The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-10


Henry Maxwell's study to develop
plans The city primaries were called
for Friday Runlors of strange and I'M
heard Of events to the average citizen
were current in political circles through
out Raymond The Crawford system Of
balloting for nominations was not in
use in the state and the primary was
called for public meeting at the court
house.
The citizens of Raymond will never
forget that meeting 1t was SO unlike
any political meeting ever held in Ray
mond before that there was no attempt
at comparison The special officers to
be nominated We're mayor, city council,
chief of police. city clerk and city
treasurer
The Evening News in its Saturday
edition gave full account of the pri-
maries and in an editorial column Ed
ward Norman spoke with dlrectness
and conviction that the Christian peo-
pie O. RAYMOND We're learning to re
spect deeply because so evidently sincere
and unselfish A part of that editorial
is also part of this history
''It is safe to say that never before in
the history of Raymond was there a
primary like the one in the courthouse
/. t night 1t was, first of ALL com
plete surprise to the city politicians,
who have been in the habit of carrying
on the affairs of the city as if they
owned them and every one else was
simply a tool or a cipher. The over
whelmlng surprise of the wire puller
last night consisted in the fact that a
large number of the citizens of Ray
mond who have heretofore taken no
part in the city's affairs entered the pri-
mary and controlled it, nominating
some OF the best men for all the Offices
to be filed ;it the coming election.
''It was a tremendous lesson in good
citizenship President Marsh of Lincoln
college, who never before entered CITY
primary and whose face even was not
Known TO many OF the ward politicians
made one of the best speeches ever
heard i'll Raymond. 1t was almost lu-
d1crous to see the faces of the men
who for years have done as they pleased
when President Marsh rose to speak.
Many OF them asked, Who is he?' The
CONSERVATION deepened as the primary
proceeded and it became evident that
the old time ring of city rulers was ont
Numbered. Henry Maxwell, pastor of
the First church; Milton Wright. Alex
ander Powers, Professors Brown, VII.
lard and Park of Lincoln college, Rev
John West, DR. George Maine u} the
Pilgrim church, Dean Ward of the Eoly
Trinity and scores of we'll known by..,i
ness and professional men, most OF then:
church members We're present, and it
did not take long to see that they had
all come with the direct and definite
purpose of nominating the best men
possible Most of these men had never
been seen in a primary They Were
complete strangers to the politicians.
but they had evidently profted by the
politicians methods and We're able by
organized and united effort to nominate
the entire ticket
LAS soon as it became plain that the
primary was out Of their control the
regular ring withdrew in disgust and
nominated another ticket. The News
simply calls the attention of all decent
citizens to the fact that this last ticket
contains the names of whisky men, and
the line is distinctly and sharply drawn
between the machine and corrupt city
government. such as we have known
Tor years, and clean, honest, capable.
buslnessllke city administration, such
as every good citizen ought to want
III Is not necessary to remind the people
OF Raymond that the question of local
option comes up at the election That
will be the most important question
on the ticket The crisis of our CITY
affairs has been reached The issue
as squarely before us Shall we con.
tlnue the rule of rum and Doodle and
shameless incompetency or shall we,
as President Marsh said in his noble
speech. rise as good citizens and be.
gin new order of things. cleansing
Our city of the worst enemy known to
municipal honesty and doing what lies
In our power to do with the ballot-to
purify our civic life?
1.-The News is positively and without
reservation on the side of the new
movement We shall henceforth do all
In our power to drive out the saloon
and destroy its political strength. We
shall advocate the election of men nom
mated by the majority of citizens met
In the first primary, and we call upon
all Christians, church members and low
ers OF right, purity temperance and
nome to stand by President Marsh and
the rest OF the citizens who Lave thus
Cegun long needed reform in our
city
President Marsh read this editorial
and thanked God for Edward Norman
AT the same time he understood well
enough that every other paper in Ray
mond was on the other side He did not
misunderstood the Importance and seri-
BUSINESS of the fight which was only Just
begun 1t was no secret that The News
had lost enormously since it had been
governed by the standard of ''What
would Jesus dor The question now
was. 'Would the Christian people of
I La,i