Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-01-12

T.
sewering or other public improvement
certificates. These securities are as
safe as municipal bonds, and inasmuch
as the opportunities to- loan money on
real estate will gradually become less,
you ought to open such other remunera-
tive fields as are without danger. be.
lieve, also, that every life insurance
company organized under the laws OF
this state should be permitted to invest
a reasonable sum Ito be fixed by the
executive council, but not exceeding ten
per cent of its legal reserve) in home
office; and that, upon transfer Of the
title to such Office in trust to the audi.
tor. its value. as determined, by the
part of it's deposit with the auditor.
The course l have suggested will not
only insure safety in the investment OF
assets, but will have a tendency to keep
the money of our people at home and
to build up our state.
The last suggestion that have to
make with respect to life insurance is
not the least important, but l have CIV
en- 1t this place because l do not expect
indeed l do not recommendation upon
it by this general assembly. 1t involves
an extent of study and investigation
that will probably preclude you. even if
posing of it at this time.
There is more fraud and deception,
sometimes intentional and sometimes I'M
intentional, practiced upon policy-llolders
by reason of the variety in the forms OF
life insurance contracts than in any 9TH
err way. There are hundreds of these
forms, differing oftentimes but slightly
from each other, and these differences
are, in my opinion, in many instances
created for no other purpose than to en-
able the agent to found upon them an
detected by the unskilled mind, and the
effect of which is to create an atmos-
phere of mystery about the entire life
insurance business. There are but few
kinds of legitimate life insurance con-
tracts. You can certainly number them
on the fingers Of your two hands.
There is no sense in the almost infinite
multiplicity of forms. l believe that
there should be standard forms of pol
icies. They should be uniform with
all companies. They should be plain,
should be easily understood. If we had
such uniformity, the people would soon
come to know what insurance Is, and
what the insurance companies agree to
do in each Of the several forms of con-
tract issued. believe that it Is your
duty to institute such an investigation
and so collect such Information as will
enable subsequent general assembly to
deal intelligenty with this vital phase
Of the business.
A Primary Election Law.
In my last biennial message stated
at some length my views upon primary
elections. Two years of thought ana
discussion have strengthened my belief
in the system of nominations by direct
vote of the primary electors. then
said that as between nominations by
mere plurality and nominat tons by con-
ventions l was inclined to favor the lat
ter. Upon this point, and upon this
point alone, have my opinions experience
ed change. Further study, reflection
and observation have convinced me that
we must either accept the primary sys-
tenn in so far as it is applied, with direct
nominations, as whole, or the conven-
ton system as whole. With these
Alternatives before me, l have no hesita-
ton in declaring that l am for the pri
mary system of nominations by plurality
rather than of nominations by conven-
tons. 1t there were any practicable plan
through which the voters could work
out their second choice | would gladly
endorse it, but after giving to the sub
ject all the thought of which i am cap
able, and giving to the laws of other
states the most exhaustive study, Il am
unable to discover any workable arrange.
ment through which the voters can ex-
press their second choice. The law that
controls or regulates the nomina zion of
candidates for Office has no element of
craftsmanship in it. There is no reason
why th.' members of one party should be
for 1t and the members of another party
ha nIn oe
factionalism in it. There is no person
wise enough to predict how such a law
may affect him personally, and no man
should be unpatriotic enough to attempt
1t. The man who favors or opposes such
law because he believes that for the
time being it will promote or retard the
fortunes Of any particular person or
company of persons is unworthy of the
citizenship he enjoys. The movement
a part Of the mighty forward march of
civilization. 1t is nothing more than a
recognition of the fundamental truths of
the declaration of independence and an
effort to bring our laws into harmony
with the framework of free institutions.
1t is part of the universal demand that
the voters in either original capacity, and
save those things which, in the very ma
ture of our government, must be done
by the voters, and therefore they are
made by the voters. Laws which COM
prise infinite detail cannot be made by
the voters in either original capacity, and
therefore you are the proxies of the
voters Of the state of Iowa for the enact
ment of laws. Nominations for office
can be made by the voters, and therefore
there should be no such thing as q
proxy intervening between the voter and
*, oI>1s hat <hn
fem of nominations by direct vote Is
but a phase of a uniform and contin-
uous advance of the people. 1t be-
gan in the early days Of the republic.
Originally the president and vice presi-
dent of the United States were elected
by proxy, and the electors were expected
to use their own judgment respecting
the selection. 1t was not long, how.
ever, before this idea become intoler.
able, and the present plan was adopted,
which is the nearest approach to an cleo
ton by the voters that is possible with
out a change in the constitution. For
years the voters have, in substance. vot-
ed for the president and vice president,
for it is hardly possible to conceive of
an eector yenturesome enough to dis
obey the implied command put upon him
by the voters of bis state.
Senators Of the congress Of the Unit
ed States are still elected by proxy, but
the General Assembly of the state of Iowa
and the conventions of the several politi-
cal parties have repeatedly declared for
a change in the constitution that will
require their election by direct vote,
and IN so doing they have been associat-
ed in action with the legislatures. and
parties of more than one-half the states
of the union. Every lover Of his coun-
try must see how important 1t is to make
the voter as influential as possible in the
management of public affairs. Our
government is founded upon the vital
thought that the citizen is intelligent
enough and patriotic enough to hold