The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-06
RISE OF GOVERNOR SHAW
in STATE AND NATION
Hard Campaigning for Honest Money Made His
Reputation First Nomination at
Cedar Rapids.

Special to The Journal
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jan. 6-The rise of
Leslie Morton Shaw into political prom
lnence is due largely, almost solely, to
the fact that he had the power to think
and the courage to say what he thought.
He was the first public speaker in Iowa,
perhaps in the west, to take an advanced
position in favor OF the gold standard.
AS far back as 1895, when the silver issue
first forged to the front in Iowa, he made
speeches in favor of a single gold stan
dard. He had studied the money ques-
ton ever since he graduated at Cornell
college, Mount Vernon, in 1874, both the
oretically and in a practical way as q
banker and a lawyer at Denison. His
speeches in 1895 were as advanced for the
single standard as those he delivered
during the campaign of 1900.
When the memorable campaign of
1896 began, Chairman H. G. Mcmillan of
the state central committee wrote to Mr.
Shaw with reference to his taking the
stump. Governor Shaw replied: II don't
care to speak in the cities. Send me to
some of the small places, the schoolhouses
and the villages, where I can talk to the
farmers"
Mr.. Shaw was assigned to the eighth
district, which was perilously close in the
campaign Of 1896, so close that Congress-
man Hepburn said to his friends he could
never win out. The district is in the
southwestern corner of Iowa, and the sill
yer sentiment from Missouri permeated
it. Bryan and other democratic speakers
traversed it, speaking in practically every
precinct. The state committee sent Shaw.
There was no herald Of his progress.
neither were his speeches reported. 1t
was desired not to let the enemy know
how powerful an adversary was in the
field. So Shaws work in that campaign
never got into the newspapers. But from
all parts of the eighth district came en-
thusiastic reports Of the success of Shaw
as a speaker. He made converts every
where. Congressman Hepburn acknowl-
edged that he could never have been
elected had it not been for the work done
by Shaw.
"Why Not Shaw:"
Shaw was the logical candidate for gov
ernor on the republican ticket in 1897 in
view of his advanced position on the
money question: Yet his name was hardly
mentioned until few days before the con-
vention met at Cedar Rapids. The two
formidable candidates were Senator A. B.
Funk Of Dickinson county and Matt Par
rott of Waterloo. Both of them, especial
ly Parrot, had the backing of what is
known as 1.-The machine in other words,
the railroad influences in the state were
actively backing PARROTS candidacy Yet
there was feeling that some man other
than PARROT was needed to fight Fred
White on the money question Four days
before the convention met a member OF
the state central committee said to two or
three other leaders,:
why not Shaw"
The suggestion found instant favor. A
telegram was sent to Shaw asking him to
come to Des Moines and messages were
sent to about three dozen leading repub-
licans in all parts of the state telling them
to be present at conference to be held
at Cedar Rapids, thirty-six hours before
the opening of the convention. After this
conference had been held, one of Shaw's
friends met Congressman Dolliver in the
lobby and said to him:
'Dolliver, why don't you get right?
Don't you know that Shaw is going to be
the nominee of the convention % ~
Some explanations followed and then
Congressman Dolliver went to Shaw's
room at the hotel 1t has been stated re-
Gently that in this room it was agreed
Congressman Dolliver should be appointed
United States senator if the opportunity
ever came to Governor Shaw to make the
appointment. The best informatio is
that no pledge was ever given. What
was said was something like this
*'Mr. Dolliver, it is possible that the
next governor Of Iowa may have to ap-
point a United States senator. It is to
your interest to have one of your friends
in the governors chair"
Yes said Mr.. Dolliver, 81 see"
That same morning there appeared in
the Iowa State Register the fve-word
editorial: