Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-08-15
The Convention

minis Cedar Rapids convention.
Cedar Rapids nicely entertained thu
visitors, going to more trouble to do SC
than any city IN Iowa ever did before
A big canvass thirty feet wide and 4
block long, over the side walk and hall
way across the street from just west Of
the old b. q, r. & ~, and e. and N. w
depot to the Grand hotel made
the most comfortable lobby state con
vention ever had. The auditorium
proved to be quite adequate to the con,
vention's needs.
The outcome was uncertain up to the
very last. Several Of the district eau.
cuses were very close. OF the commit
tees, Cummins failed to get the creden-
tials, the most important, by one vote,
but he evidently got the permanent
organization committee.
The report of the credentials commit
tee did not come till after four o'clock.
The majority of the committee favored
BUSTING the regular delegates from Car.
roll and Jackson counties. The minor
ity report, made by the Cummins men,
favored the sitting delegates from these
two counties. On the motion to substi-
tute the minority for the majority, came
the first test vote. The progress of the
vote on this question by counties as the
roll call progressed, was watched with
intense interest. Tremendous cheers
went up from the apparently evenly d.
vided sides as pivotal or important
counties announced, each side cheering
their adherents. II was part of the
Cummins program to carry this motion
and thus give Cummins the additional
strength Of these two counties. III these
two counties could be put on the other
side the anti-Cummins strength would
be increas ed that much. 1t carried by
a majority of eighty, and Cummins was
then as good as nominated.
After this, as fast as roll calls could
proceed, the nominations OF Cummins,
Herriott, Weaver and Brown were made.
The strong tactical play made by the
Cummins men was in the combinations
with Weaver, Herriott. and Brown,
which compelled those gentlemen to de-
liver certain counties to Cummins first,
in pay for which they were to be nomi
mated for their respective places. After
Cummlns was nominated, the others
followed as surely as political promises
held good.
The action of the ninth district pre-
sented some strange things. Herriott
was roundly criticised for withdrawing
at the last. He had repeatedly said he
would not withdraw and would not take
second place. His final action was
caused by his friends forcing him to do
it. His own county delegation were
personally for Cummins, most OF them
at least. The Cummins contingent
from this district allsupported Senator
Hopkins from Guthrie, Herrlott's coun-
ty. for member of the committee on
credentials and he played into the
hands of Cummins by supporting the
minority report. 1t was evidently the
game OF Herriott aud his friends to de-
liver more OF the ninth than they did.
Audubon county voted solidly and
consistently OH the Anti. Cummins side
all the time. They did not even vote
for Herriott as lieutenant governor.
They didn't belong to the Cummins
machine and were not OF the band
wagon kind They had honestly stood
with Herriott for the office for which he
made his campaign, helping all they
could to maintain the unity and
strength of the district. They did not
choose at that late hour to follow their
leader into the opposite camp.
IL Herriott could have held the ninth
district intact and voted 1t for the ma
jority report of the committee OH Gre
dentials, Carroll and jackson could not
have been seated and Cummins could
not have been nominated. Then Henri
OFT would have stood an equal, il not the
best show for the coveted nomination.
We believe he would have won. As it
was his friends defeated him.
The convention oratory was the best
a state convention has had for many
years. The two hour wait was filled in
by speeches from the senators and the
best speakers among the congressman.
Allison received his usual generous and
deserved welcome and blushed and bow
ed as modestly as ever. This he has
done regularly at state conventions for
over twenty years, but it is as it should
be. Dolliyer again proved his great
popularity and ability. He is close to
the hearts of the people. Lacey. as
usual, was pnngent, logical nd clear.
Cousins was eloquent. eleg3 and en-
trancing. Judge Smith had S mettle
tested. When called up the cd venti,n,
not knowing him. yelled for the report
of the committee. 1t was not ready, but
when 1000 people are restless, uncom-
Portable, noisy, and of contrary opinions,
they are hard to make understand. For
several minutes-it seemed to us Ion
time-Jndge Smith stood at the front Of
the stage and tried to speak. At last he
sat down, the band played, the chair
man said the report was not ready, and
Judge Smith then made himself heard
His speech made a decided hit. The
ninth district delegates arose in body
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