Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-07
Standpat Control of Greene
County Explained By Local
Resident
BOILERS DIsRuPTlNe THE PARTY
Proaressives Laid Down to Save the
County Offices and Representative
Paul stiIlman-Antis Turn Down
Taft, Repudiate Primary Law and
Two Cent Fare and Senator Garst.
Special to rimes-Republican.


Of a special travelling representative
from the Times Republican office tn
following account of the true politica
situation in this county has been pre-
pared by resident who is fully con
yersant with our politics. The pro
gressives constitute nearly two-third
of our republicans but because OF thu
boiling of standpatters they have beef
forced to lie down on this delegate
convention in order to save the part.
ticket at the polls.
His account follows:
the query What has caused the pro
gressive slump in Greene-the breal
in the solid Tenth" There has beer
no progressive slump" in Greene
county, altho the county will be mis-
represented in the republican state
convention of March is by a delega-
ton of radical standpatters. Some OF
the reasons for this humiliating stu
alton are as 1OllOWS:
From the very hour that the re-
publican party divided itself into cor
poration and anti-corporation factions
Greene county republicans took theil
stand with the progressives. Its in
terests are entirely agricultural, and
such action was in harmony with hu-
man nature. So overwhelming was
this sentiment that all the county Of
fees were filled with progressives-no
because Of fractional victory, but be-
cause Of the fact that standpatters did
not offer themselves as candidates fol-
county offices and emoluments =
realizing that they were out of line
with the sentiment of a vast majority
of the republicans of the county. This
situation exists today. Progressives
fill the county offices and progressives
are the candidates announced. the
standpat faction contenting itself with
the postoffices and every federal APP
pointment which has come to the coun-
ty in the last ten years.
In the campaign of 1906 bitterness
was engendered between the republic
can factions in this county which
seemingly, like Tennyson's brook, goes
on forever. There was no contest in
the county convention, the progress
ives controlling it almost unanimous
ly. Immediately following the con-
vention the standpatters declared that
they had been robbed and defrauded,
and papers were circulated among re-
publicans, and their signature re-
quested to a pledge to vote for Porter
and Denison. About seventy-five of
the 300 republicans in Scranton town
ship, which is one of the standpat
strongholds Of the county, were In
duced to sign this pledge. They boast
that they lined up in the election with
out a break in their ranks, and the
result of this standpat alliance with
democracy was that this township was
carried for Governor Cummins by a
majority Of only thirty-four.
Patton township was even more dis
tracted, returning q large democratic
majority, and the county, which in a
presidential year has considered 1900
about a normal majority, and in an
off year. such as 1906, has refused to
be content with less than $780, gave
Cummins a majority of 243. In this
campaign, with loyal republicans
straining every nerve for the success
Of republican principles, pandemoniu1n
reigned all along the line, and for the
first time in quarter of a century
the democrats broke into the court
house. capturing two of the county
offices. Representative Paul e. Still
man pulled thru with a measly ma
jority Of twenty-eight.
This year the same situation exists
and the bitterness Is perhaps fntensi-
fled. The progressives are in posses
sion of the county offices and are can
didates for the same. They believe
that it is essential to elect a republic
can member of the legislature. They
believe that republicans should be
elected to the county offices. Some of
them, in fact, are very anxious for the
jobs. Some twenty candidates with
varying hopes of success are scattered
over the nineteen voting precincts Of
the county. They almost unanimously
for peace in the caucuses to
select delegations to the recent county
This counsel had weight
with their political friends, but found
no response from the standpatters,
who seemingly are bent upon exter-
mination. The standpatters argue that
they have nothing to lose and the world
to gain. They are not concerned about
the county offices, the fate of the two
cent fare law is not worrying them, a
democratic United States senator looks
good to them as compared to Cum
Minis. The party whip has no terrors
for them, and party loyalty finds no
place in their vocabulary.
In the light of these conditions tho
decided to make no fight
In any precinct in the county for the
control of the recent convention, feel
ing that they could stand the disgrace
Of a Greene county delegation in the
as delegate at large to the national
if it would lead to a better.
feeling locally. and as result the
in every precinct where
here We're enough of them to make a |
delegation We're permitted to name the |
delegations without opposition, and the |
'esult was a convention composed of |
SC standpatters and &c progressives. I
The result of this convention. so far |
as the internal affairs of Greene coun- |
" is concerned. has vindicated the !
Judgment of the progressives who
laying down" as a Greene
county convention which gives equivo-
al endorsement to President Roosevelt, |
rotes down a resolution endorsing
Secretary Taft. 1t declares that the |
present administration Of our state is
Il defeats 4 resolution J