Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-14
Looker-On In Iona

l 80
Brooklyn, March 14-One of the Pc
GUITAR features of the present political
struggle in Iowa is the candidacy Of
MI Kerr of Grundy Center for the
office of congressman from the Fifth
district Mr. Kerr enters this cam
paign without following in his home
town county Or district. His friends,
by the very nature Of the political con-
ditions that exist are bound to sup
port Mr.. Good, because, having been
the cause of the Cousins withdrawal
| he had gained the support of those
| opposed to Cousins and because Trew-
in is presented as fractional candidate
! by the anti Cummins faction causing
| the progressives to rally around Good.
| This condition leaves Mr.. Kerr sus-
pended In nid-air. Some have sug-
! gested that Mr.. Kerr was still in the
field for the purpose of dividing the
! vote of the progressives, thus making
a convention possible. and thereby in
creasing the chances of Mr.. TreWin.
| Mr.. Kerr emphatically denies that such
| is the case and wants the public to
| know it.
And in the "shoe- string" district
| that has been we'll represented by
Congressman Birdsall there is yet a
puzzle to be solved. His declina-
ton to again be a candidate was a
genuine surprise to his many friends,
and they are still asking why did he
do it? 1t is almost certainty that
against any candidate. he could have
carried four of the western counties
of the district. Altho these counties
are controlled by the progressives. Mr..
Birdsall seemed to be in accord with
| this wing of the party on rate regu-
| lation, and the matters of state re-
| forms, put into laws at the session
| Of the last legislature. 1t Is mat
| ter OF record that at the state con-
vention where the state central COM
mittee was called upon to endorse the
proposed outrageous actions of the
standpatters. in Jasper, Wapello and
other places, he firmly took a position
for decency and honesty In republic
can politics. So much so that to this
day certain prominent standpatters
have not forgiven him In the face
| Of all this he stepped down and out
and the reason he did SO is given in
some places in Wright county. that
he did so. because Cummins and his
friends were instrumental in solicit
Fling Pickett to enter the field. All of
which is a most improbable story and
| no solution of the mystery. Cong
| ressman Birdsall's friends, that is the
| progressive element of the party, do
| not yet believe that he is coming back
| to Iowa, to stump the state for Ali
son. They reason that Congressman
| Birdsall has nothing to gain. and
everything to lose by such action 1t
| Is true that If he takes such action
| his personal influence may somewhat
| increase the Allison vote, but 1t will
| result in personal antagonism towards
Judge Birdsal. that will make his flu
| ture political life very unpleasant.
one. All this and more was gathered
during a stay OF several days in
Wright, Hardin and Franklin coun-
| ties.
Down here in 1.-THE bloody Sixth they
have had some harmonious harmony.
The Poweshiek county republicans
| made a deal and lived up to 1t. There
| is quite a feeling here that if a re-
publican congressman goes to WASH
ington 1--WE have got to get together"
But Jasper county clicked the fat into
the fire" last Tuesday. All manner Of
charges Of bad faith are made against
the standpatters in their county con-
vention last Tuesday In Mahaska
county the New Sharon crowd sent a
full progressive delegation to the
county convention. and they had it
put all over them. as one fighting re-
publican expressed 1t. There was
harmony there. but of the Lacey
brand. And very suggestive remark
was made here in Grinnell today by
standpatter, one by the way, we'll
posted and not so radical as some. He
said If the present prominent candi-
date for congress from this district is
named, this of course referring to a
republican vote. the standpatters will
knife him, and insure Dan Hamilton's
election. There is no doubt but what
ex- Cons ressman Lacey still has his
war paint on. NO progressive need
apply.
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