Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-03
POLITICAL FIGHT.
The Contest for the Congress.
sional Nomination in Sew.
enth Grows Interesting.
Hull and Prouty Both Holding
Meetings and Canvassine
the Voters.
County Candidates Annoyed by
the District Campaign
Blythe's Ambition.
to Times-Renuhlican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Feb. 3.-Not in many
years has there been seen in central
Iowa any such midwinter political con-
test as that which has been precipi
tated in Polk county and the Seventh
congressional district at this time.
Already the two candidates for con-
gress are out on the stump addressing
the voters. This week both Capt. Hull
and Judge Prouty will be out in the ru
raj districts making speeches. Both are
able speakers, men of fine personality,
aggressive in their views and methods
and both have warm friends. Their
campaign methods must perforce be of
exceedingly heated character to arouse
warmth among their followers this
time of the year: 1T is promised that
both of the candidates will come up to
expectations and see to 1t that there is
no lack of enthusiasm. The fight is
squarely machine and antimachine,
-so-far as this represents the diverse
interests of politicians in this section
of the state. Judge Prouty was warm
supporter of Gov. Gummins; Capt Hull
has been an adroit opponent of Cum
Minis. The friends of Cummins will
generally align themselves with
Prouty. The judge is a vigorous and
active young man. He fairly repre-
sents the younger and newer genera
e, H., JI,,l1
tirely on his record and his ability to do
thing and get things. He is in posi-
ton of prominence in congress. for as
head of the military committee in the
house he has been able to WELD an in
fiuence almost as great as II he con-
trolled the appropriations committee.
1t was Capt. Hull who secured the
army post for Des Moines, something
for which the army has not particle
of use but which will be quite useful
to Des Moines and may become an i'm
portant part of the commercial life of
the city. Just now Hull in engaged in
furthering scheme to secure for Des
Moines million dollar postof1ice build
ing. Naturally, If Des Moines gets a
million dollar postoffice building other
towns and cities of Iowa will have to
wait longer for what they want-but
that doesn't interest voters OF the Sew
enth congressional district. Another
influence for Hull is the fact that DUR
ing nearly all his life he has aligned
himself with the East Des Moines po-
l!tical forces. which forces are more
and aggressive than any
others here. On the other hand the
work of organization which was eff
fected last year in the interest of Mr..
Cummins forms the basis of strong
for Prouty this year.
Precipitation of the congressional
at this time is annoying to
the candidates for county office. The
primaries will be held before the mid
die of March for fear of the adverse in
fiuence of other counties as against the
Hull campaign. But there are numer-
GUS candidates for county office and
they hoped to have the campaign later
in the year. Besides the regular list of
county candidates for Office. These
things complicate the congressional
fight. Which side will suffer most re-
mains to be disclosed. There is pecu-
liar situation in regard to the newspa-
per influence. In former years. before
Hull entered congress-, he was COM
PEELED to continually battle against the
influence of the Register. Now that
paper is his strongest defender. The
Leader is for Prouty and squarely
the News was the chief supporter of
IT,. a. e.. 4,
haps not inclined to make any agrees
sive fight for or against anybody. The
Capital, on the other hand, was for
Cummins year ago. and is now for
Hull desperately and almost viciously.
But thus far the newspapers have CIV
en- only the preliminary announcements.
Later when the campaign warns up
they will probably print some things
that will recall the fights of ten and
twenty years ago.
Congressman Haugen, of the Fourth
district. has caused it to be known pub
licly that he is candidate for renom-
nation this year and expects the sup
port of his old friends. 1t is learned
here that the formal announcement of
James Z. Blythe for the position may
be delayed some time. That he is a
candidate at the present time is gen.
orally known. He was in Des Moines
during the Inauguration week and
talked freely with the many politicians
here about his prospective candidacy.
The fight in the Fourth is likely to be
almost as lively as the one in the Sew
enth but Will come later.
One of the cases on the supreme
court docket for this week will not be
submitted. This is the case of the
state vs.. Lucy Foster. appealed from
Kossuth county. She was convicted on
her own confession of having Irrigated
Clarence Robinson to shoot her hus-
band, Fred Foster, to get him out OF the
way. She has appealed the case and
4 transcript of the case and abstract of
the evidence was filed with the court
Arguments have not been fled because
the defendant and appellant has been
paroled and has joined her husband
again. 1t is che of the very rare cases
where pardon or parole has been
granted While the courts are still en-
gagged on the case. Ii is the general
rule that paroles are never granted as
long as there is possible legal remedy
for an alleged wrong. The case is on
be stricken off.
Application has been made to Gov.
cummins already for the reward which
vas offered for the arrest of kid" No