The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-03-26
CAMPAIGN TAKES NEW TURN.
"Federal Crowd" Is Drawn Into State
Fight.

DIES MONIES, Iowa, March EFF |
A B. Cummins, leading the progress
sive" republicans of Iowa, and George
D. Perkins, of Sioux City, leading the |
"stand-patters," does not develop into
fight with the federal crowd" and
thereby threaten to disrupt the entire
political situation in Iowa, then the
rapid events of the last few days are
deceiving. This is what has happen
ed:
Senator Eolliver issued a letter
which has been construed as a decided
endorsement of Perkins
Captain ]. A. T. Hull, representing
the Seventh district, has hurried home
to investigate on uprising with which
the "progressives" are credited.
1t is announced that almost certainly
a candidate will be brought into the
field against Major Lacey of the Sixth
| Governor Cummins in public address
championed the cause of A. I. Smith,
of Mount Ayr, who is a candidate for
the seat occupied by none other than
Colonel Hepburn, of rate-bill fame.
A quiet movement has been discov-
cred in the Eleventh to bring out anil
opponent to Representative E. H. Hub
bard, who was made congressman by
A. F. Call, Mr.. Perkins present man.
ager
Opposed to Governor.
Now. these activities generally
speaking, have been interpreted as
meaning what was already the general
belief-that the entire federal crowd"
is opposed to Governor Cummins and
hopes to retire him to private life
The disposition of the Cummins SUD-
porters to extend their fight to- the
Washington delegates was not slow in
| manifesting itself. AS far as known
the Dolliver endorsement of Perkins
mas not won over a single Cummins
follower. On the contrary, no less
conservative newspaper than the
Des Moines Register and Leader an
nounced editorially, while discussing
the DOlliver letter, that there would be
rafting of bones if the congressional
delegation should mix in the state
fight
There are many reasons why the
delegation should not hope for a Cum
minis victory, and these reasons are
quite similar to those which actuated
the Wisconsin delegation in opposing
La Toilette. In the first place Cum
minis is a known aspirant to the
United States senate. He announced
three weeks ago that he would not be |
candidate to succeed Senator Dolli-
yer, SO it is accepted he will wait till !
the seat now occupied by Senator ALI
son is vacant. If Cummins keeps him.
self in sufficient power to put himself
in the senate when the time comes. it |
is apprehended that he may carry some
OF his friends to congress.
Wages War on Blythe.
Particularly are the representatives
from southern Iowa justified in ex-
pecting hostility from the Cummins
faction. Southern Iowa is known as
the reservation and over it J. w.
Blythe, the Iowa attorney for the Bur-
lington, is credited with being boss
Blythe has been power in Iowa poll
not be expected that Lacey or Hull or
Hepburn or Hodge would be anti
Blythe men. Now Cummins is waging
open warfare on Blythe. He has made
Blythe's part in politics an issue. And
if he wins, those associated in the
popular mind with the Blythe camp
may expect no support from Cummins
men. Hodge, from Blythe's own dis
trict, has announced he will not again
be candidate, and Cummins men say
this is because he found he couldn't
win again.
A still more aggravating feature of
the Iowa situation from the standpoint
of the Washington officials, is the de-
termination of Governor Cummins TO
introduce the primary system and to
have it applied to the selection of con-
gressmen-both representatives and
senators. While it applies to the gov
ernorship as well, the latest bill intro
duced in the Iowa legislature, and
known to have been drafted under
Cummins' direction, would not go into
effect until 1908, or too late to affect
this gubernatorial campaign. This is
taken to mean that Cummins has an
eye open for the senatorship, as well
as for the governorship. Now if the I
are to be made directly by
the people and the "progressives" set {
up a great cry against railroad domi- t
nation of politics. the present delega- l
ton may we'll fear that the people
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