Evening times-Republican., 1907-11-09
CRAFTS IN LEAGUE
WITH S|ANDPATI[RS
Des Moines Ministerial Asso-
citation to Resort to Figures
Of No Significance
REASONS FOR RENTING FINES
Effort at Mondays Conference Will Be
centered Towards Showing Governor
Wouldn't Enforce Liquor Laws If
He couId-Makins Campaign Ma
terial for Lafe Young ct al.
specla, to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Nov. 9.-During MS
two vaars, term of office Governor
Frank Jackson remitted the lines OIL
forty-eight persons, the fines being ZOE
the most part those imposed for vio-
lation of the liquor laws OF the state.
During Governor brakes two year
term of office he remitted the fines OF
fifty-five. During Shaw's first term
of two years he RENTED the 1nes OF
twenty three, during the second term
OF two wears fifty-three. During Cum
Minis first term Of two years he re-
mitted the fines of sixty-two. during
the second term Of two years he re-
mitted the fines of seventy three, and
during the one year from Jan. l, 1906
to Dec 81, 1906. the extension given
him under the biennial election law, he
remitted the fines Of twenty-five per-
sons.
These figures, and not the question
sof what real authority the governor
has to enforce the laws of the land,
are at the instigation of Wilbur f.
Crafts and those back of him to form
the foundation and basis of the attack
that the committee Of the Des Moines
Ministerial Association will make to
Governor Cummins when the COM
mittee meets him next Monday after
noon.
When the committee goes before the
governor Monday it is it's plan to make
the charge to the governor, that he,
personally, is not in sympathy with
the enforcement Of the mulct law. The
committee will then drag out the fig
ures to show that the governor has
RENTED more liquor fines than any
other governor for many years.
The resolutions adopted by the Des
Moines Ministerial Association were
adopted on the day that Wilbur F..
Crafts, of the National Reform Bureau.
addressed the association and the res
olutions were adopted at his sugges-
ton. They were adopted here after
Mr. Crafts had been at a number Of
other Iowa towns and induced minis
lolldl dSSOS1dIlOuS " pass ottShf ASSOiA-'
tions, some Of the associations being
able to see the politics in the matter
and refusing to have anything to do
with 1t.
But the first resolutions of the Des
Moines Ministerial Association are to
be lost sight Of by the committee. At
the instigation of Mr.. Crafts 1t ap-
pealed to the governor to enforce the
law. Then the governor invited the
association to come to his office and
talk it over and the members on TAX
ing thought discovered that the gov
ernor has no more authority or power
than new born babe to force q county
officer to act and that his only au-
thority Is to declare martial law and
call out the national guard They dis
covered Furthermore, that the only ex-
cuse for calling out the guard was that
two Dutchmen got into fight on the
streets of Davenport and later atcrowd
hissed Captain Neal. ~
Crafts having secured the adoption
of the resolutions went back to- his
home in Chicago. Now the ministers,
discovering that they have no more
grounds for appealing to the governor
than Of. appealing to the president,
propose to make good by trying to con-
vince the governor that he wouldn't
enforce the mulct laws even if he did
have the power. Having prepared a
lot of figures to prove that the gov
ernor remitted more fines than any
other governor the ministers Monday
= will give this information to the stand
pat newspapers of the state SO that 1t
can be printed and showing made
that they "downed' the governor The
figures will also furnish editorial ma
terial for the Des Moines Capital and
numerous other standpat newspapers
for some days.
AS matter Of fact a very large per-
cent of the cases where fines have
been RENTED by any Of the govern
ors, from Jackson down, for the, viola
ton of the liquor laws are cases where
the man has gone to jail for the limit
of the time and has thus satisfied the
law. It is not known to but few out
side Of the legal profession that the
law provides that the court shall SEN
tence by fine or Imprisonment. At
times a man elects to go to Jail, large
ly because he hasn't, the money In
most cases. He remains for the time
he is sentenced and then goes out. The
law is satisfied but the fine remains
still Judgment against the man and
IL he accumulates any property 1t Is
lien against his property and stands
there unless the governor RENTS it.
On the proper showing from the Of
ficers of the county, the governors all
ways have RENTED such fines. Dur
ing some administrations there are
more than during others.
ATTACKS WITH HATPlN.