Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-07-04
PERKINS PROPOSES ARBITRATION.
Suggests that Determination Of Seating Of
Contesting Delegations be Submitted
to Republican National
Committee.

The Republican party in Iowa is
passing through crisis. An anti
convention campaign has been waged
| throughout the state the like of which
has never been seen before. AS result
there are many counties in which con-
tests have been instituted. Upon the
seating of these contesting delegations
depends the nomination for governor,
and this question is now being gen.
orally discussed throughout the state.
Several different plans have been
proposed for the adjustment of the
difficulties. 1t has been suggested that
the state central committee prepare a
roll of membership for the convention !;
also that the contests be decided by a
committee of three Iowa district
judges. The fairest proposal we have
seen is that which Hon. Geo. d.
| Perkins makes in letter to Gov.
Cummins, Major Rathbun and Mr..
| Herriott, the other gubernatorial can
didates 1t is to the effect that the
| contests be referred to the national
republican committee for adjudication.
1t is outlined in the following letter,
| mailed to the other candidates on
Thursday:
"Des Moines, La. June 20, 1906. -
Governor Albert B. Cummins,
City.-My Dear Governor:
10, raInnta,,f RI FOL <1n
initiative in suggesting any plan
perplexing situation now confronting
the republican party of this state. 1
assume that you, equally with myself,
desire that the convention shall be
orderly and above suspicion of inten-
tional wrong. We are mutually desir-
Gus, l am free to say, to shield the party
name from dishonor and to bring
about the nomination of ticket that
! the sincere membership of the party
can Loyalty and unitedlv support.
The time for calm action is now.
| 1.-The convention campaign has
been heated. The struggle for dele
gates has never been equaled in our
state. The contest has come down to
the closing days without a clear settle
ment as to the choice of the party for
the gubernatOrial nomination. The
balance of power is with delegations
that are contested, and these contests,
to my mind, should be impartially and
intelligently determined to the end
that confidence may be established in
the integrity of the conventions deter
limitations. Neither you nor want a
nomination involving doubtful title
or the suspicion of it.
| "Now, what can be done to provide
a fair adjustment?
| sit has occurred to me that we
might ask for the Intervention of the
republican national committee.
would you be willing to join in a
request to the chairman of the
national committee that he appoint
from the membership of the COM
mittee a commission of three, the
| choice to be made from states
sufficiently separated from our state
to secure impartiality and freedom
from pre-determination, to hear and
| determine the issues that have arisen?
My thought is that such commission
| should be empowered to hear all
contests and upon their finding make
up temporary roll to be binding
upon all parties; and, further. that
such commission be authorized to
prescribe the parliamentary rules by
which the convention should be
governed in all it's preliminary work.
If a plan of this kind were to be
agreed to, it would be necessary, of
course, that we should personally
obligate ourselves to abide by the
/ oct of r no fn
full influence TO have their conclusions
accepted by the convention and to
exert all our power to make the plan
and conclusions thus framed carried
out in good faith.
"If this suggestion, prompted only
by my desire to place the common
welfare of the party above personal
concern, does not meet your specific
approval, | trust | am not mistaken in
assuming that the object in view has
your cordial endorsement. Therefore
| am not without confidence that some
plan can be mutually agreed to that
will secure creditable adjustment
and save the convention from hasty and
| imprudent action. harmful to the
party and notifying TO those against
whom responsibility might be lodged.
Il am not personally disposed in this
matter to ignore the authority of our
state committee, and my suggestion
| would be, if you should agree with me
on the general proposition, TO petition
our own committee to take up the
matter with the chairman of the
national committee.
4 should consider it an honor to
be favored with your early reply.
Respectfully yours,
GEORGE ID. PERKINS
Major Rathbun, of Marion, has sent
to Mr.. Perkins telegram consenting
| to the above suggestion.