Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07

OF the ballot upon both government
and party. The public official who
can count on party loyalty to carry
him through, grows Indifferent and
dishonest in the public service. The
political party which is strongly in
trenched in power behind blind par.
tisan majority, scorns public opinion
and claims its share Of graft to en-.
rich bosses and maintain the party
machine. To control the selection of
! candidates for Office, to hedge the
party organization about with a sen
timent that the party Is sacred
thing, to 50 arouse partisan feeling
in the campaign as to fuse the mass
Of voters together, and make them
vote as one man, has made possible
| the era of official dishonesty, which
seems to have taken possession OF the
| public service everywhere Out of 1t
there came to political bosses a sense
Of security which made them bold in
dealing with the agents of the cap
tains Of industry, who have found it
to their interests TO make politics and
government matter of business.
| Whatever cOnduces to make the voter
as he enters the election booth free
to exercise an independent judgment
to consider the public welfare, the in.
tegrity Of the state and the country
first Of ALL will at once establish
higher party standards and better pub
lie service"
The Capitol
OF the several acts requiring reVi-
sion the governor says and this mat
ter Is first in his message-one of the
most important is chapter 5l6, which
provides for the erection Of a capitol
by sections, as the needs Of the state
may require. Examination Of this act
makes 1t plain that several of the i'm
portant features of the law prescrib-
ing the powers and duties of the com
mission are Of very uncertain mean
ing and necessarily require construc-
ton With all the conflicting inter
csts involved and the tendency in
those who compete, as architects or
contractors to become cmbittered ii
they meet with disappointment, this
would be exceedingly dangerous The
commission ought not to be left to
grope in the dark In carrying out this
great work it Is right that their powers
should be restricted. 1t Is absolutely
necessary that they should be clearly
and accurately defined. Nothing, says
the governor, should be left to conjec-
turc or be involved in uncertainty.
Then he calls attention to many am
biguitics Of Il technical but dangerous
nature.
Much Attention Is Given to Insurance.
ut is a shocking disclosure of the
dCm0raliZcd business integrity OF
tho country" he says, when the adms
lions Of the highest officials entrusted
with The savings which the people have
invested in life insurance and charged
with the management of these funds
show habitual violation Of their trust
to enrich themselves at the expense Of
policy holders. 1t ought to be neces-
sary to say that no officer, agent, or
cmploye of any insurance company
should be personally Interested in the
purchase or sale of any securities of
that company, or any personal or pc
cuniary interest in the making OF any
loans of the funds of the company
The disclosures of the Investigation
of the New York legislative commit
tee have demonstrated that the policy
holders Of at least three of the largest
of the companies of the country have
been Systematically plundered by the
operations o the officers of those com
ponies" 1t appears from the tosti-
mOny taken before the New York in
vostiRating committee that one OF the
great sources Of evil Is the improper
ailliation OF Insurance companies with
other business enterprises both
through the personal connections OF
in surance officials with such enter
prises. and through the holdings of
stock and other voting securities of in
dustrinl and transportation companies
by insurance companies. a runsCr-
vativc estimate places the par value
eft securities owned by insurance com
paries, which carry with them voting
power at over one hundred millions
of dollars. To the extent to which
securities represent voting power in
surancc companies, acting through
their officials, participate in the man
agcmont of ether business enter
priscs. This is hey the legitimate
province of life insurance companies.
The governor thinks 1t questionable
If insurance companies should invest
In sccuritic5 Of this character ut all,
but il Investments in selected shares
Of unQucstioued value be cNpedient
the voting power that they may carry
should be vested in public official
not connected with an assurance com
pany or any industrial or transporta,
ton company,
The governor details some of the
shocking facts revealed in the New
York investigation and adds at