IOWA. 



State. Frank Helbich for Treasurer, and Joseph 

 Bnmner for Statistician. 



Tin- "-old-standard Democrats nominated an elec- 

 toral ticket, luit no Stale ticket. 'I'lic silver Demo- 

 crats and Populists fused on presidential electors. 



At the election the vote for President stood: 

 MeKinley. :!2:!.754 : Bryan. :!05..~>73 : Levering, 

 :!.o5r. : Palmer. 2.14.-): Bentley. 2.268; Matchett, 

 :;-,'!>: McKinley's plurality. 18,181. 



The entire Republican State ticket was success- 

 ful. Following is the vote for Governor : James A. 

 Mount, Republican, 821,082 ; Benjamin F. Shively. 

 Democrat. 294.853: Leonard M. Christ. Prohibi- 

 .tioiiist. 2.996: James G. Kingsbury, National Pro- 

 hibitionist. 2,500: Thomas Wadsworth, Populist, 

 N.525: Philip II. Moore, Socialist, 283; Mount's 

 plurality. 20.177. 



Of the 13 members of Congress elected 3 are 

 Democrats and 1 was elected on a fusion ticket, 

 the other 9 are Republicans. The Legislature 

 stands : Republicans Senate 33, House 52 ; Dem- 

 ocrats Senate 14, House 39; Populists Senate 3, 

 House 9. 



IOWA, a Western State, admitted to the Union 

 Dec. 28, 1846 ; area, 56,025 square miles. The popu- 

 lation, according to each decennial census since ad- 

 mission, was 192,214 in 1850 : 674,913 in 1800 : 1.194.- 

 020 in 1870 ; 1,624,615 in 1880 ; and 1,911,896 in 1890. 

 Capital, Des Moines. 



Government. The following were the State offi- 

 cers during the year : Governor, Francis M. Drake ; 

 Lieutenant Governor, Matt Farrott ; Secretary of 

 State, William M. McFarland ; Auditor, C" G. 

 McCarthy: Treasurer, John Herriott ; Attorney- 

 General, Milton Remley : Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, Henry Sabin all Republicans: Adju- 

 tant General, II. H. "Wright ; Railroad Commission- 

 ers, George W. Perkins. C. L. Davidson, and Edward 

 A. Dawson ; Labor Commissioner, W. E. O'Bleness ; 

 Dairy Commissioner. W. K. Boardman ; Fish Com- 

 missioner, George E. Deles-an; Chief Justice of the 

 Supreme Court, J. II. Rothrock : Associate Justices, 

 L. G. Kinne. C. T. Granger. G. S. Robinson, H. E. 

 Deemer, Josiah Given all Republicans except Jus- 

 tice Kinne. who is a Democrat. 



The Census of 1895. The total population, ac- 

 cording to the census, is 2,058,069, of whom 1,065,- 

 130 are males and 1,068,062 are twenty-one years of 

 age and over. The colored population is 11,889; 

 the Indian, 394. Those born of native parents num- 

 ber 1.168,853. The number of dwellings is 435,007, 

 and of families 434,392. The school population is 

 736,818. and the number of persons subject to mili- 

 tary duty 413,000. The urban population is 871,- 

 774 or 42-36 per cent. 



The aggregate value of buildings owned by cities 

 and towns is placed at $1.736,142. and of parks so 

 owned $1,117,350. The value of buildings owned 

 by counties is $5,495,231. The value of church 

 property is estimated at $17,597,991, and the total 

 value of property not taxable at $46,803,739. The 

 value of public buildings owned by societies, not 

 including churches and parsonages, is $2,245.400. 



The populations of some of the principal cities in 

 1895 were as follow: Des Moines, 56,359; Dubuque, 

 40.374: Davenport, 30,010; Sioux City. 27.371 ; Bur- 

 lington, 25.246 ; Clinton and Lyons. 23.377; Cedar 

 Rapids. 21.555: Council Bluffs, 20,189 : Clinton, 17,- 

 375: Ottumwa. 16.761; Keokuk. 1-1.287: Musca- 

 tine. 12,237: Marshalltown, 10,049 ; Fort Madison, 

 10.022. 



