Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-30
|. R. answers CRITICS.
Free Parliament of Discussion on
Marshall Senatorial Sentiment
Now Closed.
This Paper Believes the Republicans
Of Marshall County Are for
Cummins.
Reasons for Taking This view-Re
ply to DR.. Parsons
Criticisms


For week past the Times Republic
can has been holding a free parliament
for the discussion OF the probable
sentiment of Marshall county republic
cans as to the senatorial issue now be-
fore the partys legislators. During
that time the columns of this paper
have been open to both sides, although
voluntary offerings of copy have
been SO numerous that all could not be
used. DR.. Parsons, in taking exception
to the letter OF Mr.. Carney, and The re-
marks of this paper. placed himself as
leader of the opposition. Mr.. Sears was
allowed to make the reply. Others have
talked. and we believe That justice has
been done everyone the Times Repub-
lican 1t least has endeayored TO be fair
Yesterday time was called and the case
will now have to go To the jury OF pub
lie opinion, and of course no verdict
can be expected, as the jury i certain
to disagree.
The Times Republican has followed
the arguments of these able attorneys,
has weighed and considered all the evil
dence submitted. to see If it could find
any Information that would warrant ii
In changing from the opinions it has
expressed, and it is now free to say
that ii has found none. Rather has ii
been confirmed in its convictions, and
from all the indications 1t has seen. Is
convinced more firmly than ever that
upon the issue of Gear against Cum
minis Marshall county is most certainly
a Cummins county However, this pa
per believes with Mr.. Mason that some
third man, such as Governor SHAN or
Maj. Lacey might be more acceptable
to Marshall county republicans than
either Gumnins or Gear, but in any
case the county is anti-Gear.
DIR. Parsons objects TO oui, statement
that he is a partisan. We would refer
him to his own statement when he cries
We want Gear That is all right.
He has a perfect right to want Gear,
although with due respect to DR.. Par
sons, we honestly believe that he wants
Gear not so much as he does not want
Cummins; at any rate ne admits HIM
self to be partisan, which fact we
say is apt to color his Judgment
Minis because the latter went back on
prohibition, and while he admits that
he knows nothing about Mr.. Gear ex-
cept that the republican party has hon
ored him in the past, he wants him
as against Mr. Gummlns. If the doctor
will pardon us. we will cite him to a
Very reliable citizen of this town who
insists that the doctor made the state
ment TO him that he. would rather see
John H. Gear elected United States
senator if he should be drunk every
day than see A. B. cummins SO elected
Now the doctor most likely did not
mean that if he said it. but he must
have been talking pretty strong to-
cause this man TO repeat the story. So
we say that when the doctor visits the
homes of the poor and lowly, when he
breaches In the school houses and talks
with the farmers about crops and poll
I tics Gall of which he cites as establish
ing his claim to speak for Marshall
county,, he is pretty sure 70 find a
strong Gear sentiment, for who is there
among average men who would dare to,
differ from the preacher Ii he so.
dare, he would be discreet enough to.
keep still about it.
DR.. Parsons goes out on the street to
seek evidence and the very men he
quotes are openly pronounced Gear
ner. Not word does he say of the
sarcastic reply he received from a
Cummins partisan who replied that
We're he in favor of continuing a va
cancy in the United States senate he
would favor the reelection of John III.
Gear" Unjust?9 OF course it was, but
II is a sample of the four to one senti-
n.ent found by DIR. Parsons. When MIR.
Parsons quotes Mr.. St. Clair we might
quote the cashiers of three other banks
all good republicans. as favoring Mr.
Cummirs; when he quotes MIR. Hixson
or MIR. Carter we might quote Mr.. Xix
sons brother or Mr.. w. r.. Moninger,
as weli-known republicans, favoring
Mr.. Cummins; DIR. Devine's preferences
are offset by DR.. Mighell or DIR. David
and so on. For every man Dir. Parsons
could name il would be no trouble to
Lame three on the other side equally as
prominent in the party. but what does
it mean? Or. Parsons could come back
with a list of three to our every one
for ris side and so on ad ininitum
Likewise when a Cummins man goes
w w u lcAsaS eAiiNA llLtctL
Cunimins supporters out of seventeen
members present as was done in this
city, he might be expected TO come out
with 4 statement that Marshall county
was eight to one for Cummins. So it is
with Mr Sears and his petition. For
Two days he circulated a Cummins PEI
titioa UP ard down the streets OF Mar
shalltown and practically everybody
signed it. He was surprised" as he
stated it, for actually not one in twen-
ty-tive refused TO sign that petition.
In the railroad shops and offices of this
city out OF ninety men eighty seven
signed 1t. But then Mr.. Sears has not
proved Marshall county to be twenty To
one or even four to one for Cummins.
The size of the matter is that the peo-
pie of Marshalltown would sign any
thing for Mr.. Sears. When he APP
proaches man with that pleasant
smile of his and blandly assumes him
to be for Cummins, why that man feels
that it would be a crime to be anything
else. On the other hand we doubt not
that had Mr.. Estabrook so desired he
could with his acquaintance and his
friendships. and his strong Gear sym
pathies, have secured Gear petition
that would have convinced the rankest
kind of an intidel The petitions do not
prove anything as to ratios or majori-
ties except that there is q strong SEN