St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-09
IOWA POLITICS.

It is not such smooth sailing with the
Republicans in Iowa as they might
hope for. or even had a reasonable eX-
pectation of enjoying. Iowa is a Re
publican state of the rock-ribbed, iron
clad variety; yet the abnormal strength
Of the dominant party is likely to prove
a disaster to Republicanism in the end.
Relying on the strength of the party,
the party leaders have gone step too
far in opposition to public sentiment on
several local questions that are of para
mount interest to the people of the
state. The prohibition question has
been disturbing element i'll the Re-
publican party for several years,
but owing to the radical type of
Iowa Republicanism the party lead
eTs have been able to pull it
through as a distinct party meas
ure. Encouraged by their success in
upholding prohibition as Republican
measure, the Republican leaders ven
tured to swing the party into line as the
champion of the railroads in their fight
against the grangerS. The issue was
Squarely made in the last Republican
state convention, where Gov. LARRABEE
and his friends, who stood up in defense
of the existing laws regulating railroad
transportation, were not only ridden
down, but were trodden underfOOt until
it was supposed that the life had been
stamped out of them. Unexpectedly,
Gov. LARRABEE has revived sufficiently
to make his appearance in the campaign
in time to give his enemies broadSide
that has created great CONSERVATION
in the Republican camp. In a
recent interview he not only in
dOrses the Democratic platform; but
goes so far as to intimate that the Re-
publican candidate for governor is a
tool of the monopolistS, and that his
election would lose to the farmers all the
advantages they have gained by recent
legislation. Gov. LARRABEE speaks in
the highest terms of the Democratic
candidate for governor, whom he be-
lieYeS to be in sympathy with the peo-
pie on the subject of railroad legislation,
and who would give all honest enforce
ment to the laws in case he is elected.
And what makes the situation all the
more alarming for the Republican
bosses is that Gov. LARRABEE'S opin-
ion is Endorsed by the members of the
state railroad commission, who are
themselves active and ardent Republic
ans. 1t is evident that there is breach
in the Republican party which MAY
not be healed before the election.
The Republican leaders are laboring
with LARRABEE and his refractory
friends to bring them back into line,
and are using most persuasive argu-
ments to induce them to recant. Pos
sibly they may succeed. but it is not
probable. Gov. LARRABEE has been
used in most shameful manner by his
party associates, and for no other reason
than that he had the courage to with
stand the opposition of the railroads
and to remain firm in defense OF
public rights, even though it were done
at sacrifice of his own chances for po-
litical promotion. He has given an eX-
hibitiOn of heroism that ought to be APP
preeiated by the intelligent farming
classes in Iowa, as it has surely been
admired by Intelligent people every
where. Notwithstanding its hide-bound
Republication, there is fair prospect
that Iowa may recover sufficiently from
its partisan blindness to see the danger
of committing the destinies of the
state to a man who is the recognized
agent of the mOnopolies. If they do
not, they will deserve the direful con-
sequences that will be sure to follow.