Finances. The State finances are in a very un- 

 satisfactory condition. The report of the Treasurer, 

 made to the Legislature in February, said : 



" At the commencement of the last biennial period, 

 beginning July 1, 1893, there was a balance of $412,- 

 981.43 on hand. Up to July 1, 1895, there was re- 



ceived from all sources s3.524.251.:!5 : total. . 



30. State Auditor's warrants redeemed during 

 the period amounted to $3,624,37&89. Tin- sum 

 paid out in excess of revenue received was xioo.- 

 127.04. The balance, in the treasury July 1, I Mr.. 

 was $312,854.41. The total revenue from all -oun-es 

 reeeived from that date up to. Jan. 4. 1MHJ. was xs-l.V 

 8, which, added to the balance of July 1, 1805, 

 equaled $1,158,677.99. The disbursements for this 

 six months were $1,120,029.97. The available ca-h 

 on hand Jan. 4, 1896, was $38,648.03 of general reve- 

 nue. With this amount and the January collections, 

 $143,319.02, the State had to meet its regular pay 

 roll of $30,000, the dues of the several State insti- 

 tutions, reaching fully $250,000. and the additional 

 warrants necessitated by the meeting of the Legis- 

 lature and the payment of one half the salaries of 

 the members, aggregating $50.000, due Feb. 13. 

 During each of the past three biennial periods the 

 amount of back taxes has grown on an average of 

 $200,000 for each period. But the most potent 

 cause of the lack of revenue has been the decline 

 in the amount of taxable property in the State as 

 reported by the county auditors. Our taxing ma- 

 chinery needs to be remodeled throughout if we are 

 to see any marked improvement in the future. Prop- 

 erty should be assessed at its real value and the levy 

 made upon that valuation.'' 



In December the amount of unpaid warrants 

 was nearly $500,000. 



The State has lost about $13,000 by the default- 

 ing of G. J. Spaulding. Secretary and Treasurer of 

 the State Board of Pharmacy Commissioners. 



The Executive Council in August placed the State 

 tax levy at 2 : 7 - mills, an increase of & over that of 

 1895, made necessary by the larger appropriations 

 as well as by lowered valuations. In an opinion 

 given by the Attorney General on the question of 

 county taxes he holds that 6 mills tax is the aggregate 

 amount that maybe levied for both ordinary county 

 revenue and the support of the poor. 

 . Education. At the State Convention of Teachers 

 in January it was the unanimous opinion that more 

 normal schools should be established, and that a 

 more efficient plan for determining the qualifica- 

 tions of applicants for places as teachers should be 

 found. A committee reported that Nature studies 

 should have a place in the grades below the high 

 school, and that one hour a week for eight years 

 should be given to such studies. The committee 

 on classification of colleges reported improvement 

 in many instances in preparatory work, and recom- 

 mended a minimum of six chairs in addition to the 

 teaching force of preparatory and special depart- 

 ments, as a condition of admission to the list of 

 colleges eligible to membership. On this basis and 

 that of the preparatory requirements already laid 

 down, the following colleges were recommended for 

 membership : Iowa Wesleyan. Parsons, Upper Iowa, 

 Grinnell, Drake, Luther, Coe, Penn, Tabor, Iowa. 

 Simpson, Des Moines. State University. In addition 

 the Agricultural College was recommended, "though 

 standing apart from the colleges and the university 

 in the amount of requirements for admission, and 

 differing largely in the character and scope of its 

 courses of study, yet possessing an exquisite equip- 

 ment and strong 'faculty, and doing its appointed 

 work with efficiency and general approval as a 

 State technical college." 



The first Danish University in the country was 

 dedicated in Des Moines. Sept. 27. The building 

 already erected is to be the east wing of the com- 

 pleted'structure. 



The enrollment at the State University in Septem- 

 ber was 1,010. In June there were 106 graduate! 

 from the law department. Drake University grad- 

 uated 124 in all departments. 



