Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-19
Recent Visit Of Former Senator
to Des Noines Caused Political
Guessers to Get Busy
"coNFERENCE"
n ED
N O
Governor cummins Again Declares He
is Not Trying to Dictate as to His
successor-concerted Effort Prob
able to Prevent Anti Republican
Forces From Muddlng Situation.
Special to rnnes-Repuplican.


presence in the city the past few days
of Senator A. b. Funk, of Spirit Lake
there has been slight revival of in
terest in state politics. Those who
would like very much to get the situa-
tion so muddled up that it would re-
quire the skill and diplomacy of Ed
Hunter to straighten things out have
been very busy this week circulating
rumors. and apparently rumor is all
that they have been able to bring to
the surface.
AS u matter of fact Senator Funk
came here to meet the members of the
capitol commission to close up affairs
and present final report. OF course
everyone knows that the commission
concluded its work IL year ago last
July and made full report; but there
was delay in having the mosaics
placed and so the commissioners were
reappointed to enable them to properly
transact the business of making final
settlement with all parties. The secre-
tary to the commission has lived out
side the state for year and the meet
ing was arranged for time that he
could be here.
While here Senator Funk took dinner
with Governor Cummins at his home,
as he has done great many times be-
fore. and 1t is fair to presume that
they talked over various matters. If
a family dinner can be called such
they held political conference, but
they did not meet at the Savery house
of any hotel nor We're they together in
any room with a crowd of newspaper
men hanging around the outside to
catch the conversation thru the key
hole. That story was sent out by the
press bureau for political
effect.
Senator Funk was busy at the state
house most of the time he was here.
Senator Maytag, his brother-in-law,
was up from Newton between trains to
see him. He called upon Auditor Car
roll and they had a long talk. He ac-
tually visited Attorney General Byers
on official business. Dave Brant. the
Second district champion of Porterism,
was close on his train in the state
house and was ushered into the office
as Funk went out. Ex-Treasurer Gill
bertson paused while talking land
trade to greet the Spirit Lake editor.
But Funk didn't say word to any
body about politics.
Simultaneous with the arrival OF
Senator Funk some one started the
"rumor'' ti25t Attorney General Byers
was sur to be a candidate for gov
ernor. But investigation showed that
the attorney general is so serene OF
mind that he plays golf every fine day,
and fine days have been numerous. He
is not in any sense whatever candt-
date for governor and has not been
and will not lift finger in that dl-
rection. Neither is Senator Funk a
candidate. But if there should be call
for either of these men to become a
candidate and any considerable num-
ber of their friends should insist that
they ought to be candidates, the situa-
ton might be different. But that would
only be after a definite announcement
that Lieut. Governor Garst Will not be
a candidate. There has also been a
good deal of talk to the effect that
Auditor Carroll will not be candi-
date against either one of the three
named, but the auditor is not disposed
to make final decision at this time. Ii
he secures the backing which is par
tially promised him and which MS
friends expect for him he will be a
candidate no matter how many others
are in the field.
Some time ago Governor Cummins
was urged to take hand in the mat
ter of the candidate for governor and
pick the man to succeed himself. He
has steadfastly refused to do this. He
has also refused to direct fight in
any congressional district. The COVER
nor has taken the ground that 1t
would not only be unWise but absolute
ly wrong for him to undertake to de-
eide who should be candidate for
governor. He has been so often ac-
cused wrongfully of being dictator
that he has, in the view Of some of
his friends, gone entirely too far in
refusing to take the lead in any move
of probable candidates for office under
the primary. He has indicated repeat
edly that he will not decide which of
his friends shall be a candidate-and
Garst, Funk. Carroll and Byers have
all been among those counted as his
friends.
1t is we'll understood here that the
chief hope of the anti-repnblican
forces is that there will be number
of candidates for each one of the var
ious state offices and that they can
thus force the whole matter of nom1n-
ating the ticket into convention
where they will make as big a muddie
as last year This would bring the
primary system into discredit and en-
able them to name ticket composed
IN part at least OF persons who voted