Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-16
Very Probable That He Will
Be Returned From the Sew
enth District
JUDGE NICHOLS NOT TO RUN
Said No Polk County Man Can Defeat
Hull Except Under Unusual Cir
B cumstances-LikeIy That No Des
Moines Man Will Enter Race-Gos-
sip of tho Politicians.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to TimeS-Republican.
Des Moines. July Congressman
~. A. T. Hull will probably be the
next congressman elected from the
Seventh congressional district. 1t is
early to forecast such a political event
and the word probably here has
great possibilities, but as things stand
in the district now it will be next to
impossible to defeat Hull according
to the best informed politicians, and
according to those least liable to be
prejudiced in Hull's favor.
If Judge Nichols of Dallas county
should take the field (Which he won't)
against Hull, he would probably be the
next congressman. There is a bare
possibility that If Senator Berry or
ex-Speaker Clarke should be candi-
dates one of them might be elected to
congress.
The situation IN Polk county is such
that no local man can defeat Hull ex-
cept under the most favorable circum-
stances conceivable and no local candi-
date will get such circumstances.
Judge Prouty would probably support
Captain Hull in opposition to Dowell
or Coffin and it is very certain that
Dowell and Coffin would both support
Hull in opposition to Prouty. If all
three should enter the race they would
divide the county and Captain Hull
would get more than any Of them, and
easily 80 per cent of Polk county vote
Outside of Polk county not local
candidate would get any particular
vote. Hull would easily have the lead.
Prouty would probably get more votes
out in the district than Coffin or Dow
ell, and especially in Story county,
where there have been many Prouly
men in the past.
If all three of these men come out in
opposition to Captain Hull in Polk it
is claimed that it would be just the
time for some outside candidate to
get into the field, which is probably
true. but there isn't any outside can
didate to get into the field. Judge
Nichols is probably the strongest can
didate for the reason that he is dis
trict judge in district that takes in
all the counties of the Seventh con-
gressional district, except Story and
Polk. In Story the Prouty men would
get out and work for Nichols if Prouty
was not in the race, and in Polk coun-
ty, Nichols could get a small vote even
with the opposition. AS the situation
is being sized up here, Senator War
rem, whose candidacy has been an
nounced, is not being given very much
consideration.
AS to the final results 1t is to be
remembered that the last congressional
vote in the Seventh district was 49,
61T votes for Capt. Hull OF this 8,304,
or over AZ per cent of the total, was in
Polk county. If this is taken as the
strength off the republican party in the
Seventh district 1t can readily be seen
that candidate that is strong in the
good show. Such a candidate is
Judge Nichols. but the information is
that Judge Nichols is not considering
1t or rather has considered and will
not be a candidate. There is on one
else in the district that has the
strength that Judge Nichols possesses
among the counties outside of Polk.
The fact that Nichols will not be a
candidate about settles it according to
the way the politicians size 1t up.
Judge Nichols is not without ambi-
tion to go to congress. Before he
gained place on the district bench
the ambition was quite strong with
him, and was nursed somewhat. Then
came a good opportunity to get a po-
sition on the district bench and he ac-
cepted it. That position has somewhat
cooled his ambition to go to congress.
If he ran for congress he would have
to resign from the district bench and
he is loath to give up a sure thing for
an air castle Then again it is claimed
that while of unquestioned ability the
judge is a little loath to get into the
arduous work of a campaign, such as
would be the campaign for congress
in the Seventh district in 1905
But even Judge Nichols possibility
of nomination hinges on there being Il
big fight in Polk county. There is no
doubt but that the knives are now be-
ing sharpened here and laid up on the
shelf for use in a few months if ANY
body should start anything"