Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-28
sEvEN1H DisrRIcT CONTEST.

The beating of political tom-toms In
Des Moines is creating a great deal of
noise and confusion. While the people
of the state are interested spectators in
the fight going on between Congress-
man Hull and Judge Prouty for the
congressional delegation TO be selected
at the primaries March Z, they do not
care to become embroiled in the con-
test. They are chiefly instructed and
amused by the arguments of the ms
to retain position and the outs" to get
in. To show the difficulty of securing
fair understanding of the relative
strength of the contestants where the
friends of each are making loud claims,
the following is quoted from the Nevada
Representative, which aims to make an
unbiased report after canvass of the
Des Moines section of it's own congress
sional field That paper in its latest is
sue gives the following:
The editor spent Friday in Des
Moines in the endeavor TO get inforrna-
ton concerning the congressional con-
test there between Captain Hull and
Judge Prouty. We learned upon COM
spetent authority that poll of the city
taken by Judge Prouty's friends shows
that he has thirds of the republican
voters in the city. We also learned up
on competent authority. canvassing the
situation precinct by precinct, that
Capt. Hull is sure OF all except FIVE or
six precincts in the city, which pre-
cincts were doubtful but not conceded
to be lost. According to our observation
the Hull people We're less confident than
they were two weeks before, and gem
tleman very close to Judge Prouty
wanted to know what show the Judge
would have in Story, even If he should
lose Polk. Both candidates are fbso-
lutely confident. Both candidates also
have headquarters open near the busi-
ness center; and In each headquarters
is gathered n crowd of loafers of idenu-
cally the same sort, the general sugges-
ton being that many of them are there
to find out what there is in it for them.
The argument there has simnlered
down to this: That, on the one hand,
Hull can get more and bigger appropri-
atoms for Des Moines purposes than
| Prouty could, and that, on the other
| hand, Hull is personally selfish ard is
not good friend to Governor Cumrnins
which Prouty is. on the one side the
appeal is to Des Moines' cupidity and
on the other to Des Moines faction
From both sides 1t is Des Mciines
| fight, upon which the opinions or irtter-
| ests of people or communities in the
| outside counties have no bearing what
ever. 1t would probably be unfair te
tax the candidates with the exclusivel!
Des Moines character of the contest
Des Moines has been running the poll
tics of the district and Is generally ex,
pected to do so. The good will of out
siders may be appreciated, but it doe:
not particularly count; and where {
politicians treasure is, there will hi
heart be also.
4 So the candidates and their friend.
are concentrating their every effort up
on the real theater of the war, and sucl
/ is the duplicity of voters that the man
layers on both sides are probably JUST
y fed by assurances received in enter
!, tanning the roseate views of the situa
tion that appear respectively to be held
Nor does II follow that one side or tn
other may not be substantially correct
About four years ago there was n can
vass for mayor in Des Moines in whicl
che candidate made an organized fish
apparently as noisy as either side OF tn
present congressional fight, but failed t
carry precinct in the city. So in thi
} fight, it may be found that one side
, dealing in facts and the other In hop
and innocence; but we are prett
strongly inclined to the belief tina
neither side is strictly innocent and TIL
whole struggle is mess, which we ar
!, not politician enough to fathom.