Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-28
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW.

Written for the Times-Republican.

Modern reformers have much on their
hands. Some of them waste theirI
strength in generalization. More lack
influence, because of extreme state |
ments they are unable to verify when
taken to task by the statistician. And
all sooner or later are unable to at
tract attention, because of the generall
pessimism of their written or spoken
utterances. And only here and there is |
the reformer able to offer substitute,
cure, panacea for the public ills.
Some reformers live a life SO diametri-
cally opposite to the ethical condition
they advocate and preach that the
public, knowing of it, mention hypoc-
risy. And frequently an itch for noto-
riety is the accused motive inspiring the
reformer. Taking it all in all, he has
a pretty hard time, from foes without
and foes within.
Now the writer does not pose as
reformer therefore escapes all these
things, and in what follows only men,
tons what all know. But that there
is need for reform in political methods
in this country goes without saying
For instance, a republican primary
election was held in Pottawattamie
county the other day. Newspaper cor
respondents of republican papers plain
~ state that two railroad corporations
| sent in gravel train crews, to give them
a chance to vote at this election. There
was no pretence that any particular
number OF these men had the right TIC
| vote in Pottawattamie county. It is also
stated that men came over or were
sent over from Omaha, Neb., to vote
in a primary election in Council Bluffs.
| Iowa. To all this is added, that the
number Of votes cast and counted were
200 in excess of any previous vote, at
| any regular election. Now all this was
4 published in republican papers, from
| republican correspondents, as part OF
| the proceedings of the republican party
| of Iowa, and who Is ashamed of it?
1 In this election was involved the
election of an United States senator.
| One railroad is supposed to be runin the
| interest of one candidate. Is this can
didate or this railroad corporation just
flying such action. Another railroad
\ is for the other candidate. Are they
| apologizing for such questionable pro-
4 ceedings? Are the correspondents OF the
republican papers condemning such
| practices? On the contrary are we not
i (this includes the writeo laughing AT
i such sharp practices. On the Sunday
following this election, on the way.
home from church, two good men. al.
belt they are politicians, were heard
4 ..joshing" one another about this gravel
Itrain wholesale voting. Each excused
4 the work of the wing of his party, BY
the simple phrase you're another" 1t
/ is a fact that the political conscience
1 OF each of these good church members
Is utterly worthless as a judge of right
4 or wrong, when 1T comes to need of
I success. These men actually approve
lof political methods and actions that
1 are criminal and desreputabe, where
/ applied to matters social or business
wise. And here let the writer confess
that just such work in republican
franks seems inevitable and necessary
because his democratic friends do more
and worse, from his point of view.
And yet it is all wrong. This is where
4 Crokerism begins, and Tweedism ends.
4 It's Tannerism aud Aitgeldism in Iowa
4 There is more interest in this affai',
than whether one man or another be-
4 comes United States senator. 1t fur
nishes Heron and Golden Rule Jones
With another stock argument. 1t is
breaking in the young republican, that
, viii make future disreputable action
!, his precedent for tricky work and
dishonorable proceedings. 1t makes nc
difference that such political action was
the collective work of railroad corpora
: tons. political managers and interested
partisans. Some one lis back of 1t. And
worse than all we are not ashamed Oh
it. Its politics. One crowd says ''ii
we did vote the gravel crew we didn't
bring men over from Omaha And here
Is this present reformer in the same
. boat with others of his ilk. He can not
!, even suggest how to end these disrep-
, utable proceedings. The other fellows
do 1t.