Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-11
Governor Cummins Meets Com
mittee of Des Moines Ministers
to Discuss Liquor
OUTLINES DUTIES AND POWERS
Governor Pointed to His Record in o.
flee and in Addresses Insisting on
Amendments to Present Laws-Min-
isteriaI Association Of Dubuque in an
Inconsistent Attitude.
peclal to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Nov. l1.--Five minis
sociation met with Governor Cummins
this afternoon In reply to an invitation
which the governor extended to the
association after the association had
appealed to him to enforce the liquor
laws down at Davenport. The mem
bers of the committee We're Revs. q. w.
Fifer, OF the Grace Methodist church,
Finis Idleman OF the Central Church
of Christ. Elias b. Utt Of the First
United Evangelical church, Jesse II.
String of the University Avenue Re-
formed church, and A. e. Douglas, OF
the First United Presbyterian church.
A number of other persons attended
the conference. which was held in
Governor Cummins' office with open
doors.
Governor Cummlns treated the mat
ter entirely in the light that the min
listers were there to advise him as to
how he could bring about a better en-
forcement Of the liquor laws. He re-
viewed the situation at some length
in paper which he read to the min
listers. Cummins is the only governor
Of Iowa who in recent years has called
attention of the Legislature to the need
of more stringent enforcement OF the
liquor laws. Furthermore he has
made speeches all over the state of
Iowa, more. perhaps than any public
man In the state, and these addresses
are on record and in them the gov
ernor has repeatedly called attention
to the enforcement of law and the
necessity for greater respect for the
ed to the people that law should
be obeyed because it Is law whether
it meets their opinions as to what
should be or not.
In addressing the ministers this aft
ernoon Governor Cumnlins reviewed
these matters in order to lay a founda-
tion for the conference. He informed
the ministers Of his ideas on the
subject and referred them to his writ
ten and spoken words on the subject
as proof. He reviewed the law on the
subject and then asked their advice
as to what he could do more and
showed that he was thoroughly sincere
when he told them that If he could
do more he would. He let them know
definitely, however, that he would not
himself break the law III order to force
another official to enforce law. AS to
the moral influence of his Office this
has been exerted many times, evil
dence Of it is abundant in the letter
files Of the governors office.
The governor had only concluded
the reading of his statement to the
ministers as this Is heing written.
In his statement to the ministers
said that If ne had had the least inti-
nation that trouble was. likely to arise
in Davenport at the trial Of the liquor
cases there he would have had the
militia in on the first train on his
own motion. He said that Captain
Neal told him he did not want to re-
turn to Davenport, but that he as
sured Captain Neal that If he did want
to return and the officers of Daven-
port would not protecl: him, the gov
ernor would employ every soldier in
the national guard and every dollar in
the treasury, If necessary. to make it
sure that he could pursue his profess
sion in absolute security"
The statement was made to Neal in
the presence of Attorney General Byers
and others. In speaking of his inabili-
ty to enforce the law, the governor
says the governor of Missouri has the
right to remove officials and the gov
ernor of New York has the right to
remove them without hearing In
Iowa the legislature las provided for
the enforcement Of the liquor laws by
grand and petit juries and he thought
it unfortunate that many newspapers
who seek to bring him into disrepute
blindly ignore this difference in the
laws. and that he would be worse than
the illegal saloon keeper If he broke
law to enforce another, after taking
an oath to uphold the constitution. yet
every day he said he was asked to do
that in appeals to grant new trials un
der commercial transactions, restore
children to parents and otherwise in
terfere with the machinery Of justice
provided by the legislature.
Governor Drake to the Twenty-sev-
enth general assembly, said:,
"The prohibitory law of the state
as modified by the act Of 1894, If not
entirely popular, Is at least generally
acquiesced in by the people as per-
haps the one which, while not satis-
factory to either Of the opposing views
on the subject, seems to meet with
least ostensible opposition in its en-
forcement One modification ought in
my judgment to be made, in respect to
druggists selling intoxicants rec
ommend that tax OF the character Of
the mulct levy be made on all drug
stores where liquor is sold in guam
titles or otherwise than in pharmaceu-
teal preparations. The amount OF the
tax it would be we'll, in my Judgment,
to fix at about half that exacted OF the