Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-31
D NOCRA1S 70
CLAIM CREDIT
Iowa Democrats Planning Com
mon War Upon Biennial
Elections Amendment
is STEADILY GAINING STRENGTH
Farmers Generally are In Favor Of it
and Say They Will Vote to Have
Fewer Eiections-One Democratic
Newspaper Declares it to be DAN
erous Stab at Liberty.
to Times-Republican.

Special to mes-Republican.
Des Moines, Oct. 30.-Democrats are
making plans to claim credit 1of 'he
defeat of the biennial elections amend
ment, if it should be beaten at the polls'
and some of the democrats, at least,
are planning to carry the soma del'aor
cratic vote, against the change. IL is
learned that members of the democrat
lie state committee and county chair
men over the state are quietly WORK
ing against the amendment, and are
sending out word to their followers
] to make common war on the ahnelio-
ment. The claim is made that phe
chief purpose of the arnendnnent Is 10
keep persons in office longer at tils
time and to make greater assurance OF
their remaining in office. For instance
the Newton Herald declares
..r,his amendment is the most dam
gerous stab at liberty ever indulged py
the designing politicians who run
things in spite of the votes OF the peo-
pie"
And after declaring that elections
are too far apart now to suit the eul
| tor this advice is given:
Vote against the amendment as you
would vote against murder ana arson,
for it is worse than either.
Nevertheless it appears that the a
mendment is steadily gaining strength
/ in the state. The farmers generally
are for it, and say that they Will vote
| to have fewer elections Persons VINO
| have been out thru the state gooa
deal report that the sentiment for the
amendment is growing among the nler-
chants and tradesmen in the towns, for
they realize that freedom from the dis
t;,rhing features of the average CAM
paign is a good thing. The present
national campaign has illustrated the
difference between a fall with intense
political excitement and one with no
agitation The farmers and the bus
mess men like it.
For some time it appeared that the
laboring men in the cities who are in
the organizations would make fight
/ on the amendment. In some OF the
| trades and labor assemblies resolutions
were passed against the amendment.
The effort was made hs>'e but it was
not pressed. The socialiA element in
! the labor unions is opposec to the re-
j duction of the number Of elections. The
socialists feed on agitation and dis
/ turfbance and the more Of it they can
get the better. 1t can be stated posi-
lively that ,tihe Iowa Federation OF
Labor is absolutely neutral IN regard to
the amendment and the officers are re-
fusing to allow anything to be done In
the name of the organization against
the amendment. Some laboring men
| feel sore because the last legislature
! did not do all that they had asked, but
! the better element regard that as only
| an incident.
The death of Howard Cunningham,
of Knoxville, last week, is sincerely re-
gretted by lovers of good horses in
this part of the state. He had long
been one of the most active of the coll
ony Of 'horsemen in Marion county. He
had recently brought back from the
Kentucky sales another splendid horse
with a great record, Directum Boy,
2:17N. The trotting horse interests
have been making advances in Iowa in
recent months. Another great horse,
Grattan Boy, 2:0S. was recently bought
by j. B. Elliott, of Knoxville, for s2,-
100. He has since received an offer of
$4,000 for the horse. Secretary Slup
son of the state agricultural society
states that there is a decided advance
in interest in trotting horses In Iowa
and prospect of revival of trotting
on Iowa tracks In fact the race
meetings of the past year were excel
lent ones
Captain William Wright, a we'll in
formed army official. in military mag
azine, writing Of the rife competition
at Fort Riley last summer, makes pro-
test against the methods used and this
in large part explains why the Iowa
team did not stand among the top
ones, He protests against rifle team
going to the target under direction Of
coach, armed with telescope, wind
guages, range finders, and all that
sort Of thing. He states that the win
ming teams were guided wholly by
these coaches But as no such work
would be possible In actual fighting
he would prefer to have all shooting
done Dy eacn lndlVldudl IoiiHihS MS
own opinion as to how to do the shoot
ing. The Iowa rifle team at Fort Riley
did not have any of these accessories.
Since the publication in this cores
pondence of the facts regarding, the
way the creamery managers have been
eoing wrong on cream tests State
Dairy Commissioner Wright's mail has
been greatly increase, and he states
that the creamery men who have not
been aware they were violating the
law are making haste to get scales for
weighing the cream. Few of thf.
creamery men intend to go wrong, but
not all were aware of the distinction
as to methods of measuring and test
ing milk and cream.
The surveyors reports on five lakes