Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-04
A CORRUPT CONTEST
Both Sides In the Senatorial Con.
test In Pottawattamie County
Charge Corruption.
Alleged That Votes Were Bought
Ereely-More Votes Than
Voters Are Counted.
Col. Dows May Not Accept Commits
sion in Regular Army Fred
Whites Speech.
ecial to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Sept. 4.-The political
pilgrims who went out to Pottawatta-
mie county to assist the good people OF
that community in conducting their
primaries last Friday and Saturday ev-
enings, have drifted back to town, and
they tell some hair raising stories about
the contest in which Gear carried the
county The Cummins leaders, while
they do not admit that the county was
Of such vital Importance to their cause
as outsiders considered, yet admit that
they wanted it very much and made by
far the hardest fight they have conduct
ed in any single county thus far. The
laltruistic advocate of high toned
political methods would find good deal
in the general conduct of the fight call
culated to CRATE on his tender sensibil-
tiles. But the effort of either side to
cast aspersions on the other because of
methods employed would be modern
instance of the old debate between the
pot and the kettle. If the stories that
are brought back have any truth in
them, neither side can lay claim to
large measure of political virtue in con-
nection with the matter.
The Gear people have insisted for
| some time that Pottawattamie was not
a pivotal county. They declared they
had the contest won, even if they
should lose that county. The energy
with which they devoted themselves to
1.-THE fight however, does not indicate so
great confidence as would be presumed
from their statements. If the whole
question of electing senator had been
| referred to Pottawattannie the fight
could hardly have been waged with
more desperation. But with this coun-
ty won, and with their triumph in the
big Five" district, the Gear men are
now claiming that the fight is all over.
| One of the political mathematicians
gives out the statement that Gear now
has 80 votes in sight in the joint caucus,
on the basis of nominations already
made. In making this estimate he
,IIeayes out of the count few nominees
lin close or democratic districts, where
the chances are against the republicans
lelecting, and applies his best judgment
|
Iothers stand as between Gear and Cum
MINIS. He then calculates that 115 is
the outside limit of the number who will
| be entitled to seats in .he joint caucus
He considers 107 or los the more prob
able number. Placing it at lis, his esti-
mate gives Gear majority of one.
But about that Pottawattamie fight.
The Gear people who were on the
ground say that the Rock Island road
sent all its gravel trains in the vicinity
lof Council Bluffs into the town on FRI
4 day afternoon, with instructions that
the men were to be voted for Cummins.
The Burlington, however, was not to be
outdone in any such style. 1t had a
few gravel gangs of its own, and un-
| less the management OF the road has
been libelled, ii sent them from all over
southwestern Iowa into the town and
i voted them. But this all wasn't g
patching. Wagons and carry-alls came
over from Omaha with patriots who
Iwere willing to vote in Iowa at fixed
4 amount per- And they voted, too, by
hundreds. One precinct which cast less
than 400 votes for Mckinley in 1896, and
has never cast SO many for republican
lcanddate since turned out over $50
votes in the caucus. No attempt was
made, practically. to assure honesty in
the primary. Nobody's qualifications
were especially investigated. Men filed
into the primary rooms, deposited their
1 ballots with the judges and filed out, to
receive the 80, which was accepted as
the standard price.
| The Gear people, from all accounts.
had the longer purse. They We're able
/ to keep at it longer. Both sides had
managers on hand from general head
Iquarters looking after organization and
the processes of handling the money.
land it was a red hot time. The half has
not been told about it; probably never
will be written. But in the end the Gear
people won out. The Cummins people
insist that an honest primary would
have shown a different result, but
/ lPottaws ttamie has never been very
strong on morality in politics, and the
result will have to be accepted philo-
sophically by anybody who doesn't like
lit.
! Cedar Rapids people who have been
in town today say that Col. W. G.
Dows, late commander of the Forty
ninth Iowa, will not accept the COM
mission as major in the regular army,
the position for which he was recently
nominated by the president. Col. Dows
made splendid record in the Spanish
war, and no Iowa commander enjoyed
larger popularity with his troops. He
had had excellent training for the bust
ness of commanding men, as manager
of great forces of workmep on railroad
and other big contracts for his father,
S. Il. Dows. He proved good execu-
tive. and was especially strong in tax
! ing care of his own men and looking
after their health and comfort. When
he was nominated short time ago for
a majority in the regulars he was
away from home and it was not known
whether he would accept Since then
letters have been received saying he
will probably decline. although it is
understood he has not yet done SO. Con-
siderable influence has been brought to
induce him to refuse the commission. as
his acceptance would compel him to de-
cline the republican nomination for
representative in Linn.