Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-09
VOTING MACHINE CASE
SETTLED AT LAST.
wINNESHIEK COUNTY HAS PAID FOR
THE MACHINES.
Final Settlement Of Case Gives Voting Ma.
chine Company Everything They Asked
Except Damages From Litigants.


The last act in the voting machine
comedy is ended, the curtain drops,
and Winneshiek County foots the
bill
! After six months of squabblinp
and sending good money after bad,
in the hope that the purchase OF
voting machines for Winneshiek
County by the Board of Supervisors
might be repudiated, the whole matter
has finally been settled. The attor.
neys for both sides of the case had
been taking depositions for several
days. when the proposition for settle.
ment was made and finally accepted
by both parties and the papers to that
effect made out on Friday.
The settlement of the case simply
means that Winneshiek County accepts
the voting machines as originally
contracted for, and pays for the same
at full purchase price, including
freight charges and the costs of the
injunction suit. On the other hand
the United States Voting Machine
Company agrees to withdraw the suit
for damages against H. 9. Hjerlied
and Others. now pending in the federal
court at Dubuue. The official proceed
ings Of the Board of Supervisors, pub.
lished in this issue. gives the terms OF
settlement in full, including all the
details.
Secretary Taft has made the fol.
lowing statement concerning his
presidential aspirations:
For the purpose of relieving the
burden, imposed by recent publica.
tions upon some of my friends among
the Washington newspaper correspon-
dents, of putting further inquiries to
me, wish to say that my ambition
is not political; that l do not ex-
pect to be the republican candidate,
if for no other reason because of what
seems to me to be objections to my
availability which do not appear to
lessen with the continued discharge
of my own official duty butt that am
not foolish enough to say that in the
improbable event that the opportunity
to run for the great Office of presi-
dent were to come to me, I should
decline it, for this would not be
true.
The state board of control has after
a thorough investigation of the scores
of sites purposed, decided to locate the
new state tuberculosis hospital on the
inter-urban railway between Iowa
City and Cedar Rapids, on high
point of land five miles north of the
former city. This will give the medi-
Cal students OF the state university
excellent opportunity for study OF
this very prevalent disease. When the
proposition first came up, Decorah
hoped TO receive favorable considera-
tion, but soon learned that it's loca-
tion in one corner of the state would
render its erection here impracticable.
Now il congress will pass law put
ting stop to the u. S. government
printing envelopes for private indi-
viduals and carrying them as mail
matter clear across the continent for
delivery without transportation
charges, perhaps the big postal deficit
will be lessened, and the poor news
paper man will stop complaining be-
cause. the government prevents the
railroads from paying for advertising
with transportation.
A new national naturalization law
went into effect the first of the year
which will have particular force in
this county. 1t provides that an ap-
plication must remain on file at least
ninety days previous to action by the
court, and the clerk is required to post
notice of the same. A person who
cannot read, write and speak the
English language is barred from nat
uralization and fee of S5 is required
of the applicant instead of 81 as here.
tofOre.
A hunters license in Iowa is to be
the next requirement, whereby every
resident of the state who would hunt
will be obliged to invest 81 in a
permit good for one year. State
Game Warden Lincoln recommends
such law in his report recently made
to the governor. The proceeds will
be used in connection with the en-.
fore sment of the game laws.
-%~---
North Dakota has been suffering in
tensely from the bitter cold and a
coal famine. In many places residents
have been forced to stay in bed to
keep warm or go to the hotels in the
towns. The railroads have been un.
able to supply the state with sufficient
coal, and blizzard now might mean
death to great many.