Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-04-28
S IT HEARST OR ANTl-HEARST2
The Democrats Of Audubon County
In a Contest.

ne bGT1OCF6LS OF AuCuDOTl SOdUty
In Contest.
Audubon county democrats have
been proving themselves thoroughly
alive ami up-to-date members of their
party by lot of scrapping the past
week over the question Of whether they
would send Hearst or an Anti-Hearst
delegation to the state convention,
anti-Hearst being understood to mean
Parker. The Hearst men are mostly
those who have been most loyal to w.
J. Bryan during the past two cam
paigns, while the antis, sometimes
styling themselves ''reorganizersn ARE
mostly composed of those who either
never voted for Bryan even when he
was their party's candidate, or were
rather formal and lukewarm support
ers of the Nebraskan. The contest
between the two factions never fully
developed here in Audubon county
because the matter was kept quiet by
the Advocate, their party paper, and
by their leaders, who evidently wanted
to get the delegates credentials safely
in their pockets before stirring up
racket, and then they could vote in the
state convention as they wished.
The fight in Leroy twp. was short
but decisive. Some sly moves, known
only to those who have had ample
time to study political manipulation
for many years past, were made. One
thing done was about the rankest thing
ever happening in Audubon county
politics. The Leroy township caucus
was made an exception as to its date.
While the other caucuses throughout
the county were called for Tuesday of
this week, the Leroy township caucus
was fixed for last Friday night. The
cOuntycall named Tuesday unless other
wise ordered and the committeeman,
Geo Ellis. called Leroy Friday. 1t
was likely not noticed by near all the
democrats of the township, rendering
the caucus easier to control. Then by
holding the Leroy caucus on Friday
and by manipulating it ant-Hearst,
the "reorganiZers" were thus enabled
to indicate to the Ioutside townships
how they had better go.
When the Leroy democrats met Fri
day night they proceeded to do bust
ness quickly. Geo. Ellis, who is their
local committeeman, had it arranged,
so it appeared at least, that Mel Ora
ham got in as chairman. j. c. F.
Wicker was made secretary so as to
put him on the shelf. Then John
Ward. reOrganizer, moved that com
mittee be appointed by the chair to
name delegation to the county con-
ventiOn. Some protest was made, but
it was hushed and the motion went
through. The committee was appoint
ed and the prepared list was reported
and rushed through and adjournment
taken few minutes after opening.
The reOrganiZers, the men who have
been of doubtful democracy the past
few years, had won, and had given a
lesson of how to run the party.
We believe that if the sentiment of
the democrats of the county was freely
taken at a primary election that the
Hearst element would control the
county. 1t is charged by the Hearst
men that Parker is only fgurehead
and tool of Hill, of Cleveland, of j.
+. Morgan, of Belmont and capitalists
and trust magnateS. On the other
hand the ':reOrganiZers" claim Bry
aniSm was always too near socialism
and pOpulism and wa never true
democracy, and that they propose to
reOrganize the party and put it back
to its old position of true democracy.
They claim to be the only simon pure
| democrats in the bailwick. That they
were not all loyal to their party ticket
in times past has not, in their opinion,
affected their party standing, for the
democratic ticket at such times was
not, in their opinion, a real democratic
| ticket.
SO the contest goes on. We are in
terested in it because a pretty political
fight is always interesting, when you
are not one of the victims. Then we
are interested in this because we like
to see an open field and fair fight, and
it looks in this contest in Leroy town.
ship that the manipulatOrs played a
high handed game, shutting out the
best real democrats Of the township
and playing tricks for which they
should not be forgiven. To call this
township caucus at a different time
from the other township caucuses, and
to put the organization of the caucus
and the selection of the delegates into
the hands of a few and those few in the
ring, is a ranker demonstration of
manipulation and bOssism than ought
to go down among free men. We
shall see what the county convention
does today. We understand the dele
gates from Extra and many other
parts of the county are strongly for
Hearst, or at least against Parker.