Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-03
CONVENTION COMMENT
The Convention Pronounced One Of
the Best Ever Held in the
State.
Friendly Rivalry for the Judgeshjp
Nomination Lends Excitement
to the Occasion.
Jim Blythe's Part in the sherwin
Victory Something About
State Senator 1rewin.
pecial to Tlmes-Republican

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 3.-The smoke Of
the republican state convention is clear
ing away and it is universally conceded.
to have been one of the very best the
party ever held, in spite of the fact that
it promised to be such a tame affair a
few days ago. Wherever 1,500 republi-i
cans gather together there is sure to be
a lively time and the public interests
will not suffer from the actions of such
body of men. The convention of 1899
will always be remembered as a good
natured one, in which the most diligent
search failed to reveal any dissension
or disagreement. aside from the friend
y rivalry for the nomination for su-
preme Judge. This was such spirited
contest and one in which SO many good
men, so equally matched, We're engaged,
that it was bound to work up something
OF an increase in the political temper
ature. But, as experience has shown
before. the fever of abnormal tempera-
ture will pass away and the strained
feelings Will return to their normal
conditions and the casus belli will pre-
vail. So it will be with the supreme
Judgeship. which has been settled by
the nomination of a strong man, who
will be Il valuable addition to the su-
preme bench and who made his way to
the favor of the delegates absolutely on
his merits. He had some strong and
sMllful friends, to be sure, who knew
how to make those qualities count for
the most and TO bring his widely scat
tered strength among the friends of
Cummins and Gear men not otherwise
politically associated, together into one
compact, working force. They did it so
quietly, and yet so effectively, that they
fooled the most experienced prophets,
who made some wild guesses not very
long before the nomination itself hove
in sight.
1t was. to be sure pretty we'll UNDER
stood that the Burnham forces had
gone to pieces under the adverse local
conditions in the Fifth district, and that
fit came to a choice between Robinson
and Sherwin the Burnhan forces would
go to Robinson for all they were worth
and they did. desiring to prevent the
nomination of Sherwin.
The Burnham people thought that
Judge Sherwin ought to help nominate
Burnham this year and take his turn
next Year but the Mason city man
thought his time had come now and he
couldn't be pulled off. The Burnham
people thought. and so did good many
politicians, that this plan would result
in putting both of them on the supreme
bench, and that if it was net followed
neither could win this year and that
Robinson would surely be nominated.
But Judge Sherwin had reasons of his
own for sticking to his determination
to win now. He was more confident
than some of his friends, who thought.
several of them, that perhaps he would
better quietly assent 10 the Burnham
plan and not risk all on this fight But
they We're good stayers when he said
stay. Not man weakened. Jim Blythe
made one of his oldtime fights, a regu-
lar Blythe fight. looking neither to the
right nor the left. but straight ahead.
In fact he didn't think quite as much of
other things as some of his friends and
associates thought he should, and TAX
ing matters in his own hands went his
length for his townsman, with results
that justify all he did.
Senator James n. Trewin, who was
re-nominated Monday for the senate in
the Allamakee- F'ayette district is an
other Fourth district man who attract
ed attention here because of the victory
he achieved in winning nomination
after the county having a majority OF
the votes in the convention had in
Structed for another man. The two
counties had their conventions Satur-
day and 1t was the greatest possible
surprise to the Allamakee county peo-
pie to learn. as their convention ad-
Journed, that Fayette had instructed
for another man. The position of SEN
ator Trewin has been from the start
that he would make no fight for the
nomination. He would be glad to have
it if it was agreeable to Fayette coun-
ty, but il it was not he wanted TO know
it and would not be a candidate. Hay-I
ing assurances that he would not have
any opposition in Fayette, that the
county was unanimously for him, and
there would be no other candidate. he
entered the field. His own county was
unanimously for him, as it always is
when he is a candidate. and so there
seemed nothing to do but formally rati-
fy the verdict of the two counties. The
suggestion that Fayette endorse Jamie
son grew out of a local contest and was
not received favorably by the conven-
ton, but after large number of dele
gates had gone it was brought up a
second time and in some way was got
through. When Senator Trewin and
his friends heard of it they started for
Fayette county with teams in great
numbers. They neither slept nor wasted
time, but they covered the county thor
oughly and reused their friends, the
men who had told them that Senator
Trewin would h We no opposition. They
stirred up demonstration which
showed that the people of Fayette did
not approve the action of the conven-
tion. Mr.. Jameson became convinced
that this was the case and that it was
not fair to Senator Trewin, so he with
drew and went to the convention, where
he placed Senator Trewin in nomination
This was a very pleasant af-
fair this convention, though the ap-
pearance of Trewin and his friends in
West Union with the strength to con-
troll the situation was great surprise