Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-07
LOCAL COMMENT.

There are those who will dispute the
statistics presented by Mr.. Greene re-
garding the geographical distribution OF
county offices, of course, but one thing
is certain, State Center township has
produced mighty few politicians in the
last twenty years. Her citizens must
have been too busy getting rich.
Mr.. Greene has placed the residence
of each candidate as that locality in
which he had made his home up untli
the time the office holding bee began
to buzz sufficiently loud to be heard
hence, in one or two cases, men VINO
moved into Marshalltown shortly be-
fore becoming candidates, but for the
express purpose of making a run for
some Office, are ascribed to their former
homes as the place of actual residence.
Without discussing the details OF his
table. which are immaterial, 1T seems TO
us that it should make little difference
:. neither q man lives in Marshalltown,
State Center, on the edge of town or in
the country. If he is the right man for
the office, able and honest, and more
competent to fill the office than any OF
the other candidates seeking 1t, he
ought to receive the nomination OF the
whole party Geography will determine
a mans acquaintance to large extent.
but it is nonsense to argue that such
men as John Classen, Charles Eckles
and the late Thomas Kimball did not
represent Marshalltown in the state
legislature just as conscientiously as
they represented the country precincts,
or that State Center has been sighted
because Representative Cummings,
Senator Stone or Senator Carney lived
in MarshaIltown. 1t strikes us that this
is small politics, and yet few candl-
dates have ever run for Office that they
did not have 1t to contend with. If they
lived in the country the fact was used
against them in town. and II In town
the same prejudice was used in the
country.
Not a man has yet been found who
would say that the banquet was not
good thing. The effect was an awaken
ing of a spirit of good feeling which
will result in more general interest in
public matters when there is something
to be done. AS representative gather
ing comprising all ages, all occupations,
all cliques and all classes, 1t was the
most distinguished success of any meet
ing that ever assembled in this city.
The purpose of the improvement
company is not only to secure respon
sible business body, with money in the
bank with which to meet propositions
for industrial promotion, but to unite
the efforts of all citizens. There Were
men last year who put up 5000 for q
pottery lot, then took 800 stock in the
skirt factory enterprise that afterward
failed to materialize, contributed to-
ward making up the balance that had
to be paid on the postoffice site, and
would have been the first on the list If
another worthy venture had appeared.
This hit or miss kind of work places the
burden on too few shoulders. The inn
provement company plan proposes tina:
every citizen shall contribute "a stated
sum each year to the funds of the COM
pany and be relieved from all other
one for the public, but it will be big
relief to the citizens who have been IN
the habit of contributing.
Mr.. kirby's remarks favorlng rural
electric line were the most enthusiasts
tically received of anything that was
said at the banquet. The public mimi
is undoubtedly ripe for rural trolley
proposition, and yet there are those al
ready in this town. without dollar t.
put into the enterprise, but ready to
participate in the dement's OF Marshall
towns development, who are knock
ing" against the enterprise and sheer
ingly asking what is Kirby going to
get out of it?" The fact of the matter
is that an electric line will never be
built in Marshall county unless some