Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-15
PARTY NEWSPAPERS
ISionx City Tribune.l

Says the Des Moines Capital. mourn
ing over the disappearance Of the old
fashioned party newspaper:
"Th,a treatment given the regular re-
publican newspapers of Iowa during
the past five years will have a ten
dency to take the partisan spirit out OF
the republican press and to fill 1t with
unconcern. This has been the effect
of the same sort of condition on repub-
blican newspapers in the state oil
Minnesota There is not a partisan
republican newspaper in St Paul or
Minneapolis-not one that can be re-
lied upon to support the straight tick
ct. There is not a genuine Mark Han
ma protection republican paper of over
1000 circulation in Minnesota rms
situation in a measure accounts FOR
Minnesota's uncertainty both as to
partisan principles and partisan ma
jorities."
Editor Young writes as tho the one
object OF government is to prevent
uncertainty both as to partisan prin-
ciples and partisan majorities.' Grant
it that Minnesota is dominated by
powerful, independent newspapers. il
is true. In what particular has Mir
nesota suffered as q consequence? Inc
only disastrous consequence OF which
the Honorable LATE can think. is thai
partisan principles" and partisan
maiorities" are uncertain" there.
BY this we are given toy understanI
that one of the evil results of inde-
pendence in newspapering in the Co
pher state is that Dunn, the regular
republican nominee for governor, was
defeated for governor at the same tin's
tina. Roosevelt carried the state by
about 10000. That Dunn was the cam
didste of special corporation Interests
in Minnesota. that his record in offic>
was so repugnant that some 7O,0O0 VOL
ers couldn't stomach him at the polls
that the election of johnson, the demo
craft, was equivalent to announcing &c
the republican managers that they
couldn't trust such men as Dunn upoE
them-all this is lost upon the DeS
Moines, Capital, which finds in Mime
sofa. only "uncertainty' as to par
tisan principles" and partisan majorl-
ties" For, did not Minnesota, led on
by such virile, courageous newspapers
as the Minneapolis Journal and ST
Paul Dispatch establish by the defeat
of Dunn that partisan majorities'
ceased to be a fixed quantity in Min
nesota the moment corrupting Interests
began to traffic in that majority?
But perhaps Editor Young is dis
turbed because Minnesota has had
these seven years, a primary election
law, that has given SO much SAUSAGE
ton that it is now definitely proposed
10 make it absolutely statewide. Thai
is one of the reforms for which the
independent press in Minnesota con-
tended and for which the independent
press in Iowa gave assistance to the
cause of Gov. Cummins. In the eyes OF
the Capital, "a, primary election law Is
wicked institution. Perhaps 1t, too
like the independent press, may oper-
ate to make partisan majorltles" an
certain" And, to the Capital, the dis
turbance of a majority, the refusal oil
members of any party to feast ano
smile over any dish that may be sci
hafore them is, in the abstract, some
thing akin to anarchy. Not in the con-
crete. as observe the Capttafs lnd1s.
nosition to make Governor Cummlns
ma iority Certain"
What the Des Moines Capital, asso-
ciated with the old, standpat, nonpro-
gressiye regime in Iowa politics, does
Mt seem able to comprehend, is thai
the neople themselves have reached q
state Of intelligence where they de-
mand newspaper that can and viii
have some independent thought. PART
d;ctation can be read in campaign tex
hooks In newspapers the readers wan
TO know the precise truth, uncoloret
by partisan prejudice or private con-
Germ. And such newspapers the read
t,rs are going to have, even If they ars
forced to drive the purblind old party
organ out of business.