Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-19
ARE down ON HEARST
Conservative Iowa Democrats
to Fight Schemes For Giving
Him Iowa Delegation
HARMONY ON THE DECREASE
If the Matter Is Pushed Hard in The
State Convention, tho Biggest Split
in the Democratic Party on Record,
Will FoIIow-critioism of State Ex-
ecutive Council.
Special to Times-Republlcan.


Des Moines, Jan. 19.-Dsmocrats of
Iowa are already lining up for the reg
ular annual fight for control of the
state convention as between conserva-
tive and radical factions, and while the
date of the state convention Is not yet
considered. much preliminary work is
being done looking to control of the
convention as a whole and each dis
trict. The concession that Jeremiah
b. Sullivan. formerly of Creston, now
OF Des Moines, ex-candidate for gov
ernor, should be selected to head the
delegation by aeclamation. did not dis
pose OF the whole ma tier. A flock Of
candidates for delegate at large has
been stirred up by the announcement
sof the candidacy OF congressman
Walter II. Butler. Members OF the
state committee were hastily called In
last week and conferences held quietly
with members OF the legislature. there
being thirty of these democratic
statesmen. The conference followed
close on an important conference held
in New York City in which Iowa dem
ocrats We're Identified. From personal
sources 1t is learned that General
James b. Weaver was leading spirit
In the conference in New York and
that ex-senator Charles A. Towne.
formerly of Minnesota. was then and
there commissioned by those who
might be called The radical element.
10 prepare the draft Gf a platform for
the democrats to adopt q the st.
Louis national convention. W j. Bry-
an was present at the conference and
the platform which Mr.. Towne is conl-
missioned to prepare is to be an ex-
preston of the views OF Mr. Bryan as
we'll as of those who form rly were
either populisis or free silvei republi-
cans. 1t is known. also, that neither
sents, will insist on reiteratien of the
free silver plank and they make con-
cessions in regard to the foreign poll
Icy In the Philippines: but their chief
contention Is that the strong antt-trust
and anti-monopoly utterancee OF the
Chicago and Kansas City platforms
shall be emphasized. In short, they
desire that another issue shall be de-
clared to be paramount this year, not
the one of four years ago. nor the one
OF eigh wears ago. Whether this means
that liam r. Hearst is to be pushed
forward as the candidate has not been
made quite clear to the Iowa demo-
Gratis. but at an informal gathering of
the more conservative members of the
legislature held one night last week.
strong declarations We're made in favor
of an open fight against any possible
scheme for securing the Iowa delega-
ton for Hearst. The platform. they
declared is unobjectionable but there is
deep-seated prejudice against Hearst.
and the older and more conservative
democrats OF Iowa. especially those liv-
ing in counties where democrats are
sometimes elected to office, deprecate
the movement to boost Hearst. Insofar
as the conference held here last week
was for the purpose OF assisting in the
Hearst movement, 1t was declared to
be failure. The democrats of Iowa
who control will not stand for him. II
the matter is pushed hard in the con-
vention there will be the biggest split
ON record and less harmony than was
visible eight years ago.
The attention Of members of the
state executive council waS called to
the fact that some OF the newspapers
OF the state have criticised the council.
anent the Merriam fee business, on the
ground that the council delayed until
" kot
ing any steps in the matter OF his al
legged irregularities. Members of the
council say that this criticism Will
hardly bear close inspection. Govern
or Cunmins did. in fact. make de-
mand on Mr. Merriam for the record
of examinations and amounts received
long before Merriam went out of office.
Mr.. Merriam declined to furnish the
same and there was no possible way
the governor nor the executive council
could get at the facts. They had no
rights in the matter at all. They
could only wait. Then 1t will be re-
membered that practically all the fee
business was done by Merriam and
Beehler in the last two months of their
administration. They made two ex-
tended trips east. and took in vast
sums on these trips. Nothing was
known of this until after Merriam had
retired from office. In the closing days
of his administration he did. indeed.
promise that he would make up a rec
ord book of the examinations and leave
1t in the office, but he did nothing OF
the sort TIE manner in which the
facts were disclosed was laborious
one. State Auditor Carroll, after his
Induction into office, had an investlga-
ton of the papers made to see what
reports there We're of examinations.
He found these reports. or some of
them. ard he wrote to the Insurance
companies asking for statement of
the facts especially as TO the sums
they paid the examiners. SOME of
them at first refused to do so. They
realized that to confess that they had
paid fees that were Illegal was virtu-
ally a confession that they were too
weak to resist even dishonesty. After
weeks and months of efforts the facts
we're finally got out, but 1t is believe !
that even vet much Of the truth re-