Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-28
Complication in Iowa Handi-
capped By Iron Clad Order OF
War Department
RECORDS CAN'T BE INSPECTED
State Must Rely on Memories Of Few
Survivors and Early SettIers-Desire
Names for Roster of Iowa Companies
Assessment Of Bank Stocks Both
erinq Assessors.
Special to r,mes-Republican.
ering Assessors.


Des Moines. Feb. 2s.-Unless the
early settlers of Iowa and the few
struggling survivors Of the Mexican
war come to the aid Of the state of
Iowa the roster Of Mexican soldiers
in the volumes soon to be published
by the state will be quite incomplete.
If the people Of Iowa will come to
the aid Of the board it may still be
possible to make the volume as COM
p,ete as tho the original documents
were at hand
The Mexican war broke out just at
the time when Iowa was being changed
from territory to a state and as a
result there are no state documents
to speak of and the government at
Washington has issued an iron clad
order that the Mexican war records
cannot be inspected, giving as an ex-
cuse that they are fast crumbling and
that II will not do to allow them to be
handled.
Cut off from access to the war rec
ords at Washington, Iowa must fall
back on the memory Of its early set
tiers. old newspaper files and wherever
possible to obtain the muster rolls Of
the companies. Nearly every state in
the Union has tried to get the war
department at Washington to modify
it's order. Iowa is the last and there
is no more show that Iowa will sue
ceed than that the others would, and
the others all failed.
When President Polk called for VOL
unteers for the Mexican war he asked
for a regiment of ten companies from
of Governor James Clarke with thir-
teen companies Of the state militia. The
companies We're accepted by Governor
Clarke, but were never mustered into
the service Of the government Iowa
did, however, have some companies
from Pottawattamie county which
Went as a brigade attached to a regi-
ment from another state.
Tnasmuch as these thirteen co1npan-
les enlisted for the war with Mexico
it is desired to place their names in
the roster of Iowa soldiers and an
effort is being made to secure their
names. Some of them have been Sc
cured. Some of the companies are
now nearly completed, but there are
a number that are not and the effort
is now being made to complete the list.
The roster board provided by the last
Legislature has employed Mr.. Harvey
Reid Of Maquoketa to prepare the lists
q 49, D~sI n
voted considerable part Of his time
and money to investigating the early
military history of Iowa. He did this
before the state provided for the ros-
ter Since he had already gone over
much Of the ground and was familiar
with the difficulties, the state board
employed him to prepare the list.
Along with the list Of enlistments for
the Mexican war he is preparing the
lists of those who participated in the
early Indian wars Of the state. Mr..
Reid is spending his time searching
thru old newspaper files in the hope
of finding mention of these enlist
ments He is also interviewing early
settlers and wherever he can find a
survivor Of the Mexican war he in
He is desirous of securing the name
of every survivor of the Mexican war
now residing in the state, and wher-
ever any citizen has any information
on these early enlistments for the
Mexican war he wants to hear from
him.
The attorney generals office is get
ting inquiries for an opinion as to the
assessment of the capital stock of ma
tional banks. The decision of the
United States supreme court last year
in holding that stock of state and saw
ings banks in lowa when invested in
government bonds cannot be taxed
has upset the assessors and the ma
tional banks as WELL The matter is
now in the state courts on a case
brought by the Des Moines National
bank.
What started the whole question is
the provision of the state law which
provides that assessment of the capi-
tai stock of state and savings banks
shall be to the bank and not to the
owners or holders of the stock. Some
state and savings banks invest their
capital stock in government bonds.
They held that an assessment of the
stock of the bank when invested in
government bonds was taxation of
government bonds which the national
law prohibits. The suit went thru
the state court and thru the United
States supreme court, and was decid-
ed in favor of the banks, hence all
state and savings banks by investing
their capital stock in government
bonds can escape taxation on 1t.
AS soon as the United States su-
preme court decided that point the ma
tional banks of Iowa claimed they
should escape taxation in the same
way. There is one important differ
ence in the matter. and it remains
for the courts to decide whether it is