Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-12
CONTEST OYtR
POST Of HONOR
Iowa Electoral Commission
Members May Have to Agree
Upon Drawing Cuts
SEVERAL START CAMPAIGNS
SEVERAL START CAMPAIGNS
The Messenger Elected Will Take One
of the Trip'icate Copies Of the Vote
Cast by the Electoral College In
Person to Washington, Where He
Will Deliver it to Secretary Of State.
Special to Tlmes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 12.-There may be
a merry scramble after the post of
honor on the Iowa electoral commits
sion of carrying the vote to Washing
ton. If there are any of the members
of the electoral college who have not
vet indicated their Willingness to ac-
cept the position of special messenger
they have not been listed. Several
have indicated they would prefer the
| honor over their fellows. At least one
or two are conducting a systematic
campaign and hard canvass, and are
making use Of whatever Of political in
f1uence they may be able to command.
Col. Ormsby's friends point to the fact
that he led all others on the ticket and
this entities him to the place. Paul
Junkin, OF the Eighth, is hard after
the place. But these are not all the
actual candidates who are working for
the place. 1t is much coveted, and in
| view of the candidates it is probable
that they will have to agree upon
drawing cuts for the place, as the cleo
toral college of four years ago did.
The certificate of the vote cast by the
electoral college is made out in trip
licate. One copy is mailed to John
Hal, another is filed with the judge of
the United States district court, and
the messenger elected takes the other
In person to Washington and delivers
1t to the secretary of state. The mes
senger gets a good mileage from the
government for making the trip, and
as he usually rides on a pass it i.,. ute
| profitable. The electors, by the way,
are the only men who actually get pay
for voting, and get 1t honestly. They
are paid So day and mileage at is
cents mile for making the trip to
Des Moines and casting their votes.
The portion of President Roosevelt's
message in which he makes sugges-
ton as to the advisability of some fed
eral regulation of insurance has re-
ceived some attention here where there
are number of strong insurance com
panies, both in life and fire, which do
! a business in other states as we'll as
in Iowa. Ole o. Roe, who has charge
of the insurance department in the
state auditors office, has been inter-
ested in gathering expressions of opin-
ion on the subject. IT have Just been
going over the insurance journals he
said "and find that they are gener-
ally opposed to the scheme. / think the
fire insurance people will especially
oppose 1t. The scheme involves ulti-
lnately some sort of uniformity in the
operation Of all the insurance business.
There can be comparative uniformity
in life insurance but nothing of the
sort in regard to fire. The courts held
some years ago that insurance is not
interstate business, and the companies
have adjusted themselves to this con-
dition. To make a change now would
cause them much trouble. And yet
some of the larger insurance compan-
les will not oppose federal inspection
and regulation, asthey believe it would
help them in the end. see that Sena
tor Dryden, of New Jersey, who is
president of the Prudential, is in favor
of the proposal"
There will not be any attempt to
get the amendment into court by any
of the state or local county officials.
A small few started out to make it
appear that the matter of handling the.
amendments was factional controver-
sy and: wanted to array faction
against faction-and right there it was
dropped Those who have been for
the amendment say that it is not up
to them to defend. AS one state Off
Ger said: "It is none of my business.
The matter was referred twice to the
people and they indorsed it once by
over 10000 and again by over $4,000
majority. 1t expresses the wish of the
people. I am fully content. If any
body feels aggrieved over the indorse-
ment the people gave it, or If there IS
anyone who believes his interests are
injured, let him appeal from the de-
cision of the people and ask the courts
to grant him such relief as they may"
The fact that two of the congressman
from Iowa who are recognized as very
able lawyers have declared there was
no doubt at all about the amendments
being legal, has had a quieting effect
on the discussion.
John w. Swift, a newspaper man of
this city, who has commenced suit
against a local firm Of printers for $685.
600, is q unique character. The suit
relates to the printing of a book in
which he gave a narrative of his trip
around the world. He was in the vol
unteer service with an Ohio regiment
during the war over Cuba and then he
was in the navy and went around the
to ot
tary to Admiral Remey on the journey
and thus enjoyed exceptional advant-
ages for seeing much Of the world. He
wrote an interesting book which he
published a few years ago.
The legislative committee of the gen.
eral assembly charged with the duty
of preparing details of the bill for ap-