The Washington times., 1906-07-18
POLITICS IN IOWA
WORSE AND WORSE
Cummins Has Big Majority
of Delegates to Con-
VentiOn.

Although the campaign iu Iowa, which
is now nearing conclusion, has recently
been less in the public eye. the impress
sion that the fight is ended is by no
means warranted. On the other hand,
reports from the State which are re-
ceIved by politicians and officials here
indicate that the situation is not settling
down, as has been generally hoped, and
that the outlook for a bitter fight in the
convention is more threatening than a
month ego
Contest Cummins' Appointments.
OF the 1.5i0 delegates who will sit in
the stat convention August !, Cummins
has about $50 But against consider
able number Of these contests have oeen
started on various technical grounds.
The best Illustration OF the character o.
these contests is TO be found in POLK
county, the home OF Governor Cummins.
This IS the largest county in the state
with seventy-two delegates It's pTl-
maries were held early and were carried
overwhelmingly by the governor. The
county convention authorized the gov
ernor 10 name his own delegates TO the
ssate convention, a proceeding followed
for many years without protest
But now the anti-Cummins people an
nol.nce. p-eparations for a suit 10 enjoin
the governor from naming the delega-
ton. They say IL was 2 violation OF the
urinary election law for the convention
10 authorize a candidate 20 name the
delegation: that the county convention
only was competent 20 do this. Il is
vigorously claimed that the railroad peo-
pie VIII secure their injunction and pre-
vent Cummns' home county voting IN
the State convention.
II happens that IN Woodbury., the home
county OF Candidate George D. Perkins,
exactly the same procedure was follow
ed. Mr.. Perkins being authorized TO
name the delegates. But the same law
does not apply TO both counties. The
last general assembly passed a primary
law applying only 10 Polk county, which.
IL is claimed. has been Violated As the
act does not apply in smaller counties,
Perkins can thus, If this plan succeeds.
prevent Cummins naming delegation IN
Polk, though Perkins will, by precisely
the same method, secure the delegation
Of Woodbury.
Cummins' Weakness in State.
Contests with as little or less basis
in equity have been made against Cum
minis in a number Of other c--"ties. II
is proposed. for example. TO throw out
the DELEGATIONS Of several counties that
wern Overwhelmingly carried Tor cum
Minis. because they selected their dele
gates before the call for the State con-
vention was issued. This. likewise, had
been customary for many years and
never before was questioned.
The weakness Of Cummins' situation
ls that Of the eleven members of the
state central committee. six are Of the
antf-Cummins' faction. The railroad peo-
pIe declare their purpose TO have their
state committee make up a temporary
roll of the convention. 10 exclude from
this roll the Polk delegation. and in all
cases where there are contests to put in
the anti-Cummins delegations By this
process they can deprive Cummins OF
his majority in the temporary organlza-
ton Then this anJi-Cummlns tempOr-
ary organization will decide the con-
tests and sOlemnly vote itself the per
manent organization. without regard 10
the merits of the cases. Thus, finally,
the convention would be transformed
from a Cummins 10 Perkins pody'
Cummins Men May Use PhyslcaI toICe'
The Cummins people rely first on the
confidence tkat the opposition VIII not
dare CO nv matters too far. and second
on the declaration that II they are rob-
bed tner1 will be first a riot. and then
another nomination. They are positive
that il Cummins is robbed and runs as
the candidate OF his own faction he VIII
be Overwhelmingly eelcted; and IN tIlls
most observers agree. But the Cum
Minis people propose 10 take no chances
of being made TO appear Irregular.
They will never leave the convention
hall. though they do say that II neceS-
sity arises they VIII bodily eject people
who threaten to interfere with orderly
E-0cedure whether they are delegates
or somebody else.
The contest for physical possession of
5lfe auditorium is eXpeC Ted to be crlti-
cal one, and to be the occasion for mucn
engineering. The State committee Is