Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-13
Governor Cummins Issues State
ment Covering Issues Decided
Upon in Conference
HAS APPROVAL OF MINISTER'S.
Laws Granting More Power to exeeu-
tive to Be Asked Of Legislature
Governor Guarantees Protection to
Law Enforcers and Change of Rule
in Fine Remissions.
Special to Tines-Republican

Special to IllneS-fSRpuOACAu.
Des Moines. Nov. 1S-Governor
Cummins late yesterday afternoon
completed the statement outlining the
results of the conference with the min
! listers of Des Moines on the question
Of the governors powers to enforce the
LIQUOR and other laws Of the state.
This statement was submitted by
the governor to the committee on pub
lie morals of the Des Moines associa-
ton Of ministers at his Office, ana
was heartily approved by them and by
| the other clergymen who accompanied
the committee to the conference.
! The statement was gone over line
j., line and perfect accord and unan-
iu1ity was manifested. The ministers
were in conference with the governor
about an hour and a half and during
! that time INDUCED III general dis
Cussion Of the subject and in debating
the details of the legislation which
| all agreed was necessary in order to
empower the governors office to see
To 1t that laws are enforced locally.
| Many questions of detail arise in re-
spect to this matter.
The statement as issued by the gov
einor, and to which the ministers as
sented with approval, after hearing 1t
| read, follows:
Executive office, Des Moines, Iowa,
| November IL, 1907, Rev. A. c. pou-
glass, Rev. Orien w. Fifer, Rev. Elias
! r. Utt, Rev. j. H. String, Rev. Finis
Idleman. committee Of the Ministerial
Association, Des Moines, Iowa. Cen
t,emen: earnestly hope that some
good, not future good alone, but i'm
mediate good, shall come out of the
conference held in my office yesterday,
and in that hope l make these sugges-
toms, as the result of the statements
end discussion of the conference.
1--WE are Of one mind as to the made
ouacy of existing statutes bearing upon
The power of the governor in the en-
fcrcement of the laws of the state, and
heartily agree with you that the
governor shall use all his influence to
create a public sentiment that will
insist upon complete obedience, not
only to the liquor law, but to every
law, in every community Of this state.
Recognizing as 1 always have this
obligation, I am very grateful to you
fer your approval and commendation of
my public and official utterances in
this regard, and / assure you of my
continued purpose to uphold all law
20 the very limit Of my authority.
II am glad to find that you believe
that the law should be amended so
that the governor shall have the pow
or to remove unfaithful county Off
Gals who do not and will not en-
force the law. i have been urging
this change for two years, and I am
confident that with your help the next
general assembly can be induced to
confer upon the executive this essential
authority.
"It was said yesterday that the peo-
rn Of the state ought to know that
any person lawfully engaged in sup
pressing the illegal sale of liquor would
he protected from mobs, riots, or other
forms of turbulence. To this I most
emphatically agree. have declared it
SO often that I supposed that they all
die know it; but this is a good time
L, 1
thru you to every citizen of the COM
monwealth, that will employ every
soldier in the National guard to pro-
tect the humblest man or woman in
the state against the assault or inter-
ference of mob. If the local police
cannot or will not insure peace, good
crder and safety to a person honestly
attempting to enforce the liquor law
or any other law. l can and will do
II thru the militia. This has been my
Lclicy and will be SO long as am
governor.
"It must be understood, however, that
1 cannot act without information, and
I must know or have reason to believe
that the local peace officers are either
unable or unwilling to give the pro-
lection which all persons in country
like ours have right to expect"
with regard to the policy of the Of
flee respecting the remission of fines,
stated my views fully yesterday, but
after hearing your opinion have this
further to say: The aggregate of fines
remitted which had been imposed for
violation of the liquor law, as COM
pared with the aggregate of fines re-
mitted which had been imposed for
ether offenses, is accounted for by the
fact that in the counties from which
the large proportion of the applications
come the fines inflicted by the courts
are nearly all in liquor cases. l have
tried to Judge each petition fairly, and
have tried to secure all the information
1 could; but am conscious that the
procedure is imperfect. Your objec-
ton, as 1 understand it, is that those
who have been active in obtaining the
conviction do not always have the
opportunity to be heard. To meet the
objection, and to insure, more com
plete hearings, l have today added to
the rule in force for many years. this
provision: That before presenting to
the governor an application for the