Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-05-30
LANDSLIDE TO PERKINS.
The Past Week Adds Many Delegates to
the Perkins Column and Puts
Cummins in the Minority.

L
very largely against the Governor.
Several things have contributed
to this result and the political history
OF the past few days has been filled
with incidents all of which were
beneficial to Mr.. Perkins and equally
disastrous to the pretentions of the
Governor.
The political atmosphere in the
northern part of the state has been
greatly clarified by the withdrawal of
Mr.. Fred Kretchmer of Dubuque from
the field as candidate for state
treasurer. Mr. Kretchmer's name has
been quite prominently mentioned in
connection with that Office and his
county has paid him the high tribute
of an endorsement which included the
right to select the delegation from that
county to the state convention.
This meant that he could use the dele
CATION for his own benefit in the con-
vention without regard to preferences
for any other candidate. AS soon as
the result in Dubuque county was an
nounced the Cummins crowd began to
claim the 20 delegates from that
county for Governor. Whether they
had any foundations for such a claim
or not is immaterial, but it is in line
with their habit of claiming every
thing and never correcting their
figures when they are proven false.
However. it has for some time been
apparent that the interests of Gov.
Cummins We're at variance with
those of United States Senator
Allison. In other words, ever since
the Governors Fort Dodge speech in
which he threw a sop to Senator Dol
liver's friends by declaring that he
favored the reelection of the Senator
and would do nothing to oppose him,
careful political observers have been
certain that Governor Cummins
would be candidate against Senator
Allison when the time came for his
reelection. Realizing the danger of
this, Mr.. Kretchmer sacrificed his
own political interests to the cause of
Senator Allison and announced his
withdrawal from the campaign, at the
same time appointing a delegation to
the state convention composed entirely
Of intimate personal friends and sup
pOrters of the senior United States
Senator; this delegation is also rep
resentative one of the republicans of
Dubuque county, and will vote the
wishes of the party in the state con-
vention. The Cummins papers have
taken occasion to publish many state
ments regarding this action on the
part of Mr.. Kretchmer which proves
that they were hard hit and that his
patriotic and disinterested stand on
the subject has made them extremely
angry. However, Mr. Kretschmer has
done a good deal for the people of the
state and one which, outside the Cum
Minis crowd, is thoroughly appreciated.
for the genuine republicans of Iowa
feel that no greater disgrace could be
heape5 upon them than to further the
ambitions of any man who could seek
to defeat Senator Allison.
For the first time since the CAM
paign opened, the Governor is in the
minority of the delegates whose
selection have been made or deter
mined by the caucuses. These figures
prove that the anti -Cummins people
are in the lead and they also show that
unless the unforeseen and practically
impossible happens, Mr.. Cummins
will go into the state convention in
a hopeless minority.
Another one of the interesting and
important events of the week was the
breaking into the second District.
which was claimed as Cummins re-
servation, by the friends of Mr.. Per.
kins. After having divided jackson
county the Perkins forces during the
Wtck CdptuISu DOtii JOiiuSOu duu 1OWd
counties. In the two latter named
counties the result was simply a
| political land slide. Johnson is unani
nous against Mr.. Cummins, while in
Iowa the ratio of representation in
the county convention ON Saturday
was about two to one against the
third term candidate. In Johnson
county it seemed that all classes OF
citizens were aroused in opposition to
the governors claims. In lows
county the notable thing was the
support which the farmers gave to the
anti -Cummins cause. They were
largely opposed to the third term ides
and repudiated Indignantly the claim
that Gov. Cummins is the only man
in the state who is able to fill the
governors chair and that he is en-