Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-18
Cummins Men Were Indifferent
in Matter, But Chairman
Spence Worked Hard
BLYTHE PARTY CHANGED FRONT
Several Weeks Ago, An Early conven-
ton Was Strongly Favored-Recent
Returns Responsible for change-No
Doubt That standpatters Wanted
Convention Taken Away From Des
Moines.
[By Ora williams.1


Des Moines, April 1S.-It is due to
Chairman Spence more than any other
one that Des Moines gets the state con-
vention this year. Mr.. Spence has
consistently urged that Des Moines is
the only place for state convention.
The people of his district would not
hear to anything else. They like to
attend conventions, and while they
could get to Cedar Rapids or elsewhere
with little more travel, they are suf-
ficiently selfish to insist on Des
Moines as the place. Mr.. Spence once
voted to take convention away
from Des Moines, doing so at the be-
hest of the reservation dictator, and
the republicans of his district organ
lied and nearly beat him for re-elec-
ton. Mr.. Spence doesn't take chances
like that more than once.
There is no doubt whatever that the
standpatters desired very much that
the convention should be taken from
Des Moines, and for exactly the same
reason as that which took it away tve
years ago. But Des Moines people
were indifferent. Lafe Young alone
took sufficient interest to do what
he could to have the convention tax
en- away. But not many misunder-
stood his purpose. AS for the Cum
Minis men, they have not felt that a
convention in Des Moines would be
any more likely to help Cummins than
one at some other place. Local inf1u-
ences count for very little in state
convention, especially in one held In
Des Moines, where only coinparative-
ly small proportion of the population
can have any real interest in the
same.
AS to having an early or late con-
vention it is evident the Blythe con-
tingent has changed front. Chairman
Spence has talked all the time about
an August convention, but others who
were in the confidence of the dictator
and who assumed to. be playing poll
tics were talking of an early conven-
ton. They felt that it would be well
enough to get it all over as soon as
possible. But that was several weeks
ago. Since then came the results in
Kossuth, in Emmet, in Cerro Gordo, in
Greene and Hancock and Winnebago,
and most of all the evidence that just
now Cummins stock is high in Madi-
son, standpat stronghold. AS a re-
suit, the Blythe view has changed.
There is undoubtedly a Cummins wave
in sight just now. To precipitate mat
ters would mean that Cummins would
take advantage of this upheaval. 1t
would be better politics to wait. Per-
haps there will be a reaction. If there
isn't one it can be manufactured on
paper and the people can be made ID
believe there is one. And so, pursuant
to this suggestion, the convention is to
be late This was, in view of the late
news from northern Iowa, simply good
politics on the part of Blythe and his
lieutenants.
One had but to circulate for time
among those who were here yesterday
to understand that whatever may be
the position of the Cummins men in the
fight, the Blythe men are still hopeful,
confident, and certainly still
in the fight. Some of them were in
sistent even that it looks quite well
for Perkins. Others were talking OF
the manner in which a switch might be
made from Perkins to Herriott in case
Perkins does not make any better
showing in northern Iowa than he has
shown. But certain 1t is tnat