Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-12
THE FIGHT IN TINE FOURTH.

| AS will be noted in today's news
| dispatches Mason City has set the pace
| for Cerro Gordo county and the Fourth
| district. Two snap caucuses engineer
ed by the Jim Blythe, Gale and Per-
kins combination were pulled off yes
| caucuses in the wards they hoped to
hold in order that an -Cummins
victim might be the onflamme
| to lead on the anti movement
in the other wards Of the
city and the precincts of the coun-
ty. The result was anything but sat-
isfactory to the promoters. Cummins
carried Gales own ward over Gale by
219 votes out of total of $780, The
other ward gave Cummins 221 out of
$685. 1t was practically a two to one
vote against the Blythe gang and in
favor of the square deal. Railroad in
huences We're used as Mr.. James
Blythe has learned from his celebrated
cousin, Joseph Blythe, of Burlington,
to make use of them. The Northwest
ern and M. & ST. p. are roads given
especial mention in the dispatches for
their activity. To add to the defeat
Geneseo township came in with I'M
animous vote for Cummins and H.. :
gen.
There is concerted effort on in the
Fourth district ostensibly against Hau-
gen, but in reality for the purpose of
securing railroad delegates to the state
convention who may be trusted to
knife Cummins. 1t is part of the plan
scheduled at the standpat railroad con-
ference Of railway attorneys, where 1t
was framed up to keep Cummins
busy at home. to bring out "favorite
sons in each county for congress or
other office and thus If possible secure
delegation named by the "favorite
son" to be used against Cummins. Few
of these "favorite sons" expected to
win. Perhaps none of them are ex-
pected to do so. They are set up to
trick the people Of their counties and
districts into permitting Joe Blythe
and the railroad interests to name by
proxy the delegates to the state con-
vention. This is the plan that is being
worked upon in the Fourth district 1t
is the old trick, old as turning the
jack from the bottom, but it works if
the voters lack watchfulness. 1t failed
to pan out in Mason City and Cerro
Gordo. 1t will fail wherever the voters
keep their eyes open.
The scheme outlined by the confer
called, included, first, killing the state
primary bill. With the aid Of demo-
cratic votes purchased by seating
Whitmer over a regularly elected re-
publican, the standpatters accomplish
ed this. Second, keeping Cummins
busy, and he has been reasonably busy
Third, the "eavorite son" bunko game
that is being played now for all it is
worth. An instance of this game Is a
Third district candidacy for the lieu
tenant governorship, candidacy ut
terly without hope except as to it's pos
sible influence on the state convention.
So far there seems no likelihood that
the game viii succeed. The voters are
awake and watching the political
thimbleriggers. There is need of ac-
tivity and watchfulness. They are
ninnble men who are shifting the elu-
sive pea. The dextrous hands which
are manipulating the "favorite sons"
from one shell to another are adopts
in the art Of political legerdemain.
There is only one safe way, to do as
Mason City did and dump the whole
thimblerigging outfit into the gutter.
There is one preeminent question in
the present campaign-Shall the corr
porations own the republican party of
Iowa, dictate its policies, control its
or shall the voters,
the rank and file of republicanism
guide it's destines; whether the party
shall be used to exploit the people or