Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-02
TIE POLK PRIMARIES
Politicians Of Iowa Watching the
First Political Skirmish
With Interest.
Delegates to the State Conven-
tion Will. Indirectly. Be
Selected.
Henderson and the Senatorship
and Other Alleged Political
Aspirations.

Special TO Times Republican.
Dcs Noines, March 2--It Will not be
long before many Iowans will be turn
ing their eyes in the direction Of Des
Moines and Polk county ro watch the
first of the political contests and gather
from this supposed political barometer
some indication of what the republican
voters of the state have in mind for
this year. The primary system is in
vogue in this county, not only for the
selection OF a county ticket, but TO se-
lect delegates to state convention
when there is no county ticket TO be
named conc,lrrently. Under this sys-9
tenn aiso the selection Of fSielegates TO
the state conventions nave usually been.
made by wards and districts that is.
each one Of the three rura. supervisor
districts vote in a separate convention
for delegates from that district and IN
the two supervisor districts which com :
prise the city the unit is the ward, and
each ward takes action independent of
every other. 1t will be readily seen that
under such n system ii would be prac-
ticaily Impossible 10 select q delegation
to the state convention entirely har-
monious. this sure to result in a
mixed delegation. 1t secures a repre-
sentative delegation, but is a hasdicap
Ito Polk county aspirants. There is a
provision. however that the republican
voters express preferences for state
candidates and these preferences viii
control all honorable delegates. 1T has
been esirel. in view Of the facs that
there are two candiaat tesand possibly
sthres-from this county for governor.
held so as to eliminate one Of more Of
the candidates., but the convention can
not be called until the state cqni:nittae
gets action and Iapportions this dele
gates among the coupties There are
various ifications in III county hat
Sit would be " ell for ali outsiders 10 bear
lln tnlru. 40. rof
fer the leg sslaturs thn car,
didacy OF Judge Bishop FOR :ls suprella.
lbench and the unexpected candidacy Q,
Professor Brenton for state sulSerin-
tendent. the interference Of the con-
eressional machinery the Longitudinal
division Of the city of Des Aloines. the
prevalence Of ..divisve strife without
quarantine. etc. Congressman Hull has
written home that h. viii be here by
the Stii and the politicians who nave at
tended the inaugural will then be back.
But until the state committee does
somehng the date Of the county con-
vcntion cannot be fixed.
Incidentally the disclosure in newsTa-
pers that get their information from
within the inner circle hat Speaker
Henderson is really a candidate Tor SEN
ator and expects to succeed Allison next
time has caused some embarras ssment
among the strikers for the machine. IT
had been supposed that Henderson was
satisfied wtls his position II the desk
in the house. The statement has gone
forth that Henderson has been picked
for Allison's place in the senate and
that no others need apply. In the same
place. however, the discovery has been
announced that \. l3. Cuminirs is real
ly a candidate for president ard that II
Is Cumnins and not shaw who is 10 be
the Iowa candidate in 1904 The latter
statement seems not TO have caused any
relaxation of the zeal of the Cummins
men. sidney Foster. it is fair 10 state,
lis thus far only candidate for gov
ernor.
The information has been received
here that Judge Tedfnrd, Of Nit. AYR. is
soon to resign from the bench en- ac-
count of continued III health. Judge
Tedford has NOT been strong for some
time and his physicians have advised
that he secure rest. This viii be ans
other oprortunity for speculation as to
who Will be named by the governor for
the place 10 be thus made vacant. No
names have been suggested. Mt. Ayr
seems TO be a center of political activ-
Iity along the Missouri border. There are
| fifteen candidates for the legislature
already on the list in Ringgoid county
and eight of thsm are Mt. Ayr aspi-
rants.
The muddle into which the organizers
of the new national guard company al
Atlantic have got themselves by per-
hitting a petty political quarrel to di-
| vide them recalls the fact that the Iowa
national guard has been kept pretty
free from political Influences for many
years The staff positions are always
given out to political friends, but none
other The Fifty-serond regiment. for
instance has had no republican COM
mandlng as colonel for more than ten
| years Men have been appointed and
commissioned by republican and demo
cratic governors alike without regart
to politics Governor Roies made M
distinctions whatever. In the medica
department it is true that the surgeor
| general is republican. but Drs Fair
child. Maerae and Conkling. all with TIL.
Fifty-first. are democrats. In the CASE
OF DIR. Emmert. of Atlantic, it so hap
pens that he was formerly a surgeon il
/ the guard and therefore we'll fitted Il
examine applicants for the Atlantic
company The orders for organization
lat Abba and Winterset We're issued a
the same time as the orders at Atlantic
and both of the first named companies
are now practically ready to be mus
/ tered in. Mai Lambert, of Newton. o
the Fiftieth regiment is another demo
crat recently commissioned by Cover
nor Shaw. The Sac City company wa,
mustered in by Adj. Gen. Byers as
June with a democra. for captain. II i