Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-02

is a matter OF general regret. The sup
porters of Mr. Cummins have freely ad-
mitted the opinion that Senator Gears
presence on the ground would be adj
to them. for 1T would
prove, better than any other evidence,
the truth of the charges that the sena-
tor is not in fit physical condition to be
elected to a six years term in the sem
ate-for a term which will not begin for
fifteen months yet The Cummins peo-
pie declared themselves greatly disap-
pointed at learning that the senator
will not come. They intimate the opin-
ion thatt the fight is liable to end, or at
least the speakership battle to be con-
cluded, with out the senator appearing
on the scene of action.
Senator Gears opponents declare
that no possible reason could have Kept
him away from Des Moines at this crit
teal time IN the fight, except the convic-
tion of his managers that he would be,
stronger by remaining in Burlington
than by coming 10 Des Moines. In for
mer fights the senator's personal ac
quaintance. his legion of personal
friends and his splendid political ca
pacity have stood him in good stead.
first fight for the senate, he was on the
ground from start to finish, and vas
second to nobody in looking after his
own interests. The fight this yeal. Is
unqucstionably a more dangerous one
for him than was that one. The Cum
Minis men declare that only the unWill-
ingness of his managers to have his
actual physical condition made known
could have kept him away from Des
Moines.
The last battle of the speakership
contest began today. Every train has
been bringing members into town. The
hotel Hobbies We're thronged by noon,
and probably a majority of the legisla-
tors will be here by tonight. Both
sides have opened their permanent
headquarters at the Hotel Savery. The
speakership candidates, Eaton and
Bowen, both have parlor suites, and
the senatorial managers each have
suites on the upper floors for consulta-
tion. correspondence and general fine
work. Stenographers and typewriters.
letter files, maps of Iowa by congress
sioral, judicial and legislative districts.
over them; outer rooms in which cali
ers are received, inner rooms in which
the managers deal with callers. and a
holy of holes in which the final touches
are presumed to be administered to po-
litical dealS-these are the obvious
characteristics of each headquarters.
Down OF the floor of the hotel lobbies
is a surging, busy. excited crowd eight
cen hours in the day, and casual yisi-
tors might be led to think that the
work was being done here which would
determine who is TO be senator. But
this is. an, error. The real, dterminins
work is done in the rooms above.
$3.50
The Gear people today decline to give
out any figures. j. w. Blythe. the gen
eral-in-c chief of the Gear forces, when
asked for figures said he was not in tbs
| habit of making estimates simply fol
1.-THE sake of having something in print
| He was willing to let Others enjoy
| themselves in that way. But he gave
| out the most confident assurances thai
| the candidates. OF both Bowen fol
speaker ard Gear Tor senator are in q
/ highly satisfactory condition.
There would never have been sucf
a speakership contest. said Mr.
Blythe. had not Mr.. Eaton permittee
4 himself to be put in the position o.
standingFs.ar the senatorial candidacy
of MIR Cummins. If he had kept fire,
from the senatorial contest the speaker
would have been chosen without refer
ence to the senatorship. There nigh
/ have been twosor three Gear candidate.
in the field, and the result might hay,
! been very different. But the speaker
\ ship has been made an incident to th'
senatorial fight. and must be contested
on that basis
4 While Mr. Blythe declines to max
/ estimates on the strength of the oppos
ling forces, the Cummins men give ou
their first claim of positive victory
I'VE cai now count forty-seven vote
4 for MI. Eaton" declared II. w. Byers
4 member from Shelby county and on
OF the Cunmins managers. sThes
4 votes are positively pledged to him
i We will have more, for there is Il list o
four or five from which we expect t.
draw more strength: but at present "
are warranted in claiming only forty
/ seven votes as certainly for Eaton
1 Torty-one Will be necessary to nomi
Inate We expect to have fifty -tifty-on
4 or tifty-two votes for Eaton in the eau
Gus, provided the Gear people conclud
to make a full showing of thei
strength, or ra lil-l weakness, IN III
1 speakership fight. If they conclude no
to do this. then we may have con
4 siderably larger showing"
1 The present list of members who az
/ s,l,;, 4. -,
! posed of Boysen. of Audubon; Cold, o
Tana; Hawk. Of Jasper: Head. @
/ Greene: Lyman, of Poweshiek; Sokol
of Jones; Sweet, of Bremer; Townei
of Floyd: Townsend, OF Calhoun. VII
son, of Buena Vista; Carter. of Sioux
4 Harbert, of Benton; Hurn. of cerr
Gordo; Miller. of Cedar. To these me
most of the attention will be paid dur
i ing the week of hard work beginnin
TODAY aud ending with the house eau
Gus Oh Saturday night, January .. Th
lCumnins people. or al least some q
their leaders. say there is a disagree
ment among the Gear managers as /
the course which should be pursued j
the further conduct of the speakershi
fight. The question, it is said.
whether it will be better politics TO &
down to defeat in the caucus under III
leadership of Bowen. or whethe
Bowen should be discarded and til
!. election of Eaton conceded in case
becomes inevitable and no oppositio
be presented.