Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-08-04
LOCAL COMMENT

The situation which caused a solid
delegation of twenty two republicans
from this county to repudiate one OF
their fellow townsmen seeking re-elec-
ton as member of the partys state
central committee is one that de-
mands explanation. The protest was
not against the mans personal char
acter, but rather Reputation of his
political conduct He had first been
elected to that position as Cumnlins
man opposed to railroad influence in
politics. Since holding the office he
had repeatedly voted for and with the
railroad crowd. Marshall county's del
egates to the convention could see
that notorious railroad lobbyist, Ed.
Hunter. backed by a coterie of rail-
road attorneys, had framed up plan
to steal the convention by getting the
state central committee to unseat
enough Cummins delegates to reduce
the Cummins majority. Without the
servility of such men on the commit.
tee as Estabrook fraud like this
would have been impossible.
r.
The Linn county delegation had held
a caucus Tuesday afternoon and voted
to support Estabrook because 1.-The
friends of Mr. Rathbun in the east end
of the district had asked it." Easta-
brook voted on the committee to throw
out of the convention the Cummins
delegations from Dallas and Audubon
counties and to seat the Perkins dele
gates wherever there were any Per-
kins delegates asking to be seated,
viz, in Wapello, Jasper and Jefferson
counties. Under all former presidents
these three counties should have been
set aside and neither one delegation
nor the other seated until credentials
committee of the convention had
passed on their cases and reported to
the convention, but the Hunter plan
was carried out to seat the railroad
delegates. In Dallas and Audubon
there was no other delegation present
asking to be seated, and no resident Of
either county protesting. The repub-
lican speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives headed the regular Cunmins
delegation from Dallas and carried
copies of standpat newspapers from his
county which had admitted his delega-
ton to have been regularly named.
The only man who appeared to pro-
yer from Sioux City, in another coun-
ty, and he admitted ON cross examin
alton that he had paid money for his
affidavits but Estabrook and the other
railroad members Of the committee vot-
ed to throw out Speaker Clarke's dele
cation.
This was late Tuesday night. The
convention would convene on Wednes-
day. So ashamed of their work were
they that Chairman Spence, of the
committee, claimed that a mistake had
been made in the vote and in the pres
ence of witnesses he promised Speaker
Clarke that he would reconvene the
committee in the morning and REIN
state the Cummins delegates frora
Dallas county. Estabrook told the
same story to another committeeman.
In the meantime another and last Of
fer of compromise came from Mr..
Blythe to the Cummins headquarters.
Had the Cummins men yielded then
under the threat of the committees
action they would have been lost.
The morrow came. Speaker Clarke
demanded the promised reconsidera-
ton and reinstatement of his dele
gates, but Chairman Spence refused
Eastabrook refused. Spence faltered
and stammered in his explanation and