Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-02
THREE DISTRICTS
Fighting GROUND
Second, Third and Fifth Are the
Balance Of Power in State
Convention Control
SEcoNn NAV RE DIVIDED
SECOND MAY BE DIVIDED
Contest There May Be Avoided for the
Sake of Congressman Dawson-Pro-
sressives Hopeful of Winning in
Third and Fifth - Shaw Still Has
Lightning Rod Up.
Special to T,mes-Republ,can.

Special to Times-Republlcan.
Des Moines, March On the results
of the county conventions in the Sec
ond Third and Fifth congressional
district hangs the question of who WIN
have the majority of the delegates from
the congressional districts to the ma
tional convention. If the progressives
carry the counties to which they are
legitimately entitled they will have a
majority of the delegates to the state
convention This majority will be
good working majority and they will
then select the delegates at large to the
national convention.
But the various congressional dis
tricts select their own delegates, two
from each congressional district. There
is no doubt but the standpatters will
control the selection of the delegates
from the Eighth, Ninth, First and Sixth.
There is equally no doubt but that the
progressives will select the delegates
from the Fourth, Seventh. Tenth and
Eleventh. The Second. Third and
Fifth are debatable ground with
chances about evenly divided. In the
Second, where there is considerable
anxiety to have Congressman Dawson
go back to congress for another term,
it is more than likely that things will
work out for an agreement and DIVISION
whereby one delegate will be progress
siye and the other standpatter.
In the Fifth district Linn county as
usual is somewhat the key to the Sit
uation. If Linn county divides Its dele
CATION as it has done in the past, the
progressives in the district convention
will have trifle of the advantage if
the other counties line up as they have
in the past, and there is every reason
to believe that they will.
In the Third district if the progress
sives carry Wright, Franklin, Hardin,
Butler and Blackhawk, they will have
sixty-four delegates and if the stand
patters carry all the other counties
they will have fifty-three. Two years
ago the progressives carried those
named and also Delaware with ten
more delegates, and that district named
progressive for state committeeman.
County conventions will come fast
and furious during the next ten days.
The state convention will be held two
weeks from Wednesday. The control
of the state convention is the real thing
that is being worked for, because the
state convention selects the four dele
gate-at-large and passes the resolu-
tions and it will probably not be known
till the convention meets and gets
down to business who really controls
it. Both sides have their minds pretty
we'll made up as to who they would
like to have for delegates large and
both wish to control that convention
for the prestige that it will carry dur
ing the state campaign that follows
preceding the June primaries.
Recent indications that some of the
standpatters are not for Taft for pres
ident is not causing much alarm with
the Taft supporters. James G. Berry
hill, one of the most pronounced stand
patters in the state, in an interview
recently, said he was for Hughes. Lafe
Young, in a signed statement in his
paper recently, said that his second
choice was Hughes. There have been
other indications that prominent stand
patters were not enthusiastic for Taft
or else are openly against Taft, but
this sentiment is not widespread
enough to cause the Taft people any
alarm They believe that the rank and
file over the state will support Taft as
their first choice. and are confident the
majority of the state convention will
be of that mind.
In spite of all adverse developments,
friends of Hon. Leslie M. Shaw say
that he is still hoping that the light
ming will strike in his direction. One
prominent republican, who has had
considerable personal correspondence
with Mr.. Shaw this year. said today:
II have heard it suggested that Shaw
thing himself, and so has determined
to play the roll Of disturber. I don't
believe it. Mr. Shaw is still in hopes
that the lightning will strike him. He
and Lafe Young are hopelessly at outs
since Mr.. Young printed the story of
Shaw's correspondence with Tom
Healy and f. p. Woods asking their
support for himself for president.
think Shaw made big mistake in
writing such letters. After he had
that conference with Governor Cum
Minis and Fl. W. Byers the first of jan
uary, he should have announced him.
self as a candidate whether they prom
ised to support him or not. know per-
sonally that they did not promise him
support, but he should have announced
himself as a candidate for president
then, and he would have gotten the
Iowa delegation in spite Of everything
He can not get it now. and he can not
get anything out of this campaign. He
would stand no show for United States
senator even if Allison didn't rum
This statement Is quite character
istic of the attitude that politicians OF