Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-30
governor CUAN|NS
ASKS TO Be SHOWN
Calls Upon His Ministerial Crit
les at Des Moines to Point Out
Failure in Duty
ASKS FOR a CONFERENCE
Says Governors Before Him Have
Found Themselves Unable to En-.
force Liquor Laws-A Candid, Plain
Spoken Message to the Ministers
Immediate Action Requested.
Special to Timea-Republican.

DeS Moines, Oct. Ex-Governor cum.
Minis today by messenger delivered the
following communication to the presi-
dent of the Des Moines Ministerial
association:
"As appears from the newspapers.
your association adopted a resolution
on Monday which, among other things.
suggests an appeal to the governor.
looking to the better enforcement OF
the law, and especially the law relat-
Ing to the sale Of intoxicating liquor.
I waited all day yesterday. expecting
to receive copy of the resolution di-s
rectly from your hands, but inasmuch
as it has not yet been sent to me. I
assume that 1t was expected that !
would accept its publication in lieu OF
a delivery. This, and this alone, ac-
counts for the fact that did not reply
to you yesterday.
Malicious Dsfamers Unhesdsd.
II have given no heed to the ma
licious defamations Of certain news
papers upon the subject, for the reas-
on that it Is their business to defame
me, and their motives are understood,
1T is my invardable rule to make
no reply to their Misrepresentation.
am, however, conscious Of a wholly.
different feeling with respect to your
association. I believe that you arel
deeply concerned for the welfare Of the
people, and are doing everything yo.
can to better their morals, and
drive out vice, crime and wronSl6lnY.
can put no other construction upon
your resolution than you honestly be-
lieve there Is some specific thing or
things that I can and ought to do. as
governor, which will prevent the vio-s
lation of our liquor law. am more
anxious to see this law, and every other
law, enforced than you possibly can
be, for in addition to my interest as a
man, have taken an oath to employ
every power that / may lawfully en-
ploy to execute the laws. have tried
faithfully to know my duty and my
authority, and ii have failed to do
anything which I can lawfully and
properly do, the man or body of men
who will point out the omission will
confer upon me lasting obligation.
Governor Has Not Power.
II believe that your resolution was
| not mere abstract expression and that
| you are honestly Of the opinion that
you can show me wherein can le-5
gally do something to suppress the IL
legal saloon. The illegal saloon in
certain cities Of the state has been In
continuous operation since the law
went into effect in 1894. It is no worse.
indeed 1t is not quite so Illegal, as it
has been during all these years under
my predecessors, Jackson, Drake and
Shaw. They failed to discover any
method thru which the governor could
suppress it. I, likewise have been un-
able to discover any way in which
could destroy it without oustfng the
civil Jurisdiction of these cities and
putting them under martial law.
| Ready to Be Corrected II Mistaken.
"If am mistaken want to be cor4
rected. and therefore ask for a COM
ference with your association respect
ing the power Of the governor in these
/ u
| to sit down together and go over the
subject fairly and candidly, so that the
people Of the state may know whether
! have been faithless in the discharge
Of my duty, or whether the law needs
| STRENGTHENING. ask all the members
Of your association to come to my Of
fee at a time that may be convenient
for them, the date to be fixed by you.
The meeting will be an open one, and
| the newspapers will give the utmost
publicity to everything that is said Or
done.
.1 cannot close this letter without
saving. that while the interests OF law
breaking are so numerous that every
| decent man sfludders, 1t Is still true, as
believe, that there is less crime in
the state of Iowa than at any time
for ten years past. It is great mis-
take to lead unthinking people to be-
lieve that we are growing worse In
stead OF better. Let us do our best to
exterminate wrong-doing altogether,
hut in view Of the progress already
made. we should be hopeful, and mos
respondent.
| .Please let me hear from you az
| soon as possible, and remember that II
Won will fix the time for the confer.
! ence. I Will allow nothing to interiors
with 1t.
"Yours very truly.
! "signed, ALBERT B. cUMMINs."
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