Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-30

tvention has revolved about the fight
! for railroad commissioner. Every one
was asking who WAS to Win on that
question. The candidates for clerk
have been waiting and holding back
and those for reported We're depending
a little on the turn OF affairs on railroad
commissioners. The efforts of some OF
1.-THE candidates We're necessarily in the
direction making deals and these could
only be made With reference TO rail-
rocla commissioner But the friends of
Mr. ketchum kept out of all deals and
trades and made a square fight.
The handling of the fight for Mr.
ketchum was we'll done. 1t was in ev-
cry respect creditable to him and to the
friends who tlocked to their assistance.
The fight reflects credit on the entire
Fifth district. When the Marshall coun-
ty people opened up headquarters here
there was no blow and buster about it,.
They went to work in Il business like
manner to make a success of that
which they had undertaken. They made
la fight in the open for their man. Mr..
Ketchum, ii must be said. rather sur
prised his best friends by the number
of good supporters he got from outlying
districts about which the public knew
nothing. Mr.. ketchum did great deal
of running around over the state and 1t
was to see men with whom he had deal
ings and would favor him. All this has
told on the convention and these
friends are coming up to say so. Then
the supporters of ketchum went. at 1t
Systematically. They have kept tab
on every delegate. They have Known
what is being done by the others. They
have polled the districts and the coun-
ties. Long before the fight was done
they had reason to be confident. And
yet there We're a great many who We're
ready to support Ketchurn only they
must know that he is a winner These
were hard to get in line but the Mar
shall boys worked hard. They found
that there We're whole counties in the
Eleventh district ready to work for
Ketchum. Then they Went down into
the First district which was claimed as
solid for Dawson and got d number of
counties. In the Eighth the same
thing was done right under Blake
more's nose. Thus the problem of get
ting the necessary and coveted support
for ketchum was carefully worked out
and the Fifth district made winning
fight from the start OF course there
was all the time danger of just missing
the prize, but the boys kept at it man
fully.
The first hard thing to overcome was
the united opposition of the railroads.
There is not particle of doubt that
the railroad companies by and thru
their attorneys and lobbyists We're en-
gagged in trying to defeat Ketchum. 1t
is true that some counties usually
counted as under railroad domination
We're for ketchum at the start. but
these were exceptions. The fact is that
the railroad influence was for Dawson.
The notion that there would be no
passes used was exploded early. Passes
We're used and they We're used in the
interest o1 tle Dawson eanufdaey. 4 ne
delegation from one northwest Iowa
county was sent passes to be used in
the interest of Dawson. One member
didn't get his. A big row resulted and
the whole snap was given away. When
they found that they We're uncovered
there was more trouble in store. The
attorneys for several of the railroads in
Iowa We're in the fight and were using
their influence against ketchum OF for
Dawson or Blakemore. When these
facts We're so run down that the friends
of ketchum could talk With confidence
and freedom about it the effect was
helpful to Ketchum. The railroads OF
Iowa do not dominate the republican
party only when the party is half
asleep.
That which was used to good effect
against Dawson was the fact that am
other term meant really a 10-year term
for him in one office. Blakemore did
not develop the strength he had eX-
pected.
1t can be said for the Fifth district
and Marshall county workers for ket-
chum that they did not enter into any
deals. They have favored Cornwall in
general. because they felt under oblisa-
tions to Cornwall's section of the state.
They did not make any deal on clerk
nor did they try to do so. R"th Daw
son and Blakemore tried making trades
on clerk and but little could be accom-
plished thereby. AS this is being writ
ten in advance of the convention 20 be
read after the fight is ended it is not
necessary to speculate on the specific
strength of any of the candidates, but
at midnight before the convention was
held Mr.. Ketchum and his friends We're
supremely confident. At any rate they
made a great fight and one they will
always feel proud of.
PANIC ON A PASSENGER TRAIN