Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-10
bLEAKLEY MAKES
SERIOUS CHARGE
Effort to Justify Action Con-
trary to Wishes Of His
Constituents
ATTACKS COLLEAGUES MOTIVE
Writes Letter to Cherokee Times In
Which He Claims Supporters Of tho
crossIey Bill Were Not Sincere -
i crossIey Replies and Flags tho Ida
& Senator.
[By Ora Williams.l
specla, to Times Republican.

Speciai to Times Republican.
.Des Moines. March 10.-,The extent
To which the Blythe senator's who ruth
lfssly slaughtered the primary bill
have felt called upon to do something
to stay the tide Of wrath at their homes
Is Illustrated In the case OF Bleakley,
of Ida. who despite the plain evidence
that great majority OF the voters Of
his district favored primaries. joined
with those who plotted the defeat of
the measure Bleakley sought to square
himself by writing letter to the edi-
tor OF the Cherokee Times In which he
urged the usual sophistries about
really being for the idea but against
the bill. In this letter he hurled de-
fiant insult In the teeth of all members
who sought to secure primary law.
He declared he would support bill
like the substitute but was opposed to
a plurality bill Then he added:
Il am quite sure that the friends OF
this measure only desire to use 1t as
means to an end. When l say am
quite sure mean that am In posi-
tion to prove the assertion"
Then he stated that another bill was
being prepared and would be introduce
ed.
That's pretty bald accusation for
senator to make against his asso-
ciates," said Senator Turner, referring
to the Bleakley Indictment. He vir-
tually says that we who favored the
bill reported by the committee are all
insincere.
"And even IL It should be true that
LIT was d means to an end and that as
result of that bill the voters of the
state should have been permitted to
choose their candidate for governor
this year, what great wrong would have
been committed?" suggested Senator
Winnie.
The letter was shown Senator Cross
lev. author Of the bill Now Mr.. Cross
lev is a standpatter He has never
been for Cummins. He is against
Cummins now He, more than any
other. was responsible for that bill
"All can say" said the Madison
SENATOR "is in denial. AS for myself
con,n,onced work on the bill five years
ago I certainly had no thought OF ac-
co,n nlishing some mysterious means to
an end, / did not take five years OF
work and study and preparation just
TO give the people chance TO vote
for Cummins for governor. II tnat Is
what the senator from Ida meansb =
deny his accusation. NOW tney. are
saving that prepared this bill Tor tne
nurpose Of having Cummins renomi-
mated for governor this year. But
know standpatter who would have
heen quite as much the beneficiary OF
the hill. and in the same way. This Is
Colonel palmer. There Is no better
known man in the state, ana u thAs OH
shonld govern the nominations this
year, nothing could prevent Coiohei
Palmer from being nominateo again
for railroad commissioner. why don0t
they say that we were trying 10 pass
the bill for the especial beneht OF COL
onel Palmer? The argument Would De
inst as good. This bill was plurality
measure. The one introduced Two
Years ago was majority measure.
The one four years ago had plurality
features in it. But the fact is tnat you
cannot have pure primary except
upon the basis of plurality nomlna-
tions. Whenever you introduce the
majority feature you make necessary
conventions and clothe them with
power.
"It is useless for those who nave
stood here defeating primary ieglsia-
ton to attempt to make 1t appear tneV
were its real friends. believe tne
people know better. And 1t comes Win
Door grace from those who so bitterly
opposed primary legislation all thru
to accuse the friends of the idea Witn
insincerity and having Interior mo-
tives."
The news comes from Senator Bleak
ley's district that his action IN OBEY
ing the dictates of the Blythe bosses IN
Strengthening the bill has caused such
an uprising in his district that ne
stands no show of ever again being
elected to anything. 1t will be recalled
that in the convention which nomfnat-
cd him he pledged himself to the re-
forms urged by Cummins, and until
he did this he stood no chance OF NOM
ination. But friends urge that ne has
been a consistent and close friend OF
Secretary Shaw, and he probably
gained much of the inspiration Tor MS