Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-10-18
A WORD TO STANDPATTERS.

We are not revealing any political
secret when we say that good many
Standpat republicans were sorely ag-
grieved because of the success of the
Progressive republicans in the recent
campaign and the nomination of Gov
ernor Cummins for third term. And
we regret to say that some of them
have not fully recovered from their
chagrin at defeat, and their disap.
pointment that some other man was
not selected for the head of the ticket.
We hear it said that while some are
indifferent about going TO the polls,
there are others who threaten to go
over and help the enemy. Even If
this statement be true at this time, we
feel confident that the number who
will not give the ticket earnest sup
port will grow less every day between
this and the election. However much
some fellows may feel like it and talk
like it now, they will not support the
enemy when they face the responsible
ity in the election booth on the sixth
day of November.
We started ont to say u word to
such parties as may not he satisfied
with the head of the ticket and the
methods taken To secure his nomina-
ton. Who are To- blame for the sue
cess of the Progressives and the nom
inatiOn of Governor CumminsP Ii Is
true that they had a splendid organ
ization and they made tremendous
fight throughout the state. But with
all that, they never could have won
out had il not been for the over-con-
tidence and the mismanagement of the
other side. The first blunder made
was the selection of Mr.. Call, rail
road attorney, as manager of the
Perkins campaign. No matter how
good a man he may be, nor how skill
full manager he might have been,.
the holding of such an Office disquali
fled him in the year 1906. Another
blunder was the Elkins letter, which
reacted in favor of the man whom he
attacked. A third was the writing OF
that letter to the members of congress
threatening them with disaster il they
did not leave their work and take up
the fight against the governor, and
that piece of folly was used to ad-
vantage by the other side. A fourth
was the joint debate up at Spirit Lake,
insisted upon by local parties, but
the outcome was against those respon-
sible for it. The fifth and more wide
spread perhaps was the sitting around
and doing nothing while Cummins
and his followers were busy holding
conventions in those counties where
they had the least opposition. This
procedure gave them the advantage
of large ma jOrity at the start, and
an opportunity to make fight in
other counties which would have been
against them but for that opportunity.
Finally the coming in Of Ed Hunter
who assumed the management of the
Perkins headquarters at Des Moines.
These are some Of the blunderS made
by the managers of the campaign. The
more we think of it the more we are
inclined to believe that the Stand
patterS have more things at which to
be annoyed and chagrined on account
Of the management or lack Of man
agement, and the over-conlidence and
blunders of their own side, than the
aggressive and positive and some
times offensive campaign made by the
other fellows. 1t may be well enough
for some of us to keep these things in
mind and in making up balance
sheet between the two factions, put
them down just where they belong.