Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-22
Hull Alienates Des Moines Bus
mess Men From Among His
Political Supporters
THE FIGHT is NOT YET WON
Next Contest in Putting Plan Into
Force Will be to Prevent Poiti-
clans From Gaining Control of the
ommission-Primary Law Will
Control Selection.
snecial to Times. Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. June 22.-It seems to be
pretty generally accepted among poth
his friends and his enemies that the
man who suffered most in the victory
of the commission plan of government
at the special election Thursday was
Congressman ]. A r. Hull. Profess
ing not to take any part in the matter
he worked continually for the defeat
of the commission plan.
The business men of Des MONIES
have been voting for Congressman
Hull for years, regardless of all other
ouestions or considerations because he
was ready to attempt to get anything
for Des Moines There came an op-
portunity to get an army post ana
Hull worked tooth and toe nail for 1t.
There was wanted new postorice
building and Hull got that. Everything
that any business man could think OF
to benefit Des Moines Hull got, down
TO the naming a cruiser after the city.
Business men living up to their rep
utation of being narrow minded and OF
seeing only the interests of business
in everything were for the Des MONIES
commission plan because they saw In
1T A scheme to boost Des Moines Hull
was opposed to the plan and worked
against it. and in the minds of MANY
business men of Des Moines that Is an
objectionable sim Some of them will
still vote for him in the belief that his
election is necessary to keep the army
post going and in the hope that pos
sibly he-oan get it made into hrigaoe
post. Last year Hull estranged many
politicians who hate Cummins by re-
fusing to get out and fight Cummlns
at the sacrifice of his own political lie.
Now he has estranged many Oh the
business men who were his friends.
There is one more chance left for
Hull and that is the election next
spring when the city will select the
first commissioners under the commits
sion plan of government. probably
Congressman Hull would just as soon
he did not have this opportunity to
meet for it means the same difficult
position for him. The booster commit
tee of 80 having successfully conducted
the campaign for the adoption of the
commission idea will now set about 10
see to IT. that the politicians do not
capture the five positions. During the
entire campaign the politicians nave
advanced the argument that under ths
commission plan it will be dead easy
for the ring politicians to capture ana
RIM the entire city. Notwithstanding
the fact that they have thought the
task would be so much easier win a
commission government they nave con-
tinually opposed the commission FORM.
Now that the commission idea mas car
ried there is no question but that they
will get out and make every eHoft
to capture the positions ana
elect men of their own kind for COM
missioners. Hull will have another op-
portunity to line up. The business
men will insist on electing business
men for the five positions. This Will
mean that many if not most or all OF
Hulrs followers in the city hall jobs
will have to move on. The opportuh-
ity to take sides again is one that
Captain Hull will probably not ,rel1sh
any more than he did that on the ques-
tion of the plan itself but undoubtedly
he will be forced into it, If he refuses
to tell his position and then gets out
and uses his influence to elect poll
ticians to the positions, 1t Will un-
doubtedly mean a very severe addl-
tional loss to him politically.
In wears past the Hull machine has
been running on foundation of po-
litical patronage, and he has kept his
friends and followers in that way, the
business men by getting things for
Des Moines, the job seekers by getting
them Jobs. To get jobs it has been
necessary for him to dictate the Sc
lection of mayors and aldermen. Seem
ingly of late years everything has
worked to shake this foundation on
which his elections are based. If he
with the public service corporations OF
Des Moines. cannot select the five COM
missioners next spring, one OF the Dig
gest sources of his political patronage
will be gone. and when the congress
sional primaries come later ne VIII
have estranged both business men and
politicians Of Des Moines, and will
have no particular pun upon tHe juliet
counties of the district.
There is another feature of the next
congressional campaign in the Sew
enth district. and that is that there Will
be no understanding between Hull and
Cummns aa there was last year. HaV-
Ing one big fight on their hands. the
Cummns people were not particularly
anxious to fight Hull and were willing
to allow him 10 get the denomination
without opposition. That was because
under the caucus system 1t was a fight
to get the delegates and the fortunes
of one candidate We're unalterably tied
up with those of another in the same
county The next time it will be on the
primary basis HulPs candidacy for
congress will be an entirely independ-
ent affair as will that OF every other
candidate for every other office. Fur