Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-03
POLITICS AT DEs MONIES.

E
four hours have made it certain that
the Iowa legislature will elect Cover
nor Cumsnins senator to fill the va
cancy caused by the death of Senator
Allison but, strange to stay, this eec-
tion may never make Cummins seria-
tor. In actual political effect 1t wall
amount to little more than a vote of
confidence and endorsement by his
friends, who constitute a majority OF
the republican members of the legis-
lature. Non1inally this election Is for
the unexpired term only, lasting until
next March, and beginning In Decean-
Der. The regular term of six years
will be elected by the next legislature,
which convenes in January and the
present legislature Is trying to provide
a special senatorial primary on general
election day in November which shall
determine by republican votes Whoif'
the next legislature shall elect. The re-
suit of this senatorial primary ch9hce
will be known on the day after election
which is almost a month before ton-
gress convenes at Washington and
while Governor Cummins will have
been elected to the unexpired Term, he
is such q man as would nevet seek to
sit in the senate If he fails to- carry the
primary. He would. in all probability
resign before seated and permit an
acting governor to appoint to the un-
expired term the man whom the re-
publicans had nominated in their pri-
mary.
And so It is that in the circnm-
locutions of the law this legislature
will have elected a senator and yet the
man who will actually be seated and
serve both the unexpired term and the
new term will be chosen by the direct
vote Of all republicans at a special pri-
mary in November. The people will, in
effect, elect to both terms.
Inconslusive as this election is thus
made it was not arrived at without
perturbation Under the law 1t became
the unquestioned duty OF this leg4sla-
ture to elect. Because there was q fac
ton OF republicans unfriendly to Cum
minis which preferred delay and even
adjournment to some definite date IN
order to postpone the election of Cum
Minis, the democrats We're seized with
unbounGed zeal for. the legislature to
perform its duty as prescribed by Law.
They forced the issue and those repub-
licans friendly to Cummins then be-
3lieved that failure on their part to do
a legislative duty as demanded by the
democrats and prescribed by law,
would be construed as lack of loyalty
to their candidate. The vote was to
obey the law.
But even then 1t was not until a
general conference of all Of the COVER
nor's friends had been held at the Saw
cry hotel Wednesday evening that it
was fully decided to elect Cumqnins.
Some of his best friends believed that
the governors candidacy in the. pri-l
mary for the regular term would he
embarrassed rather than assisted by
his election now. They were in the
minority, however, and submitted to
the majority. Their most eloquent
spokesman was Speaker Kendall, can
5didate for cnogress in the Sixth dis
trict who firmly believed that the cleo
tion was unnecessary to Cummills and
exceedingly dangerous to other repub-
;aican candidates., including his; own,
by. reason of the fractional strife which
it might stir up He made stiff fight
for what he believed to be the wiser
course but, when 1t became apparent
that he was very much in the minority.
he arose in the conference to state his
views and to add that since he had
long been a Cummins man he had no
desire to change his spots or to stul-
lily himself and that if he was OUT
voted in the conference he would go
with his crowd. 1t was a manly and
even courageous statement of what he
believed to be both wise and unWise
with gracious acceptance of the will
of the majority Nate Kendall showed
his desire for party harmony but Nate
Kendall is no trimmer.
The vote was practically unanimous
to elect Cunl,nins on the ground that
any other course would subject the
governor TO the charge phat he had
been deserted in sthe house Of his
friends, had ynot been endorsed for sem
ator when his friends had che votes
with Which, to endorse him.
The effect is not going to be what
many have feared. The election OF
Cumnlins by this legislature is just
what the opposing faction and every
body else has expected. The governor
possessed the constitutional power to
convene the legislature and he used
II He has played 2 clean. fair and