Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-15
IOWA one Party STATE
Takes Two to Make a Quarrel
EvenIn Politics Little In
terest Manifest !.
BIENNIAL ELECTIONS NEEDED
Impossible to Stir Up Much Interest in
Politics Until the Parties Are More
Evenly Matched-People Will Carry
the Biennial Election Amendment
Next Time.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Oct. 15.-There is no
accounting for the vagaries of the
American electorate Apathy appears
In some places and enthusiasm In
others. All the politicians agree that
not before in many years has there
been so little interest taken in the
election now approaching as this year.
Politics are played out in Iowa. One
says 1t is due to the fact that you
can't have an interesting fight with
only one party to the scrap. Others
say it is because everyone is disgusted.
AT any rate the present situation in the
state of Iowa is decided encourage
ment to those who are going to urge
constitution providing for biennial
elections. It is plain that the people
do not want to be pestered to death
with politics every year. When the
amendment is offered again 1t will car
ry. The difference between diff
ferent communities is nicely
Illustrated by two meetings held
Monday evening. A meeting in
Cedar Falls addressed by Cous-
ins and Birdsall was too large for the
haR and n3t all were able to get in;
yet on the same evening a secretary
OF the navy in President Roosevelt's
cabinet talked to an audience of less
than 500 in the city of Des Moines.
The opera house was just about half
filled. He delivered a fine speech In
every way and was interesting. but
here in city of $4,000 not more than
one in a hundred came out to hear
him. Several meetings have been
called off because the local committees
realized that they have not been able
to arouse any special interest and
there is no use having meetings unless
the people want to hear. 1t is sur
mised by some that the people read SO
many newspapers and are so well in
formed on all subjects that they do not
care to go to speeches.
Iowa people have been carrying on q
Campaign of education" for a number
of years in relation to good roads, and
this finally eliminated in complete
and radical revision of the road laws
by the legislature at its last session.
Just now for the first time the county
and township officials are beginning
to make study of the road laws as
revised to find out what is going to be
done in the future. The road supervis
or is done away with and the road
district lines are all abolished. What
is known as the township unit system
is to be the order hereafter. This has
been in use in some communities in the
past and has been found very satis-
factory. Instead of having the roads
worked" by the tax payers. the taxes
are to be paid in cash and the town
visor who directs the work in the entire
township from year to year or they
may let out the road work by contract
covering a period OF years. But at
present the taxes are worked out" the
same year they are levied, and under
the new system they will be paid in
cash the year following the one in
which they are levied. Obviously there
will be one year when the taxes are
skipped, and this is a matter that is
most seriously bothering the county
and township officials at the present
time. AS they figure it out the year
that will not have any road tax money
is 1904. as next year the taxes are to
be paid in cash the year they are
levied. 1t is proposed here that for
next year an enlarged levy be made
and that 1t be divided up and a part
be expanded the following year. This
is the only way out of the dilemma
unless the legislature can provide some
way Of filling in the gap.
Owing to very wet season and
lack of sunshine at the ripening period
the Iowa corn crop this year. while
it is not unusually small, is of dis
tressingly poor quality, and only here
and there in scattered spots is there
corn that is suitable from which to
select seed for next year. The experts
in agriculture are calling attention to
this fact and urging upon the farmers
the greatest care in the selection of seed
corn. Despite this there is no doubt
that next spring there will be a great
deal of seed corn imported into the
state for the use of the better class
of farmers. To partially educate the
people of the state in regard to this
matter the Iowa state college has just
undertaken to conduct corn judging
school for two weeks in January, begin
ming the 5th and ending the 18th. AT
this school samples of corn from all
over the state will be placed on ex-
hibition and farmers and students will
be given instruction in scoring corn
and judging it's merits. Regular classes
in judging will be held every day. They
Will be under the instruction of Profess
sor p. G. Holden, the new head of the
department of agronomy, who has de-
voted several years to the special study
of corn growing in Illinois. To his eff
forts, it is said, is largely due the
great Improvement in corn in the coun-
ties of southern Illinois. AT the recent
state fair at Springfield there was
gathered what is said to have been
the finest display of corn ever shown
at any state fair. and this was large
ly from farms where Professor Holden
has been at work for number Of years.
Professor Holden insists that by Sc
curing good seed corn and grading up