Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-07-11
THE STATE CONVENTION.
Gov. Cummins Having Refused to Submit
Contest to Arbitration, State Central
Committee Clearly Entitled to
Prepare Temporary Roll
Of Mem bership.

Il
nominee for governor by the repub
! licans of Iowa rests with the decision
as to which of the several contestine
delegations shall be seated by the con-
vention. Last week we printed the
letter of Mr.. Perkins to the various
candidates proposing the submission OF
the contests to the national republican
committee for arbitration Gov.
Cummins has refused to consent to
this arrangement. In reply the Perkins
headquarters at Des Moines has
issued the following statement:
To the Republicans of Iowa.
All the candidates for the republican
nomination for governor have express
ed themselves on the question of the
arbitration by some tribunal prior to
the meeting of the convention, of the
various contests in regard to delegates.
The proposition came from Hon.
Geo. d. Perkins in the shape of a
frank, manly letter to his associate
candidates suggesting that the matter
of contested delegations and methods
of procedure under the temporary or
ganization of the convention, be re-
ferred to a committee selected from
the membership of the national re-
publican committee.
Capt. S. w. Rathbun of Marion
answered Immediately by telegram
stating that he was ready to do any
thing to protect the unity and inter.
CITY of the party. Lieut.. Gov. Her
riott wrote that he favored the plan
suggested by Mr.. Perkins though he
would prefer that the matter be ar
bitrated by our own people. Gov.
Cummins' answer to the Perkins letter
is document devoted largely to the
statement that he claimed to have at
least so votes more than majority of
the convention and saw no reason for
arbitration. He disposes of the con-
test in Scott, Delaware, Carroll and
Audubon and the suggestion that the
unwarranted violation of the Polk
county primary law in delegating to
the governor the right to select his
own delegates, be rebuked, with a
wave of the hand as though none of
them were worth moments consider
alton. He further intimates that the
contests brought on behalf of Mr.. Per-
kins are all "fakes,' or "sham con-
tests" and he by inference claims to
have title deed to the republican
party and a mortgage on the next re-
pulican convention when he illustrated
his idea in opposition to arbitration by
saying, "if should enter your news
paper establishment, demand it's poses
sion, and then suggest that inasmuch
as the controversy might lead to
trouble we should arbitrate, what
would be your answer"
In brief the governor declares that
there is nothing to arbitrate because
all the contests brought in behalf of
Mr.. Perkins are fakes and all the con-
tests brought in behalf of the governor
are so we'll founded that the conven-
tion will require only a simple state
ment of them in order to vote the
Cummins contesting delegations in
without serious debate.
This is but an echo of the governor S
proceeding five years ago. He secured
his first nomination as the result of
contests and these contesting delega.
tions were voted into the convention
arbitrarily and without any consid-
GRAFTON of the facts. The governors S
letter plainly indicates that he expects
to attempt the same policy at the
coming convention.
OF late much has been said concern
ing the rights and powers of the state
central committee and to determine
them the following statement should
be given careful consideration by all
parties in interest:
<tt tIC ICpuOliOoi StotC
held in Sioux City June 2, 1890, a
set of rules and regulations were
adopted for the government of the
state central committee These
rules define the powers and prescribe
the duties of such committee and in
Section thereof, state as follows:
"The state central committee hereby
is declared to be a permanent political
body to be continued from year to
year, and reorganized biennally as
hereinbefore provided and shall have
immediate charge and full control OF
the political affairs of the republican
party in the state, etc. ETC."
Further on in the rules, Section 23
provides that the central committee
shall have charge of the preparation
for the state convention, shall select
the place and time, fix the basis OF
representation and apportion the num-
Der of delegates to each county, and,
"Shall make all necessary arrange