Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-26
HOPE 0 WIN IN
A FAIR PRIMARY
Opposition to Hull Depends
Largely on Whether New :.
Law Is Passed
CANDIDATES ARE HEsITATlNe
Coffin, Dowell and HerryhiIl Are All
Talked of As Likely to Enter tho
Race Against Congressman Hull -
Investigation Into Oil Business Is
Talked Of.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 26.-If there is a
candidate in this congressional district
next year against Congressman j. A.
7. Hull it will be because of a primary
election law yet to be passed by the leg
islature. The Hull people are going to
oppose the primary election law intro
duced at this session for that reason.
If the legislature fails to pass state
wide bill there will likely be no candi-
date against Hull. Further inquiry
into the congressional situation dis
closes that Nat Coffin and Senator C.
c. Dowell if not also James G. Berry
hill are of the opinion that they will
stand a better chance of winning out
in 1908 unless there is a statewide
primary election law adopted. If there
is a statewide primary election law
passed Senator Berry of Winterset will
certainly be a candidate also. The
agreement of Hull with Dowell, Coffin,
and Berryhill, that he would step aside
any time the three men agreed on
which would be the candidate of the
Hull machine, is an open secret. There
is a rumor that Coffin recently told
Berryhill that he expected to be a can
didate for congress in 1908 and that
Berryhill responded IF you do that you
will be a candidate against me-" Just
how much foundation there is for tho
report is hard to say, but whether true
or no. it is typical of the congressional
situation in this city. But all of these
men recognize that there are stumbling
blocks in. the way of their candidacy. 1t
has been costing Hull much to re-elect
himself every two years and Coffin and
Berryhill who have wealth, do not care
particularly about tackling such a sit
uation. Furthermore there is a belief
that the outcome would be more doubt
full than If there was a free and un-
trammeled expression of the wishes of
the. people of the entire Seventh dis
trict. The selection of a congressman
is at present entirely left to Polk
county. Under the primary election
law which applies to Polk county only
the situation is not changed and the
use of money would probably be as
fragrant. The primary applies only to
Polk county and whoever is selected,
by the primaries here will be forced
upon the rest Of the district. If the
legislature adopts a statewide primary
election law such as Senator Crossley
is writing, the votes of the entire dis
trict will determine the matter and in
ns+ tln 1 candidates
believe they will have better oppor-
tunity. At. the same time while the
local candidates are keeping a weather
eye out for any condition or clrcum-
stance that would make a favorable
chance to get into the race in 1906 they
believe that a sweeping victory for
Cunamins in 1905 would make the
chances of winning in 1908 greater. Ii
either one of the three local men be-
comes a candidate against Hull there
are reasons to believe that they all
will and if the legislature passes
statewide primary election law, the
outside candidate possibilities believe
thew will have a better show ana VIII
then likely enter the race. Ii there is
a statewide primary bill adopted IL
will likely bring out a goodly NUMBER
of candidates II there is no primary
election law passed there may be no
candidate against Hull.
Jf there is an investigation into the
oil business in this state some very m
teresting developments will be dlsclos-
ed At the time this is being written
there is not access to the material bul
there Is evidence in this city OF the
methods Of the Standard Oil company
in driving out competitors. Letters
written by the agents Of the Standard
Oil company at the offices of the COM
nany to the agents in this state VINO
sell the oil, are in the possession OF
Des Moines people showing that agents
are authorized and even ordered to sell
oil at cut prices In one community only
till competition is driven out there, al
ter which they are ordered to restore
the trust prices Now that Washing
ton. Iowa, people seem inclined to take
the matter up with the state officials.
If NAV be that the case will be carried
on fiji the disclosures are made pub
lie. There is not a particle OF doubt
hut that the trust deliberately demor-
alizes the oil business to drive out
competitor and then resorts to trust
prices again.
Practically the only thing that re-
mains to be done to put the senate
| and house chambers in a condition for
habita ton by the legislature Is putting
| the seats and desks in place and re-
pairing a few Of the desks. The car
| pets are all down and everything else
is completed in the chambers them
selves. The committee rooms of the
| house are not all redecorated yet, but
there remains two weeks in which to
do the work and 1t will be all complet-
ed by that time.
A bill will be presented at this ses-
sion Of the legislature creating board
| of pardons. 1t is learned that Repre-
sentative Cummings of Marshalltown'
| is at work on such bill at this tina
and will have it ready to present when
the legislature opens. The board OF
| pardons idea has been before the legis
| lature several times. before. 1t was
brought up in a bill written by Judge
Robinson OF the board of control. His
bill gave the state board of control
power to parole prisoners but this is
Unconstitutional as the governor only
if,,}; haS