Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-30
STATE SACRIFICED
1O BEAT CUAM|NS
standpatters Stand Ready to
Defeat Any Measure That
Might Help Cummins
MERIT CUTS NO FIGURE
Every Vote Measured by Its Capacity
to Help or Hinder the State Admin
istration-AIl the Work Of the spe-
ciaI committees Appointed Two
Years Ago Counts for Nausht.
[By Ora williams.l

Special to rines-Republican.
Des Moines, March 30.-The extent
to which the irreconcilable and i'm
placable hatred of the present republic
can state administration, by a select
CLIQUE of advocates of reaction, has
entered into the work of legislation,
can hardly he appreciated by the people
outside of Des Moines and even among
those who have paid some attention to
the labors of the legislature not all is
known. A senator stated to the writer
the other day:
There is not vote taken here that
is not measured by those who, not
members of the senate, are directing
the affairs OF the standpat faction, as
to whether OF not it p or hinder
the present governor O. rhey
would sacrifice the best BIZ. nich
comes here if they thought its passage
would be pleasing to Governor Cum
mins."
The Thirtieth general assembly ap-
pointed two commissions to investi-
gate and to report on some needed leg
islation-refolm Of the penal laws and
reform of the management of colleges.
The splendid work Of these commits
sions went for naught
In the case of the bill for adoption In
Iowa Of the reformatory system with
the indeterminate sentence, there Is no
doubt that the strongest factor In ef-
fecting it's defeat was the representa-
ton made by the Blythe senator's, and
in the Blythe newspaper organs, that
[ft would help Governor Cumnins In
his campaign by giving him oppor-
|tunity to add two to the list of officials
charged with parole advice. 1t was
bill to effect a far-reaching reform.
bringing Iowa's laws down to a modern
basis. bill which in Its workings
would have effected a vast money saw
ing to the state. a bill to make barely
a beginning for a reform which has
been in operation in more enlightened
states many years. But because Gov
ernor Cummins would have had the
naming of persons to administer prison
affairs under the law, it was defeated.
In regard to the board of regents
BILL there is hardly any doubt that the
argument made openly and def1antly
by those who fight Cummins at all
times was effective, and that their plea
for the defeat of the measure because
It would be left to Governor Cumm1ns
to select the fifteen members OF the
board was sufficient to give the oppo-
sition the votes to beat the bill 1t is
true that it was impossible in the
house to draw the factional lines close,
but this plea was made, and no one
can determine what it's effect was.
AS instancing the bitterness of the
Blythe faction against the governor, 1t
was announced in the Blythe local
daily organ here that Of course Gov
ernor Cummins, in filling the vacancy
on the board Of control, would first
and above all else select someone who
is a Cummins man. In the sense that
the governor could hardly be expect
ed to appoint anyone who is engaged
in attacking or ridicu1ing or denounc-
ing the state and it's administration,
this would be true; but the governor
gave quick answer to the libel by
appointing on the board OF control
one who will never be accused of hav-
ing secured the position because 81
being an ardent Cummins politician. In
fact in all his appointments to office
Governor Cummins has been guided by
other considerations. If 1t Is argued
that nearly all OF the appointive state
officers are now pretty good defenders
of the republican state administra-
ton, it can also be said that most OF
the elective officers are also, and a
great many others.
The legislature in providing for the
commission to investigate the tnsur-
ance question left 1t to the appoint
ment of Herriott and Clarke. The bill
to provide for a commission to look
after the Iowa affairs at Jamestown
provides for commission to be elect
ed by the Joint assembly. There are
men in the legislature who would like
to prevent the governor from taking
any further part in public affairs
They will go as far as possible in that
direction.
Whether the insurance investigating
commission, which has been provided
for by law, will have any political
bearings remains to be seen. 1t is
reported that strong pressure is being
brought to bear from Blythe head
quarters to have Senator Mols'berry
placed on the commission, in place of
Warren, who started the movement,
and this would be in the hope there
might be some faetional advantage
gained in an effort to do more than
merely investigate.
cUMMINs IN KossUTH.