The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-10-29
HELPS
HAMILTON s WAR
ON HIGH TAXATION
Capt. Albert Head Is Lifelong
Iowa Republican Who Comes
Out Against Present State
Administration Because OF
High Taxation.
DEFEAT FOR HIGH TAKERS
Captain Head Voted for Abraham
Lincoln. Is Veteran of Civil War,
and Was Former Speaker and
Member Of General Assembly,.


Member Of General Assembly.
Captain Albert Head of Jefferson,
republican all his life and man long
prominent as republican legislator
in Iowa, has espoused the fight
against high taxes and state eXtrav-
agance ass championed by John T.
Hamilton, candidate for governor.
Captain Head declared his stand in
recent address before the Taxpay-
ers' Alliance at Jefferson. This ALI
ance was formed by voters Of all po
litical parties to fight the high taxes
forced upon the state by the present
administration. Captain Head spoke
in part as follows:
Owing to advanced age, impaired
health and hearing have for several
years refrained from participation in
political affairs, relying on the chosen
representative, as the people general
ly do, to manage the affairs of the
State honestly, faithfully and impair
tally; but when l discovered the au.
full and unjust legislation Of the 35th
General Assembly in the railroading
through and passage under gag rule,
| the notorious capitol Extension and
Appropriation Bill" together with the
! notification of the Constitution Of
Iowa, when Governor Clarke and the
Executive Council under the pretense
Of adjustment or equalization, con-
! trary to the law, precedent, to justice,
summarily, and without notice, as
| sumed the prerogative themselves to
| reassess, practically, all real and per.
| sonal property in Iowa, l felt it my
| duty to enter my solemn protest and
do all in my power to protect my
property and the property of the over
burdened tax payers of Iowa from
confiscation, and would feel myself
recreant to my duty if shrunk from
that responsibility, and I desire to
thank the Taxpayers Alliance for
your kind invitation to address you,
and give me an opportunity to per-
form duty which I feel as sacred
as did the duty I performed in de.
tense Of the flag, and my beloved
country from 1861 to 1865 When |
see the Constitution and laws Of my
State violated by public officials, and
the property and rights of the peo-
| pie ruthlessly jeopardized by them,
! would be unfaithful to my duty, as a
| citizen of Iowa, if l shirked the re-
sponsibility.
| Opposed to One Man Power
The Governor of Iowa, by reason OF
his vast patronage and the expectan-
| cy OF office seekers, together with the
| fascination of the high office has more
power and influence for good or evil
! in Iowa than any other public func'
tionary or many private citizens, and
| when this is supplemented by his
! having been speaker of the House of
! Representa- and president Of the
Senate and comforting favors on mem
bers and Senators in the appointment
of committees, his influence is prac-
! tically unlimited, and as Governor
Clarke has held these positions and
the position of governor with hun
| dreds of his appointees supporting
| him renders him dangerous PROPOSE
>tion to contend with, and unless the
voters OF Iowa arise in their might
: and repudiate, and rebuke the COM
| bination of tax eaters, commissions,
and grafters they have no assurance
OF relief from oppressive, unequal, un-
necessary and unjust taxation.
A Representative Democracy.
Our forefathers wisely established
| a representative democracy in which
| "tke powers of the government are
| divided into three separate depart
| ments, the legislative, the executive
and the judicial; and no person charg-
| ed with the exercise of powers prop
erly belonging to one of these de-
(! partments shall exercise any function
| appertaining to either of the Others
| Constitution of Iowa, Art. 3, Sec. l.
| Notwithstanding this provision Of
the Constitution of Iowa, l am credi-
tably informed Governor Clarke used
I his powerful influence with Senators
and Representatives urging them to
vote for capitol Appropriation Bill"
calling them into his office by twos,
| threes and tours soliciting their sup
port of the bill, addressing the appro-
priation committee of the House ano
/ Senate, telling them that coming gen
erations would rise and call them
blessed if the bill was passed. While
Governor Clarke would have scorned,
no doubt, to offer legislators $500 to
vote for the bill, he used an influ-
4 ence more potent than filthy lucre.
What makes the matter more astound-
ing is that the .aCapitol Extension
Law makes Governor Clarke and the
Executive Council real estate
agents. to purchase or condemn all
the vast real estate, houses, churches,
school houses included In the New
Capitol Park" at any time within ten
4 years. and issue interest bearing GER
tofcates at per cent interest, II nee
sssary, to pay for said property. civ.