on the rural schools
Of Iowa. His words have stirred up the
patrons OF these schools and aroused gem
eral Indignation in the state.
Republican Primaries EARLY
The republican primaries in Polk county
are to be held in about six weeks. The
county committee determined upon March
as the date for the primaries some time
ago and an effort has been made to secure
a change to a later date, but without avail.
The contest will come chiefly on district
judge, as there is to be one selected to
fill out a part Of a term. Governor Cum
Minis refused to choose between the candi-
dates who were before him and named
ex-Chief Justice Given to occupy the bench
until after the election. There are two
avowed candidates for the Judgeship and
the line will be sharply drawn between
the east and the west side of the river
and almost equally we'll drawn between the
laboring men and the corporations. One
of the candidates has always trained with
an exclusive set, while the other was form
erly a coal miner. There are a large num-
Der OF candidates for county Offices.
knights of Columbus.
|, What will be practically a state meeting
OF the Knights Of Columbus is to be hello
/ In Des Moines February 1 next. The loca.
| society has arranged for a big banquet IL
] connection with limitations ON that dat,
( and invitations have been extended t.
t about 500 from other parts of the state. A
program which will include many OF tn,
D leading Catholic speakers of the state II
, being arranged and 1t will be the larges
l gathering of the knights OF Columbus eve,
= held in the state. The society has beer
growing rapidly of late.
: Iowa Insurance Fees.
The state executive council has beer
I making investigation into the subject o
v fees paid to Iowa insurance examiners b,
\ the companies examined. 1t was fount
q that there is no record of these fees in tn,
r office Of auditor Of state and nothing to In
d dictate how many examinations have beef
made. An inspection of the letter-hles AM
other records Of the office has disclose,
r that in the last four years there have beef
q examinations made Of about seVenty-hv
e companies. The larger part Of this exam
nation work was done the last four month
Of the term Of the state auditor, who ha
Just retired. The records, as far as the,
disclose anything, show that examination
were made on simultaneous days, in elite
widely separated. TIL movemen Of tn
examiner must have been swift indeed t
have covered the ground. Now the council
has requested of all companies to repor
\ the dates of examinations and the fee
paid the examiner. II this is done IT 1
Il confidently expected that it will be show
IS that the companies have been the subjec
OF more or less extortion in the past.
to OIL FAMINE FACES ILLINOIS