The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-07-01
THE HARMONY FEST.


grained love for the grand old party
the scenes of the last state convention
were most distressing. w. S. Hart,
unwarned by the fate of Judge Tow
ner. unwarned by the fate of scores
of ADLER men than he who have over
taxed the patience of gatherings.
rushed headlong where any we'll bred
angel would have feared to tread. He
seemed bent on ascertaining just how
much the Progressives would stand
without getting mad and just how
mad he could make them after they
did get mad.
The Progressives went to the
Waterloo convention as the defeated
faction. Their leader had lost at the
primaries through the selfish am
billions of his self acclaimed man.
ayers. and that defeat had been
rubbed in" at Chicago. when Sena-
tor Dolliver declined the Vice-Pres-
idency rather than to give an OPP
portunity for Gov. Cummins to be
continued in public life. 1t was up
to the stand patters' to be magma
nimous if they wanted harmony of
action at the polls III November.
Mr.. Harris speech was worse than
unwise. A three ear-uld-youngster
should have had better sense. But
what shall we say of the Central
Committee which gave him the OPP
portunity and which must accept the
responsibility for the outrageous
blunder. MIR. Harris speech was in
type before it was delivered Mem
bers of the committee should have had
access to it and it was their bust
ness to censor it. so that it should
not be Objectionable or offensive to
any uf the delegates. There is no
excuse for the committee. Either
they neglected their duty in not ex-
pursating the speech or they were
party to the taunts with which the
progressives were greeted.
Our stand-pat friends profess to be
grieved and shocked that some of the
progressives should have been SO un-
gentlemanly as not to have sat like
lambs while Hart stuck pins into
them. They did submit to the pro-
gress at first but when it became APP
parent that the temporary chairman
was attemting Ito work off an old
ante-rrimary speech on harmony
convention, there were some of the
hot heads who lost control of their
feelings.
You can make man do almost
any fool thing if you mag him long
enough. 1t was the old story OF
Sissy nagging bub. and making faces
at him and sticking her tongue out al
him. until Bub got so mad he just
had to slap her, and then Sis runs te
Mamma and tells how mean Bub is
and Bub gets the licking that would
have done Sis heap of good. but
then. Bub is always to blame.''
We are indeed sorry that a re.
publican state convention was dis.
turbed by such scene, we are sorry
that Dolliver and Birdsall and Lacey
and Cousins were insulted in the
house of their friends. but it is just
as we'll to place the responsibility
where it belongs. and that is with
the state central committee who Sc.
lected such chump for chairman.
and who. having done so. failed tt
censor his remarks.
Bob Healy did the neatest job of
skinning. with the fewest words or
record. 81 shall not make speech, y
quoth Robert. but if did make {
speech, it would not be one that was
offensive to the delegates here
present.
Gov. Cummins made a splendid
harmony speech. He did not sloI
over the way he did when he said he
stood "sauare in the middle of q
platform which he had fought tooth
and toe-1ail, but he did say that le
was ready to abide in good faith the
result of the primary and that he
personally urged all his friends to d.
so. Had the temporary chairman
made some such a speech the conven-
ton would have been truly harmon
ious. AS it was the effect was
spoiled for every one. There is
mighty little harmony In the republi-
can party to-day. Just about as much
as there is when the prize fighters
shakes hands in the middle of the ring
when the umpire calls time. If
Iowa were close state there would
be grave danger that democratic
electors would he chosen. AS it is
Iowa will go republican by 10000.
Carroll and the state officers will be
elected. The legislature will be
republican by a small majority which
will invite boiling and treachery and
democratic senator may perhaps be
chosen.