New-York tribune., 1906-07-29
LIVELY IOWA POLITICS.
CUMNINS-PERKINS FIGHT.
RepubHcan Contention at Des
Moirses Has Big Task Before 1t.

I
publican State Convention 70 be opened at Des
Moines Wednesday will be OF the most I'M
portant political meetings ever held IN this state
| At this convention it will be determined IL the
Republican party in this state shall be divided.
/ If Republicanisrn in Iowa shall be more conser-
vative and pro-railroad or more radical and anti
railroad: II the next new Senator from Iowa
shall be Albert 3. Cumnns OF his politi-
| cal opponents; IL Secretary Shaw can obtain tho
| Endorsement of Iowa for himself as a Presiden-
tlal candidate. and incidentally, IL Iowa VIII go
to the next Republican National Convention de-
mandins tariff revision and strict regulation OF
corporations.
| So much OF misinformation has been circulated
concerning the remarkably bitter contest be-
tween Governor A. 3. Cummins and George d.
Perkins Editor OF 1.-THE Sioux City Journal" for
the nomination for Governor, and so few have
been ths really accurate accounts OF the fight
| that review OF the campaign and the causes
leading up TO e Is absolutely necessary to an
understanding Of the significance OF the stormy
convention which the Iowa Republicans viii
hold at Des Moines this week.
! The threads which make up the tangled mesh
of Iowa politics to-day reach back twenty years.
During all that period J. W. Blythe, Of Burling-
ton Iowa. general counsel for the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy Railroad. has been a power IN
sive self-contained but forceful man. with O.
| genius for organization. AS a tribute 70 his
| powers, the three southern tiers os counties In
] Iowa have been called the reservation It Is
/ Blythe's reservation for year after year this
third Of the state almost to a county does as he
/ wishes. II he wants these counties 70 declare
! for a certain candidate or not to declare for
anybody his will is carried out in nine cases
out Of ten. This remarkable performance for
two decades in state as enlightened IN affairs
political Iowa is explained by the fact that
the Burlington Railroad. with all its feeders, runs
through the reservation" and through It
Blythe has matchless permanent organiza-
| ton. Blythe's motives-whether he is working
/ in the interest OF the Burlington Railroad or to
further political ambitions Of his oWn-are under
dispute but none gainsay that he Is the premier
/ politician OF Iowa to-day. And working with
| the late Judge Hubbard. Iowa attorney OF the
Northwestern system, and also a master mind,
he had much to say about Iowa Office holding
| and platform writing without dispute until
| some seven years ago.
CUMMINS APPEARS ON SCENE
In 1899 Albert b. Cummins a comparatively
young man, digniied, oratorical, discerning and
aggressive. appeared on the political horizon.
| John II. Gear, Of Burlington. father-in-law Of
I Blythe. was then a candidate for reelection to
1
against him. UP and down the state. in every
county. in every township. Blythe for his father
in-law and Cummins for himself grappled and
struggled. UP to that time there had never
been such fight in the state. IL was in con-
nection with this contest that Tom Dennison.
gambling king Of Omaha, admitted that he
drove whole colony of Negroes over into Coun-
Gil Bluffs TO vote. BY the bare margin of one
vote in the General Assembly Blythe won that
memorable contest
Gear died soon after his reelection Leslie NJ
Shaw had been made Governor following the is
suance from Judge Hubbard's home, Cedar Rap
ids. of the now famous legend Keep your eye on
Shaw" Cummins believed himself entitled 70
appointment to the United States Senate, in
view Of the fact that he almost defeated Gear.
But Shaw named Jonathan p. DOlliver young
but comparatively unknown lawyer of Fort
Dodge. And right there Shaw did what will
make it next 70 useless for him TO try 70 OBJ
tain the Endorsement of Iowa for the Presi-
dency if Cummins goes back into the Cow
ernor's seat.
When Secretary Shaw had served his two
terms Governor Cummins became a candi-
date to succeed him. There were four other
candidates, among them George d. Perkins, Of
Sioux City. Mr. Perkins withdrew early In the
contest, and his county and district went al
most solidly for Cummins. It was the same
old fight over again-Cummins against Blythe
and Hubbard. supporting all Of the three op-
ponents of Cummins In that contest Cummfns
chose for his platform the declaration that the
railroads Of Iowa were not paying their share
of the taxes. and pledged himself to raise their
assessments so far he might be able as n
member of the taxing executive council. With
a margin of only forty votes out Of more than
fifteen hundred, Cummins defeated the three
other candidates. and caused 20 be inserted IN
the Iowa platform of that year the famous
Iowa idea" that the tariff should not he al.
lowed the become the shelter of monopolv
This was in 1901. In 1903. an off year Cum
minis was conceded denomination without opposi
ton. But Blythe not idle Cummins had
achieved national notorlety by his advocacy OF
tariff revision. This nettled Blythe who wanted
to demonstrate that in this Cummins did not
represent IOwa's views. So 1t was that when tha
delegates came to the convention it was found
Blythe could control in the adoption OF reso,u-
tions and thus il was that the platform or that
year contained the compromise" 20 which Gum
minis consented and which his enemies have used
70 humiliate him.
CUMMINs AND THE THIRD TERM
When the expiration of Cummins's second term
-lengthened year by a constitutional
amendment changing the date OF state elections
@-yVas spnr0a ching zvss sha s-o,o,o. n.Ra1s