Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-14
Opposers of Iowa Idea Drawing
Farmers Into Struggle
Against Tariff Revision
ARE NOT IN IT
Correspondence Has Not Been Entered
Into With the Wage Earning Class
es-DoIiiver and Allison Will Not
Join in Movement-Likely That
"Monopoly" Plank Will Be Modified.
pecial to Times Republican.

Des Moines, April 14.-The discovery
has just been made that Iowa members
of congress who are opposed to the
Iowa idea and are desirious that the
Iowa platform shall reverse the policy
of the party, are engaged in an extern
|sive correspondence with select list
|of prominent farmers in the state to
secure from them expressions In regard
to tariff revision, that this correspon-
dence will be summarized and digested
and will be put forth to combat the ar
guments of those who will insist that
the platform this year shall follow the
lines of a series Of past years. A Wash
ington dispatch states that an Iowa
congressman there is quoted as declar-
ing that he Is accommodating mass of
evidence that will confuse and rout the
Iowa: republicans who are asking for
an expression in favor of revision OF
the tariff. He states that the cores
pondence already had is most extern
sive, that it is with farmers in every
county In the state and that with one
accord they express themselves as op-
posed to anything that will have the
slightest possibility of an adverse ef-
feet on the present status of prosperity.
It is. known here that the literary bu-
reau of the standpatters has been en-
gagged some time in making investlga-
tons, that the correspondence done
from Des Moines is considerable, ana
that 1t is entirely with farmers. ot
course the farmers are getting nigh
prices for their produce and may easily
be Induced to make statements indicat-
ing that they do not want anything
done with the tariff. The correspon-
dence does not extend to merchants,
and purchasers of steel and iron, TO
business men generally, nor in any OF
the correspondence with the wage earn
ins classes. The Iowa stand pat con-
! ereasu,en are preparing to take hand
in the state convention this year. one
Of the leaders is Captain Hull. now in
Washington, but it is understood he Will
have with him Cousins, Lacey. Hedge
and Hepburn and possibly some others.
The two state senator's will not
ioin in this movement. Senator Dol
liver went on record in most emphatic
manner at the time of his election to
the long term as we'll as part of another
term. and he has since made his posi-
ton very clear by a speech in the sem
ate. Senator Allison has long been
known to be in perfect harmony with
the state platforms and in his recent
conference in Chicago with Governor
Cummins and others he made 1t plain
that he had no intention OF receding
from the position he has long taken.
whether the recent expressions OF ALL
son and Cummins indicating that there
is perfect agreement on the tarlft plank
among Iowa republican leaders Will
have any effect to put stop 70 the
plans of the stand patters in regard TO
making a fight in the convention for
change, remains to be seen. But the
work of collecting the letters of protest
from prominent farmers all over the
state is to continue and If 1t is decided
that a contest shall be made and de-
termined effort to secure q material
change in the state platform, the stand
patters will be fortified with evidence
that will be startling. The story mas
been started that because OF the decis-
ion in the Northern Securities merger
case Governor Cummins and his friends
will drop the shelter to monopoly
feature of the Iowa platform which has
caused great annoyance to the Amerl-
can Protective Tariff League and the
eastern trust managers. But the
shelter to monopoly plank never in
the remotest degree referred to the
railroad mergers and the decision in
that case will have no effect whatever
on the situation. 1t is very likely, how
ever, that the shelter to monopoly"
plank will be modified in a slight degree
and will be more specific and less open
to objections.
Chairman Spence of the republican
state campaign committee is now lh
correspondence with the members of
the committee in regard to the most
suitable time for getting together to
dispose OF the preparations Tor the
state convention. meeting or tne
COMMITTEES is expected not later than
two weeks hence. Some OF the can
didates for state Office are urging upon
the members of the committee that they
call the convention early Practlcaily
all of the candidates want the con-
yention reasonably early, Tor tney pe-
lieve that the attitude o. the party
leaders is now just right toward al
matters the convention will have to deal
with, and they are anxious to have
the convention over with and out OF the
way. 1t has been suggested that the
convention be held July l. This, date is
earlier than usual, but it is pointed out
that some of the state conventions
have been held In June July is
good time for such meeting, as the
farmers and business men can both
get away. The convention will be held
as a matter of course in Des Moines,
and it promises to be very quiet and
harmonious affair.
Acting President Stanton, OF the
State College. was in the city last ev-
ening, also, but incidentally only.
Trustee McElroy. The committee on
presidency is understood to be quietly
at work. Some members of the COM
mittee are doing more or less of cor
respondence with reference to possible
candidates for the presidency Of the