Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-05
Candidates For State Offices
Laying Themselves Liable to
Fine and Imprisonment
OFFER MONEY TO NEWSPAPERS
To Secure Favorable Editorial Men
ton on Promise to Enter Into Ad
vertisins Contract - Counter to At
torney Generals Interpretation of
Statute.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times
Des Mones, Feb. 5.-Letters are be-
| ing sent out over the state by candi-
dates for public office that are viola
tons Of the primary election law and
are making the person sending them
out liable to a fine of not exceeding
$500 or by imprisonment in the county
Jail not exceeding 80 days. The letters
are addressed to editors Of newspa-
l.pers and according to the interpreta-
I ton that Attorney General Byers
; places upon section 80 of the primary
law it is believed by many that these
letters are violations.
| The paragraph in the letter which Is
alleged TO be violation is the first
paragraph and reads as follows:
Thru the medium of your paper, l
desire to announce myself as cam
didate for II you feel dis
posed to give me this consideration
favorable mention of my candidacy. l
shall later ask you to handle some paid
material"
Section 32 of the primary election
law reads: ANY person who shall
agree to perform any service in the in
| terest Of any candidate in consideration
of any money or other valuable thing"
etc, ETC., shall be subject to the pen
atty stated above.
! Attorney General Byers has sought
to make clear his Interpretation Of the
| law that the intent of the law is to
prevent votes and political influence
from being a commodity on the mar
ket. Aside from his official statement
on the law Mr.. Byers has declared that
as he understands the law its intent is
clearly to prevent candidates holding
bout. Inducements to newspapers to get
tlsain to print favorable mention. He
believes that it would be improper for
travagant price for the announce
ments that are-allowed by the law be-
cause If such were allowed candidate
could pay big daily newspaper sew
eral hundred or thousand dollars for
running one small announcement and
! thus in fact buy the support of the pa
befs ~
f. The, letter. Quoted from above is d.
ffettly' In fine with this Interpretation
Of the law as made by the attorney
general. In consideration Of favorable
mention the candidate promises to buy
some Space later. OF course it is well
understood that the candidate must
have written the letter in ignorance of
thQs provisions of the law.
hsss*/ Az ~ $50
f F. az Since 1896 have times been as
Idads fer sthe laborng man in Iowa as
now according to President A. l.. Ur-
| ick, OF the Iowa Trades and Labor as
! sembly, who has just returned from a
I tour around the state. Conditions. he
gsays, have gradually grown worse and
Ithezoutlook is now far from fattering.
A. little oyer one month ago when the
first blow came following the financial
4stringenet,ys men thrown out of work
We're principally laborers-such as fac
tory men and'women, clerks. transfers,
day 1aborers, etc Inability to get cur
rency with which to advance projects
has now thrown many members Of the
trades out of employment President
Uricl1 reports that building turnout
the state is practically at a standstill.
| That there is need of immediate ac-
ton on the part of congress to pass
financial legislation to relieve the cur.
rency shortage is the firm belief of Ia
| Dor leaders here. Even If municipal
and county bonds were collateral for
currency, as they would be should the
Aldrich bill now before congress be-
come a law, the strained labor situa-
! ton in Iowa would be relieved a good
deal. This would permit bankers hold
ing such bonds to get currency and
would thus make 1t possible for cities
| to sell bonds and proceed with planned
Improvements, giving work to thous-
ands Of men.
The need Of legislation at once for
currency relief is felt generally in COM
mercial as we'll as laboring circles and
those in Des Moines who have given
| the matter consideration, believe the
Aldrich bill should be passed without
delay and some relief afforded the sit
! uation that now exists. With thous-
ands of men out of work and business
badly crippled Tor want Of currency,
business men here say, should be
enough to spur congress to speedy ac-
tion.