The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-03-29
SHAW At DES MONIES
Secretary Addresses a Large
Audience Last Friday
STANDS PAT on TARIFF
Full Text of the Speech Which Has
Caused Much Comment Through
out Iowa and the Nation

am citizen of Iowa and expect
to remain one, and as such you will
pardon me for having the same inter-
est in state legislation as l will be
permitted to have when l return to
my home in Denison. While Govern
or of the state l gave some study to
the question of primary elections, and
at one time thought seriously of sub
uniting specific recommendations on
the subject. have never believed,
however, in state wide primary for
the nomination of state officials, and
my subsequent observations have con-
firmed my previous convictions.
believe a primary law can be en-
acted, however, that will be of great
help to the state, but it ought not to
be compulsory. We have a herd law
which can pc adopted by any county,
and when so adopted the details of
the law become effective. We tried
statewide prohibition and failed. It
worked we'll in some counties, but
unfortunately in others. We now have
IN effect a local option law which
works better than anything heretofore
tried in the state. l believe prim-
airy law could be enacted affording
every safeguard and made to apply
whenever adopted by county. After
adopted it should be revocable by vote
OF the people at any election after
limited period. This would give each
county an opportunity to experiment
under the most favorable conditions
possible, and to pursue such course as
in the judgment of the people of the
county was deemed best. Experience
will also show whether it will be
wise to force such a law upon those
counties that do not want it. If any
one suggests that each county has that
right now, 1 reply that there is no
law applicable after the plan is adopt
ed, and there is no way to compel reg
ularity or to punish fraud. There is
no way to compel all parties to hold
their primaries at the same time.
There are several essentials to
good primary law. First of all,
colonization should be rendered i'm
possible. To prevent the importation
Of voters l think those only should be
permitted to participate who voted at
the preceding general election, plus
those who may have registered and de-
clared their party affiliations twelve
months befc:e the date Of the election.
1T is no great hardship to permit
those only who have lived one year in
the county and who have taken enough
interest in the matter to register to
control nominations and the selection
of delegates to conventions. Second,
members of one political party should
not be permitted to take part in the
affairs of other parties. Those who
have changed their political faith
within the year can be safely exclud-
ed from rendering assistance in max
ing nominations. Fraudulent voting
can be much more easily proven if
the oath requires statement of fact
as to previous vote rather than an
avowed intent as to the future. Third,
the restrictions upon fraudulent voting
should be rigid and the penalties as
severe as at general elections. Fourth,
it should not be compulsory upon any
county that prefers the old plan.
In reply to letter from Senator
Molsherry, some weeks ago, l made
some observations to the effect that
there were few possible candidates
for state Offices who were. known to.
five per cent of the voters of the
state. believe this to be true, and
it implies no reflection upon the in
telligence of the people of the state.
Within the last sixty days the editor
and joint owner of quite an impor-
tant newspaper asked me, "Is Mr..
Root Attorney General?" Within six
ty days received a letter seeking,
with apparent intelligence. an APP
pointment to certain position in the
Treasury Department, and the letter
was addressed to Hon. Daniel Man
ming, Secretary of the Treasury.
Daniel Manning was citizen of the
same state as the writer of the letter,
but he suddenly died while in office
during Mr.. Cleveland's first admins
tration, nearly twenty years ago. Dur
ing the present month citizen of a
certain state called upon his friend
who is holding an important Office in
Washington, and who was appointed
by President Roosevelt. In the course
of the visit, this high Government
official inquired, "What has become
of my friend so-and-so? What is he
dolng?" He seemed gratified at the
reply. "He is at present Governor
of your state. !" While l was Govern
or frequently asked members of the
legislature, "What share of the mem
bers of your body do you know" 1t
was seldom that any one claimed to