Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-14


state? This audience will expect you
to answer, and l await your explana-
ton with the keenest interest.
May l ask what you did in 1888 to-
ward the solution of the problem which
you say in your editorials was then
the issue? Lest your memory fail you,
| will read an editorial that appeared
in your paper upon the subject at that
time
(Here an editorial was read, caution-
ing the legislature to go Slow
An "Odious Comparison."
leave now your record and mine up
on this phase of the controversy.
You have constantly tried to be-
little my work for the railway rate
legislation now pending in congress.
do not claim much for it, but at least
1t will compare favorably with yours
For Years, in every speech that l have
made upon the subject | have stood for
an increase of power to the interstate
commerce commission. / happen to
have in my hand copy of speech
that made before the Upper MISSISSIPPI
pl Improvement convention in Dubuque
'held in the early fall of 1904, and want
you to hear few of its sentences"
Governor Cummins then gave the
history of his work at Washington for
rate regulation. and pointed out the
vacillating course Perkins pursued in
his newspaper on this subject. saying:
AS | remember it, you were dumb
until frightened into speech by the
eianor OF your own district after you
became a candidate for governor: and
eli
ed, IN your editorials, whether it was
not fair and just that jurisdiction
should he given to the courts to re-
try-mark you, / say e-try-cases
that are determined by the commission.
The Statewide Primary.
pass from the railway subject to
another. One of the vital issues of
this campaign is the proposal to enact
a primary election law. I have noted
that you say. in platform issued to
the people, that you are for the pri-
mary election principle. You must be
more specific. The voters will not UNI
derstand you and cannot understand
you, for under such a vague and I'M
certain statement you can always be
found in opposition to a primary cleo
ton measure | am for the nomination,
by direct vote, of candidates for all
the principal offices of the state gov
eminent; for the office of representa-
tive in congress; for senator of the
United States; and for county offices.
Are you in favor of such a law? You
know my position if you have read my
recommendation to the last general
assembly. You know that did what
soever I could to aid in the passage
of what was known as the 'Crossley
bill When it failed, | was willing that
some of the minor offices of the state
government and the judges of the dis
trict court be eliminated, and there
fore 1 favored the bill introduced in
the house by Representative Flenniken.
at is high time that you should
give the people of this state your views
upon a primary election measure.
am not insistent upon the details. but
I have a right to ask you to stand be-
fore this audience and declare what
state officers if any, should be noml-
mated in a primary election, whether
the representatives in congress should
be so nominated, and whether our
United States senators should be so
selected. l would like to know, fur-
ther. whether you stand for the propo-
sition that requires majority OF all
the votes cast in order to make
or whether plurality or
some less proportion than majority
nav nominate. You have been indus
trious in creating the impression that
NV friends in the last general Assembly
defeated the primary electlon law.
How unfair this effort is VIII be DEM
onstrated by mere glance at the rec
ord. -, e
the senate, there was offered as SUD-
stitute for it county primary law
and the question was as to the nherits
of such a law compared with the gen.
eral primary established in the Cross
lev bill. My friends were unwilling
to limit the operation of primary to
county officers, and the vote That was
then taken the choice was between the
general primary law and county
primary law. My friends voted for
the general law.
practically speaking, this experience
was repeated in the house. where a
primary law was offered as a
substitute for the Flenniken bill.
Where Perkins Squirmed.
''What have you to say in defense
of a persistent course of misrepresen-
tation, intended to deceive the people |
of the state into the belief that we were
not sincere in the effort to secure a !
fair and just primary system? If
you become governor, it will be neces-
sary for you to make some recommen-
dation to the general assembly upon
the subject. These people before you
have right to know, in general terms
what you would recommend, and what
they may expect from your administra
ton, upon this subject. I await with |
your reply"