Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-09-15
IOWA REPUBLICAN HARMONY,
Standpatters Demand the Elimin-
alton of Cummins and the Pro-
gressives Threaten State
and Legislative
Nominees

lowing statement of their attitude
toward the senatorship and the gov
ernor for publication. 1t was signed
and was received through the mails.
After reviewing the call by Chairman
FRANKIE for the ''peace conference, Z"
and briefly the plan proposed to the
conference by Senator Dolliver and
Congressman Smith for amendment of
the primary law to allow popular
vote to be taken upon candidate for
the senatorship the statement proceeds
as follows:
1t was assumed by many who have
watched Gov. Cummins' career since
he first entered political life as bolt
ing -Silver-D Democratic opulistic
candidate for the legislature from Polk
county, that his open declaration of
party principles and of political prom
Uses were, as rule, uttered in Pick
wickian sense, subject to withdrawal
or modification in accordance with his
personal interest. This disposition of
the Governor was exempliiied to the
knowledge of the people of the state
of Iowa in the so-called Torbert letter
incident. 1t therefore occasioned no
surprise to those familiar with Cover
nor Cummins' character and record to
note an utter failure on the part of his
personal representatives to prepare
| and submit to the general assembly a
bill for the amendment of the primary
law in accordance with the declaration
of the conference and the unanimous
desires of all factions of the party. 1t
was we'll known that such measure
would exclude from Governor Cummins
the support of great army of monde
scripts, populists and democrats, and
would imperil his election to the United
States senate.
Senator Durham of Delaware county
with the concurrence of his standpat
friends in the house and senate, real
izing that neither the governor nor his
friends proposed to redeem these prom
Uses, prepared and introduced bill in
tended to carry into effect the will of
the republican conference. No sooner
was this bill introduced than his will
ing and facile tool, Attorney General
Byers, invoked, as is his unvarying
custom, the constitution as a bar to
this honest and honorable election
measure, and, under instructions from
the governor, his other personal repre-
sentatives proceeded with the prepare
ton of primary bill which would ac-
commodate the 80, 600 democrats, popu-
lists, socialists and other nondescripts
who were DESTROYS of interfering with
the republican party by participating
in the primary and foisting on the
party candidate for senator whom il
did not desire.
| So much for the first act of perfdy
And now for the second whereby the
governor committed himself to q
course, which for all time to come, will
sink him in the esteem of thousands OF
his former friends who have not be.
lieved him bereft Of political honor.
The call for the extra session of the
general assembly contained no mention
of the election of United States sena-
tor, but was based upon the assump.
ton that the issues involved in such az
election were so momentous in theil
effect on the interests of the people Of
the United States that the people Of
Iowa should be given an opportunity
through the amended primary law, tt
instruct the legislature in such selec
ton.
AS heretofore stated, instead of pro
, ceeding to carry out the purposes Of
the call, the governor Immediately
commenced manipulations to force the
legislature to elect him to the short
term as United States senator. The
governor was at once charged with {
breach of trust and thousands Of
voters throughout the state protested
against this violation of his plightec
honor.
A caucus of republicans was called
to nominate candidate for senator
for the short term. Forty-eight re-
publicans whose allegiance to the
party and its principles has never beer
questioned, who have never accepted
nominations as boilers, from demo
Gratis and populists, who have never
gone upon the stump to advocate The
election of democratic candidates fol
governor and members of the legisla
ture, refused to be party to this
scheme of the governor and declined t,
participate in the caucus in the slight
est degree. These ty-eight men de
serve credit. They have the courag.
and the principle to vindicate repub
lican honor and it is believed that theil
political friends will indorse thei
actions and give them credit for thei
. patriotism. The developments of tn,
past two weeks have demonstrate,
that Governor Cummins is source O
trouble to the republican party, tina
: harmony in its ranks and It's continue
ascendency can only be secured by hi
= elimination from public life. His con
. tinual persistence in the policy he i
now following will lead to the over
throw of the republican party. |
Governor Cummins will withdraw fror
the contest and permit of free es