Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-28


to their Ohio brethren for a little while in
October.
Reason for DcIiberation.
One reason why they have been in no
hurry to start the State campaign is that
they wanted to settle certain matters of
domestic concerns to the party. A United
States senator is to be chosen in January
to succeed Senator John H. Gear. The
members of the legislature who are to be
chosen in November will determine the
succession. Senator Gear is a candidate
for reelection. There are many ambitious
republicans in Iowa who belong to the
younger generation who would like to sue
coed him. But when 1t came to vigorous
fighting they found that Senator Gear was
still young. A. B. Cumfnins of Des Mones,
one of the leading lawyers of the state and
an accomplished orator, got the support Of
the anti-Gear elements to center upon him
self. Outside of Iowa it would naturally
be supposed that any one of the half dozen
hawkeye members of the House of Repre-
sentatives, who have made national repu-
tations, would secure support Most of
them, however. were Gear men and none
was ready to oppose him.
The supporters of Mr.. CumminS made
strong contest all over the state. The
question was as fairly presented as If
United States senators We're nominated by
popular vote, for it was known in every
county what the position of the legislative
nominees on senatorship would be. The
contests Were between the supporters of
Gear and the supporters of Cummins.
Many of the county conventions passed
resolutions indorsing or the other of
the two men. and where this was not done
the preferences of the legislative candi-
dates We're well known.
The result has been a series of victories
for Senator Gear. He has at least two
thirds of the prospective republican men,
bers of the legislature. With the conven-
tons which will be held this week, and
which will complete the list of nominations
his friends say he will have an actual ma
jority of the whole legislature pledged.
while all that he needs is q majority of
the republican caucus The supporters of
Mr.. Cummins do not admit this claim, and
they even say that the fight is not yet
ended. because nobody can tell what may
happen This is too vague to have much
weight. The republicans of the state have
clearly indicated their preference for Sen
ator Gears reelection. and no politician
with whom | have talked now thinks there
is doubt of it. Some bitterness has been
engendered and some former friends have
become enemies. There have been family
divisions. The Clarkson brothers are at
odds. Mr. Cummins' strongest supporter
has been the Des Mones newspaper which
is owned by Fred Clarkson, while ]. S.
Clarkson has been writing letters strongly
indorsing Senator Gear.
Incidents of Family Fight.
But these are simply incidents in a family
political contest. The loyalty of the Iowa
republicans is strong. They have prac-
tically settled the senatorial succession
among themselves and now ready to
join issue with their natural enemies, the
democrats and populists. 1t will take
little time for the republican speakers to
get the subject before the people. The re-
publican newspapers have been preparing
the way, and have shown no lack of vigor.
1t is not so much a question of expansion
il itself that they are urging as of SuS-
tanning the American flag in the Philip
Al mi hlfn
that and differences of opinion among
themselves as to what Congress shall do
in the Philippines later are not permitted
to creep into the republican campaign.
The only question is as to the size of the
republican majority. No one dreams that
a democratic governor can be chosen in
Iowa this fall Mr.. White is sometimes
given to decisions, but his mind is not dis
ordered to that degree. What he hopes
and what the fusonists who are supporting
him hope is to cut the republican vote down
to a bare margin. II they could do this
they would claim a substantial victory on
the issue of ant-expansion. and not with
out reason. 1t is fair to assume that if the
people of Iowa support the national admin
istration in its Philippine policy they will
go to the polls and make known their sup
port when that policy is assailed SO direct
ly as it is by the democratic candidate and
in the democratic platform. So the fusion
lists scheme Is one of reduced majorlties.
If they could hold the republican plurality
down to 12,000 or 1900 that would rejoice
them.
Big Majorities in Recent Years.
The republican majorities in Iowa for the
| last four or five years have been so alb
| normally large that SOME of the republican
! leaders themselves have begun to look for
| a reaction. This is simply because polit-
| ical parties do have reactions after series
| of years in which they have maintained a
| heavy vote. A majority of 5000 to 6oooo
| in a total vote of less than half million is
therefore apnormally large. What will
| happen this year no one can venture 10
| say with certainty. Politicians in both par
| ties have told me that they look for COM
parativey light vote. Good times are a
! tremendous factor in FAVOR OF tne fepupl-
| cans, but they have the drawback that
when everybody is busy ana prosperous
| little attention is paid to politics. Ihat Is
| what the democrats are counting on now.
No one can gainsay that the people of
| Iowa are prosperous this year The farm
| ers are getting good prices for their wheat
and corn and live stock. Everybody IN the
| country has something TO sell ana ne mas
| a ready buyer. These good times are
| promise that the Iowa farmers are not 60
ing to vote the democratic ticket THIS fali
The only question is whether considerable
| numbers of them will be SO busy ana CON
| tented that they won't bother to vote. Sen
ator Gear, who knows them thoroughly,
| says they will be heard from. Il think our
majority he said, will not be far from
| 10000. There need be no fear about the
| country people. They are all with the
| President this question of sustaining
| him in the Philippines.
| Another republican said to me that he
| thought 40, 900 majority was all that was to
| be looked for this yeaf. That he added
would mean 60,O00 to 10000 in the presi-
| Dental year But this fall he believed that
| with the relatively light vote 10000 was all
| that could be asked. He also said that last
| year the falling off among the democrats
| and populists, or fusionists, was greater
| than among the republicans. This, he
| thought, was due to the disintegration Of
| the free silver elements. There is no doubt
| that free silver has lost its vitality among
I the classes to whcmi it appealed most
strongly in 1896 ana previous years. The
| rapid sveriteS deny this. Several of them
| have told me that Mr.. White was nominal
ed for governor because he had the conf
! dence of the free silver men. and that the
| populists Joined the democrats on that
| issue. This may all be true. but it does not
| change the fact that the masses of both
| democrats and populists no longer show
| live interest in their hobby They are salts
! fled that Mr. White is true to them, but
| they make no protest when he puts forward
imperialism as a vote ;Aeatcher to the eX-
cluson of free silver. What life there is in
| the fusionists campaign in Iowa this year
| is on the issue of expansion or Imperialism
Sound Money Democrats Hold Aloof.
| The sound money democrats of the state,
| while agreeing that coinage itself iS