Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-04
WAR AN|D DEMOCRATS
The Party in Iowa Recovering
Leihargical State to Engage
in a Row.
Approach Of the State Conven.
ton Date Causes Activity
Among Two Wings.
Gold Faction Quietly Organized
to Wrest Power from
Silverites.
to Times Republican.

4 Special to esRepublican.
/ pes Moines, Aug. 4.-With the APP
I preaching of the date set for the demo
tcratic state convention Sept. there
ARE signs of awakening from the period
iof somnolency that has existed within
l;he party ranks in Iowa for sometime
With these signs of life however, There
are evidences of a fractional fight. Up
to this time democratic affairs have
been in a lethargical state, but there
are indications that this will give way
convention.
Aside from the Sixth congressional
district, where the democrats placed
John p. Reese. district president Of the
United Mine Workers of America, in
the field for congress against john +.
Lacey. there have been no evidences
that the party would make the old time
attempts to strengthen itself in the
state. The gold wing of the party. not
having control of the organization. was
unfavorably situated for taking the in
ltive, and the silver men evinced no
desire TO start the ball. The result was
that no campaign was started.
But that the period of somolency is
ended is not to be doubted in vi.w of
the developments of the last few days.
Charles ID. i'ullen. a leading figure of
the gold wing and once chairman of the
state committee, has addressed letters
to the leading gold democrats Of the
state, asking for suggestions whereby
the control of the party machinery may
be wrested from the silver men. and
setting out the necessity for concerted
action TO that end.
1t is the belief of many gold men that
a vigorous fight for control would meet
with success, for the reason, as they
say. that assertions from the silver po-
sition must follow defeat at the polls,
and consequently the silver wing is not
nearly SO strong as last year. at which
time barely enough votes could be Sc
cured to give that faction control of
affairs.
The hopelessness of further insist
ence upon the Bryan doctrine as {; part
of the platform they feel will have its
effect this year, and many democrats
who now realize that the party can
never accomplish anything in the state
until some common ground for bring
ing the hostile factions together is
reached, will favor a compromise plat
form and a lair representation OF gold
men in the official list of the party.
However, the silver leaders hold diff
ferent views, and it is this fact that in
sures lively convention. The Des
Moines Democrat, probably the leading
paper of the silver wing, in an editorial
yesterday demands that the party be
not disgraced by the retraction of a
single utterance made at kansas City.
This paper predicts that the place of
the late John S. Murphy, the champion
of silver in Iowa, will be ably filled not
only on the resolutions committee of
the coming state convention, but on the
floor as we'll, if so it be that such serv-
ices are needed. Frank Q. Stuart S. A.
Brewster, Walt Butler and Cato Sells.
the Democrat declares, will be fully
alive to the so-called reorganizers, who
are certain to put in an appearance
again this year, demanding that past
utterances of the party be ignored in
the interest of harmony The paper
demands that none but those who voted
the democratic ticket in 1896 and have
since done so be selected as delegates
to the convention.
Charles Walsh, secretary of the ma
tional committee. some months ago. in
an interview. declared there would be
no holding out of the olive branch to
the gold democrats: that they must re-
turn, if at all. in sackcloth and ashes. !
From all this it would appear that the
in September will witness
another struggle and that it will end
with the party divided into hostile
wings.
An effort is being made to induce
Claude Porter of Centerville to I
make the fight for congress in the /
eighth against Peter Hepburn. At d
conference held some weeks ago Porter
$ said to have given as an excuse for
Tot entering the field inability to meet |
he financial expense involved. TO meet +
his objection democrats are now at |
work securing contributions to fund |
which. when it has reached a satisfac-
ory amount will be placed at the dis
,osal of Senator Porter and the pres
sure redoubled to induce him to make
he fight.