Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-25
LOCKER ON IN IOWA.
For the Times Republican.

For the Times Republican
Grundy Center March 25.-f this
present legislature adjourns without
passing some railroad assessment
tax law it will be serious
thing for the republican party, and
especially the wing of the party
| lican convention the one that nom
mated Mr.. Cummins. The bill that
passes must be something practical,
something tangible, one that will pro-
duce results.
Already we are told by some of the
anti Cummins element papers, that
the passed senate bill amounts to moth
| ing, that Mr.. Cummins opposes 1T, and
that 1t gives the executive council no
power or authority, not previously pos
/ SesSed.
Again in every town the writer Wis
its, here and there are republicans.
who already say, Il told you So" In
| changing Cummins for Shaw, we have
only put new railroad governor in
place of an old one. The Great West
| ern and the Rock Island are now in the
saddle, where once the Northwestern
rode. OF course this comes from men
who belonged to the 'old ring and
have not yet attached themselves to
the new ring"
1t is impossible to convince these
men that the last convention and cleo
ton was a reform in any sense of the
word, and they point to the actions of
the present legislature in proof of their
assertions.
So that while there is no feeling
among Iowa voters "agin the rail-
roads," still there is feeling that they
are escaping a just share of taxation,
and an expressed feeling that the rail-
roads are controlling the legislature as
usual
A funny business is to hear some OF
the old crowd bewailing the continu-
ance of the fight between the wings of
the republican party in Iowa. Down
in Montezuna is a man who felt SO
badly because Cummings sat on the
platform at Prouty meeting. Why
don't they drop it?" says he. Why
should Mr.. Cummins show by his
presence that he favors Prouty or
Hull?" And one of the new crowd
answered, What did the Hull crowd
fight Cummins for?" And so 1t goes
Until the day arrives that the repub-
licans of this state have foeman
worthy of their steel they surely will
have these fights inside of their ranks.
When the day comes that the demo-
cratic party or some other party In
Iowa puts up fight worth noticing,
such battles as have just occurred be-
tween the Hull and Prouty factions
will receive little or no sympathy. AT
present they line up. as tho 1t was
their funeral"
Unquestionably the quarrels OF the
newspapers in Des Moines have much
to do in keeping up this wing" busin-
ness. Readers of these papers are In
fluenced more or less by these accusa-
lions in their editorials. LATE Young
of the Capital has had his political
career ruined by his continued quar-
rels with the Leader and Register.
There was time not so long ago that
LATE Young could easily have been
elected governor Of Iowa. He is ca
pable, an orator second to none In the
state, and has been first, last and all OF
| the time q republican. But today, az
ter he has submitted (not tamely) to
the accusations of the Leader, only re-
plying in editorials (many republicans
wonder why he does not commence ac-
ton for libeD he could not be nom1-
mated for any state office.
| Again the "old reliable" Register has
among the older republicans, many
who still swear by it, occasionally at
lit. These readers live up with the
paper and cordially politically hate
the men who sue it for libel. Another
crowd just as thoroughly despise the
ground that the Clarksons walk on.
An anti-Register republican is bad
medicine. He's worse than democrat
in his political lore and hate.
Then the nondescript Leader, repub-
licans take 1t and like 1T, If they hap
pen to support the candidates the Reg
lister or Capital antagonizes. It's
worse than useless to talk of harmony
in republican ranks when the repub-
|lican papers Of the state line up and
abuse not only one another, but villify
any republican nomination that does
not suit them. Selections from the ed
itorials of the Cedar Rapids Republf-
can previous to the nomination of Mr..
Cummins would be interesting reading
these days. The worst of 1T is the pa
pers seem to forget what they have
written, but their readers do not. In
this part of the state one runs onto the
Republican. 1t should be fattering to
the editor to know that some of his
readers still repeat in substance the
Republicans anti Cummins editorials.
And yet, after all, it is only few
who notice. remember and speak of
these things. The mass Of the voters
only wake up once a year, and then for
a short period previous to convention
calling. Some one has said ten or
dozen men really run each legislature.
And this dozen fairly represents the
number OF voters who take any inter-
est in state public questions. The
writer met man the other day who
pays every year over one thousand dol
lars in taxes, and he, too, told the
LOCKER on" that he had no time to
read the legislative report"
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