Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-09
FOR SENATOR.
Cummins' Friends Say He is
Still in the Contest.
WANT SECRET BALLOT.
The Cummins nIen Still Hold Out for
One-Aftermath of the Speaker.
ship Contest-An Quiet in
Des Moines Today.

| 0AAp NOAteSt-AiA quiet III
Des Moines Today.
Des Moines Jan. s.-(SpecialD THE
events of the past two days in Des
Moines have been in decided contrast
| to the week of political strife which
has dominated in the capital city since
the beginning of the end of the speak
ership and senatorial campaign. 1t is
conceded by all, even the most earnest
Cummins workers, that the fight is all
over, and altho the friends of Cum
minis and Eaton declare their senatori-
| al candidate will enter the nominating
caucus it is quite generally believed
Mr.. Cummins will withdraw. 1t is ex-
pected the joint caucus for nomination
of republican candidate for United
| States senator will be held this even
ing. The nominating caucus from the
senate being composed of three Gear
and one Cummins man, and from the
house, of Gear men entirely, the ar
rangements lie entirely in the Gear
camp. A Gear and Bowen caucus was
held Sunday afternoon, and prelimina-
ry plans for the opening days We're
mapped out. Immediately following
| the organization of the houses. it will
be moved to adjourn. Adjournment
will be taken for two or three days,
giving the Bowen people time to ar
range their committees. When the leg
islature reconvenes the committees will
be announced, and the regular work of
at the caucus Sunday that considering
Gear men in the house, no one would
be allowed leave of absence without
permission, and that no one would be
allowed to pair with Cummins repre-
sentatives.
| Altho it was very quiet about the
hotels yesterday, one subject was very
| much discussed. That subject was the
tqIestion of holding open or secret BAL
lots in republ lican legislative caucussSs
s.The Cummiias and ton men are astilf
lprofuse in their arguments against the
system of open ballotihg, andemaintain
| it was theSopen ballots that beat them
out for speaker. On the other hand
| the Gear and Bowen men claim the
open ballot is the only right and cor
Erect method of voting. e
Representative Barringer, who is re-
Tally the scause5of the secret ballot and
the signing of the Bowen agreement,
lsaid: The Cummins people claim to
have been able to nominate Eaton if il
| had been secret ballot, and @at the
same time claim the open ballot gives
| opportunity for the effect of outside
/ Influences This seems to me little
like putting the cart before the horse
4 IT strikes me that the secret ballot is
| the system which gives opportunity
for outside effects, for on that method
we can vote as we please, and no one
| will be the wiser. Then there is anoth-
Ter consideration in favor of the open
ballot. A members constituents have
| the. right to know how he votes Rep
resentative, in the broadest sense,
means one who stands for the people
of8a certain district. He represents
them, and their interests. If this is
| true, then they certainly have the
! right to know what he is doing in
/ their name. No sir, the secret ballot
1 is not right, and / believe their claim
4 that they could have nominated had
that system been used, in spite Of the
4 fact that we had forty three Signatures
TO an agreement to vote for Bowen,
is one of the strongest arguments in
favor of the open ballot.
Mr.. Eaton was. at the hotel Sunday
4 afternoon, and said that altho he had
been beaten he thought he had put up
a game fight, and that he had really
enjoyed every minute of it. He is
|enough of a politician, and has been
in the business long enough to know
how to take defeat gracefully. He
said:s am feeling excellent today
4 / know / was beaten, butt think we
4 put up a good fight, and / don't ask
anyones S sympathy. These fellows
thar come around and offer their
sympathy make me hot. I think we
ought to be congratulated for our hard
fight. / realize that they beat us on
4 the open ballot, for i know would
have Succeeded If we had voted in Sc
/. cret. That is the correct system. and
those fe.4owst had no right to change
4 the custom of years. and method that
4 has become recognized as right all ov-
Ter this country. The open ballot does
not allow a man to vote his honest con
yictions, but places him under the
power Of the party leaders, under a
whip as it were. Regarding the sena-
torship caucusI will say that Mr.. Cum
Minis will not allow his constituents to
be disappointed. They clamor for an
i opportunity to cast their vote fer him,
and he will treat them as they de-
serve
4 There seems to be considerable divi-
sion among the Culnmins supporters
on the equestion of Mr.. Cummins enter-
i ing the caueus. A majority of them
l want him to continue to be their can
didate, but there -.re few, and in
most cases they are the older and more
j conservative men, who are in favor of
4 having him withdraw. The general
Isentimentinow seemsto favor his with
4 drawal, and announcement of this is
4 looked forsat any time.
The Gear and Bowen managers claim
to have heard rumors to the effect that
i as a last resort the Cummins men are
rying two methods by which lit is