Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-16
Cummins' Departure Marks
Close of Discussion Over
State Convention Issues
REVIEW OF THE SITUATION
probabiIitie. Now Are That the State
and District Conventions Will be
Held in Good Faith and Harmony
and the Delegation to Chicago Re-
presentative-5asis of Compromise.
Special to imes-Repub!ican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. April 16.-With the de-
parture of Governor a. B. Cummins
from the state to be gone until near
the time for the meeting of the repuD-
lican state convention of Iowa all po-
litical controversy has ceased in this
part of the state. All Of the district
congressional conventions have been
called or held save one. The only con-
fiict is in the northwestern corner OF
the state. where sharp contest Is be-
ing waged between seven aspirants to
the nomination. Nobody here has been
able to do anything other than to give
some sheer guesses as to the outcome.
There are no issues involved-only
personalities and possibly some slight
one way or another on ac>
count of factional alignment. Every
member of the Iowa delegation will be
by acclamation except the
Eleventh district member and he may
be renominated after a struggle. While
the departure of Governor Cummtns
marks the close OF all political discus
sion as to what the state convention
will do in the matter OF factional ac-
ton. 1t is not beca use of his going; for
MS a matter of fact Governor CumminS
has not taken any part in state politics
since the beginning of the Legislative
session. He has been too i'll for most
OF the year to do anything further than
to attend to the merest routine of his
official duties. He accepted what ap-
peared to be an almost unanimous de-
cision coming up from the ranks of
.he people that there should be selected
fer Chicago a. delegation OF which he
was to be one. with the two senators.
Allison and Dolliver. and ]. w. Blythe.
of Burlington. as the fourth. AS for
himself the most he did was to declare
at time when there at least seemed
to be some doubt as to what Iowa
would do, that he desired only that IL
he should go to the national convention
1t would be to vote to make it unanf-
nous for Roosevelt and to see to 1t thas
the principles embedded in the party
platforms in this state for many years
tional convention as basis for a na>
tional platform. He regarded the par
ty platform as of prime Importance.
He had declared so often from tho
stump In Iowa his adherence to the
cardinal principles of the party that to
have said more would have been SUI
perfluous. He believed that the Iowa
platforms, framed as they had been by
the party leaders, fairly represented
the views of Iowa and western repub>
licans and views that were in perfect
accord with the whole party. Six
" eeks ago the matter of IOwas atti-
tude was left in the hands of the party
' oters, that they might select such a
delegation as would represent their
views at Chicago 1t is probable tina.
nothing more will be said by the party
leaders intended to sway the rank and
file. and that the state convention and
district conventions will be held in
perfect harmony and good faith and
the delegation to Chicago will be rep
The past week somewhat interest
ing turn has been given to discus
sion of the basis of compromise in re-
gard to the delegation to the national
by statement that per-
feet understanding exists between
Cummins and Blythe as to the pro-
gram, that since the effort TO get the
committee to name Congress-
man Cousins as temporary chairman OF
the convention failed. then the Iowa
delegation is to present the name or
J. w. Blythe for that position and ac>
cord him unanimous and hearty sup
rort, and on the other hand there is to
be equal unanimity in the selection of
Governor Cummins for the place OH
the resolutions committee. Mr.. Blyths
is now an open and avowed candidate
for the temporary chairmanship at
Chicago position he could fill with
ability and dignity, a more conspicu-
Gus position than is possible for any
other of the Iowa delegation. The en-
tire delegation will join in support or
Mr. Blythe in this aspiration On the
other hand it is generally conceded
that no member of the Iowa delegation
is more capable of giving assistance in
the framing OF a good platform than
Governor Cuinmins. There is only one
possible change in this program--it is
said that Governor Cummins has indi-
Gated that. in view of his great sue
cess In helping frame the Iowa plat
form of last year, he might prefer that
Senator Allison should go on the reso-
lutions committee to represent Iowa.
sea
Nearly every republican county con-
vention in the state has had courage to
proceed with the adoption of resolutions
Expressive Of the views of the party on
national questions. In only few cases
have the delegates taken the view that
since this is presidential year the rank
and file Of the party have no right to
express opinions, but must keep still
and allow the national convention to
decide how to express republican senti-
nents. No county convention in this
part Of the state has set the precedent