Evening star., 1926-03-28
IOWA SOCIETY AIDS
VOTERS IN CAPITAL
Group, Meeting 7 Times a
Year, Given Opportunity to
Cast Absentee Ballots.
RY MARGARET Il. DOWNING.

In the series of State societies IN
4heir present ampliGed and perfected
organization that of Iowa EXISTS since
1915. and ii ranks among the most
useful and influential bodies OF thlS
class. II was in November. l9l4, thal
a few Ioval citizens of the state, unuer
the leadership of William q. Lado'
the clerk Of the House document
room, met in the lYthian Temple ana
laid the foundations OF The present
tlourishing State organization. The
next meeting OF the toW''hs III
Washington occurred in January.
1915, and the following were elected
officers: james d. Rowan. president;
William G.. Ladd. first vice president;
Miss Mary ". Durham, second vice
president; Edward l.. Newly, secre-
tary. and George II. Bell. treasurer.
Since that meeting the Iowa Society
has met about seven times year
from November to May, and three
years ago d picnic in June at Great
Falls was added as a grand climax
10 the clubs activities.
Though essentially non-political ana
FOR the social intercourse of loWAuS
living in Washington. this state
society stands apart rs having pro
NOTED the best interests OF these
voting Law and seeing that the
privilege is carried into practical
effect This has been mainly due TO
the disintereSted efforts OF Nr. Ladd,
who is considered the founder of the
society and was it's tOurah president
He was elected from 1919 to 1928,
when he begged to be relieved of the
honor. but accepted the Office OF presi-
dent emeritus of the association. AIR.
Ladd is an ardent patriO,. and since
he was u years old he has voted in
the same precinct in C.arksburg. But
Ter County but sine" he came TO
Washington with the late Speaker
Henderson the burden o. making the
trip home became n heavy one, eS-
pecially after the law OF voting in the
primaries for State officers went into
effect, and also that of registering in
your precinct before voting was per
missible. Mr.. Ladd was 4 member OF
the State Legislature before coming to
Washington, and he had al the local
laws at his fingers end.
Law Passed in 1864.
One of these Iowa laws is the old
est absentee voting law in the United
States and was passed in 1864.
through the efforts of William B. Al
lison, then member of Congress. 1t
was to enable the soldiers in the field
and the sailors before the mast to
vote for President Lincoln, as nat
urally. serving in the Union Army,
thev were of that political faith. The
result aided Lincoln's election tre-
mendously and achieved a victory
for Representative Allison. afterward
Senator, who served nearly 40 years
in the halls of Congress. Mr.. Ladd
saw no reason why this same law
should not be revived in favor of the
Federal employees domiCiled in Wash
ington and in 1918 he saw this enact
ment passed and it's successful opera
ton.
Mr. Ladd gathers from every avail
able source, from chief clerks in varl-
Gus departments and bureaus, through
congressional correspondence and
other indirect means, the names OF
every citizen of Iowa who comes to
Washington to serve the Government.
He gets names from the Army and
Navy Departments, and thus fortified
he first invites each IoWan to join the
State society and when the time
comes he provides them with the
convenience of voting by mail. Full
instructions are given the neophytes.
and the law of Iowa accepts the
Government blue book as a bona flde
evidence of the eligibility of the voter
by mail. A great table is set stamps
are provided and even the notary's
seal. which makes the vote legal, is
furnished gratis.
OF this notary's seal there is a
pleasant story that Mr.. Ladd. finding
that he could not always rely on no.
taries being on hand and doing the
L., fDY oTralinafinn
for a notary'S power and in his letter
gave the need which he had of the
seal. In signing Mr.. Ladds applica
ton to, become a notary public of
Washington the President of the
United States added a personal let
ter congratulating the president of the
Iowa society on the useful work he
was doing and adding his cordial ap-
probation of such activity. Mr.. Ladd
counts about 1,700 Iowans domiciled
in Washington and at the last cleo
tion, he stamped something approach
ing 1900 of the ballots, which were
destined to reach the polls by mail.
Publishes Small Brochure.
The society publishes compact lit
tie brochure, called Iowa in Wash
lngton," and this gives the names,
local addresses and home address of
all these 100 citizens of the State
1t has a short history of the society
and the list of officers from the first
election in January, 1915, until that
held in January of the current year.
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