Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-31
WILL Be A YEAR
Of DISCUSSION
Year of 1905 the First In Iowa
History Without a State
Election
PRINCIPLES RATHER THAN MEN
Despite Effort to Enforce Silence in
Iowa, Indications Are That the Poli-
ticians and Business Men Will Both
Consider and Discuss Questions Of
Importance to the Nation.

importance 10 SN0 INdssVus
Special to mes-Republican.
I Des Moines, Dec. 31.-With the New
Years greetings in Iowa OF tomorrow
comes also the knowledge that it is to
be the first year in Iowa history with
out a state election, and therefore a
wear without political strife; but at the
same time it promises to be year OF
much discussion of political questions
by public men and by newspapers and
serious consideration of political prob
lems This year there was the cry,
Of don't discuss any of the questions
which may cause controversy, because
Won will endanger the vote on presi-
dent" and next year the cry Will be
.Don't talk politics because there IS
no campaign on" But all indications
are that there will be much discussion
despite the effort to enforce silence IN
Iowa. The meeting here of a few OF
the leading republicans of the state
two or three weeks ago and publication
of various stories some of them mis-
leading, in regard to the meeting,
aroused great interest in the state, and
this was followed by announcement
thru Congressman Hull that Secretary
Shaw is to be pushed for the presiden-
cy and that Major Conger Is to be
groomed as a candidate for governor.
1t is noteworthy that at this time very
few Of the men who come to Des
Moines can be got to talk about pos
sible candidates for office in the state,
but it is a very easy matter to get up
an argument in regard to the tariff, the
railroad rate control and kindred sub
iects. In other words the politicians
Hand business men of the state are
thinking of principles rather than OF
men. &
It has become evident that Governor
Cummins and his political friends will
go right along supporting and advo-
eating some of the many things which
have become important in political at
fairs. Governor Cummins is going to
urge strongly upon the next legislature
state wide primary law. He believes
that the time has come for Iowa to
adopt the very best there is in all
political progress and he regards the
primary system under which each
and every voter of the party has equal
rights as one of the most important
things which can be adopted in the
state He would extend 1t to all Of
fees, state, county and district and in
clude the nomination of memberA Of
| = oF TI,a{{
senator's. Obviously a reform as sweep
ing as this would be sure to cause
much discussion and equally sure to
arouse antagonisn in certain quarters.
Governor Cummins is also thoroughly
committed to the movement to put a
stop to the bribery Of officials by
means of railroad and other passes and
the operations of the lobby. When this
matter has been up in the two legis-
latures since Cummins became COVER
nor he gave it support, but Gin view of
many other things, did not press it.
His recommendations along this line
may be very interesting. The support
Of President Roosevelt in his effort to
secure federal control Of railroad rates
wilt be continued, and the governor
will continue to urge an inquiry into
some of the schedules Of the tariff law
with view to correcting some OF the
plain inequalities Of the law. Such be-
ing what might be called a program for
the future, it is certain there will be
something to talk about in Iowa poll
tics other than consideration Of what
particular person may be selected to
fill an office.
= 4
Is iowa for revision Of the tariff
Some of the visitors to Iowa's capital
say yes and some say no, to the ques-
ton In the past few years republican
state conventions have three times
declared unanimously for revision and
one convention has been silent on the
subject. A large body of those who
have been earnestly and honestly for
revision believe that the sentiment of
the state is with them and they will
try to have this fact demonstrated. 1t
will be a live question for a long time.
The statement has been printed in
Iowa recently that none of the persons
who are now insisting on having fed
eraI control of freight rates after the
fashion of the Iowa control and regu-
lation of rates had any part in giving
Iowa the law we have This is an err
or Governor Larrabee had very
large share in making the law what it
is, and A. B. Cummins. then in the leg
islature, was the author of several bills
looking in the same direction.
The Iowa packing house question is
related closely to the railroad question.
The fact that the state of Iowa ships
81 worth of hogs and cattle out of the
state to packing houses in cities beyond
the state border to every 81 worth
shipped to local packing houses, and
this because of the fact that rates
make this profitable to the packers,
has not escaped the attention OF the
men who are engaged in trying to
build up good cities and good home
markets in Iowa.
Nothing has been heard OF Lincoln
J. steffens, who was to come to Iowa