Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-28
is HARMONY POSSIBLE?

Blythe on the one side and by Cover
nor Cummins on the other, disrupt tn'
party and dissapate its strength FMS
lis very reasonable fear but let us an
dar Rapids convention there was nc
open dissention within the party. Re
publican conventions We're held. nom
nations made and party victories Won
Republicans who wanted recognition
went to Messrs. Blythe and Hubba. -
for certificates of permission. permit,
as it were. to become candidates. The
price was the same to all. complete SUD
mission during official life and eternal
tenn was beautiful.
1 What was the result? The state
house eventually became filled with
/ such characters as Merriam. Dobsoa,
Mcfarland and an executive council
that Mr.. Herriott made notorious be-
/ fore he got thru exposing it. The
party could hardly be said to be proud
! of itself Not that the party itself and
all its nominees had gone to the bal
for the rank and file We're the same.
clean, staiwart citizens that they are
| today. the best and most conservative
element in our citizenship; but the kind
of harmony offered by the bosses
caused the party to drift into unfortu-
nate selections of important candidates.
| That 1t eventually threw off the
shackles of hossism was but an evil
dence of its strength and of its inner
ent purity. The Indifference OF good
citizens is always responsible for the
| rise of bad men to power.
Now 1t came to pass from time TO
time that bold republicans demanded
the right to be heard on their merits
but they We're always ingloriously
turned down. Men of ability lacking
the plant neck saw the doors of OPP
portunity forever closed to them.
Then came Cummins. strong man
with worthy ambition to go to the
United States senate. He fought the
bosses and lost. but he had gained
following from the element of the party
who believed in unrestricted repub-
licanis,n. The nominations for success
sors to Dobson and Herriott came up.
The bosses proceeded to arrange the
matter as before Herriott was very
unsatisfactory to them. The men who
had followed Cummins put up clean,
able candidates in the persons OF GIL
bertson and Martin. They controlle u
the convention. The downfall Of the
bosses dated from that day.
One year more and the governor
ship was involved. The bosses were
desperate. Cummins himself, the lead
err. was put up as candidate and the
friends of free party government adj
ministered most spectacular defeat TO
the bosses. Delegates cried and Kissed.
Newspapers owned and edited by fed
eral office holders had pounded and
shrieked until even democrats wee
ashamed OF them When the result was
announced. great. hot tears coursed
down the face OF a well-known Cedar
Rapids editor. Today one need not
hold his nose as he passes thru the
state house. The thrifty Mcfarland
Is there no more. the odoriferous Dob
son is gone. the dirty Merriam has left
the state and the capitol shelters no
more grafters. Honorable. clean.
able men have taken their places. The
curtain OF death has quietly obscure1
the cunning Judge Hubbard from the
stage. Only Blythe and the notorious
Hunter are left.
Is the fight ended? Have the news
papers OF the federal Office holders and |
jealous congressman accepted the pa
suit in peace? One year ago the de-
feat OF the bosses had become 40
complete that the governor felt II his |
duty az a party leader to make over |
lures for peace. His friends advised |
against 1t. but he persisted. Blythe
the overtures and the gov |
ernor wrote platform intended to sill
ence factionalism within the party.
Uncle George Perkins made har-
mony speech. and Senator Allison o.
KID the platform. Did this bring har-
Did Lacey sign for peace? Did
Cousins reference to rodents OF re-
form" and political adventures" help
along harmony? Did the federal Of
fee newspapers give Cummins or the
republicans who had adopted three
state platforms fair treatment. Or
did they continue to malign and mis-
There was compromise
but was there harmony?
Because of the meaningless row over
the platform, Iowa had come into ma
tional prominence and her distin-
guished governor into national fame
This year she must send delegation
to the national convention. Would her
brilliant governor go at the head OF
that delegation? Boss Blythe prompt
ly answered In the affirmative with
the proviso that the delegation must