Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-01
WINGS Of BLYTHE
NOT YET CLIPPED
Progressive Victory on Tuesday
Will Be Step Only in killing
Off Corporate Influence
sLYrHElsM is STILL THE ISSUE
Railroad Interests Working in Demo-
cratic as WelI as Republican Party
-spoils System Is Strength Of Ma
ehine-Money Being WronsfuIly
Used in Present Campaign.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, June 1.-If the progress
sive candidates are successful at the
republican primaries tomorrow, mile
stone will have been marked in the
progress Of the campaign to clean up
politics in Iowa, but the battle will
not have been won for all time. There
Is an election following and innum-
cradle primaries and elections follow
ing that 1t has been customary every
time the progressives have made a
decided telling hit against railroad
domination in Iowa to claim that
blythe Is now down ond out" When
the legislature at one session passed
the primary law, the anti-pass law
and the Peterson bill, there was es-
pecial cause for rejoicing. The rail-
set the pass. They were prohibited
from spending large sums of money
and the selection Of party nominees
was put on the Australian ballot prin-
ciple, where man can vote his con-
victions without his employer stand
ing over him with club to see how
he votes. 1t was the biggest ten
strike the progressives have yet made
but Blythe and Ed Hunter and the
railroads are still in the fight.
Before Governor Cummins ever held
any public office or probably thought
of doing so there was a progressive
fight in Iowa. The fight in fact was
here before he came to the state. When
Providence put Governor Cummins in
the lead it was one of the best ten
strikes the progressives have ever
had. Any careful student of the af-
fairs of Iowa soon arrives at the
conclusion that the fight now going on
is not in any material way different
customary to hear persons say and
say in all sincerity and honesty that
they hope to see the day when there
will be no factional alignments in the
parties. That day will not arrive one
minute before the millennium. The abb
sence of factional alignment is ex-
actly what the corporations wish. They
wish to see everyone meekly come in
undez the corporation yoke. Absence
of factional alignment exists only
where there is absence of difference OF
opinion. Such a condition was never
known to exist.
What the Progressives Are Fighting.
The differences in opinion between
the standpatters of the republican
party in Iowa and the progressives is
not difficult to find. When Smith
Brookhart, the talented attorney of
Washington, Iowa, made his address
in the present campaign and told of
Blythe's influence to get him to join
the Blythe ranks, and showed him the
letters from various congressman ask
ing If various persons would be sat-
isfactory to Blythe for postmaster ap-
pointments and the letter from one
member of the Iowa delegation asking
if a certain person would be salts
factory to Blythe for appointment for
district federal judge in Iowa. there
was disclosed the thing that the pro-
gressives are chiefly fighting against.
All the same time it was an eye op-
ener to politicians of this day. In
times gone by it was known that
R1ythe ruled Iowa." but many had
supposed that legislation Of recent
years had clipped his wings. Prob
ably his wings were clipped somewhat
as to appointment of state officers
but here is evidence that within not
many months he has been consulted by
members of the Iowa delegation in
Washington as to minor postmaster
and important federal appointments.
"Interests" at Work in All Parties.
This is at the bottom of the COR
ruption of politics not only in Iowa
but in all states. And the railroads
are cut enough to see to it that not
all their friends get into one political
party. They know that human nature
will result so that their enemies will
not all get into one party. Blythe rules
in the republican party for the Bur
lington. Baldwin rules in the demo-
cratic party for the Burlington.
This railroad influence centers about
the old idea in politics that politics
exists for a division of the offices.
In the first days of the country be-
fore the railroads entered and corrupt
ing influences We're unknown. the di-
vision of the official positions was
matter of friendly rivalry in the
smaller communities. There still re-
main persons of influence who hold
the old idea that county must sup
port it's own candidates no matter who
he is or what he thinks so long as the
man has never been caught in any
immoral act. His opinions may be
ever so much at variance with the ma
iority of the people of the county as
to important political matters, but he
must BE supported. as he lives in the
and the other man lives out
Of it, This old idea is a big asset of
the corporation domination in politics.
Standpat Threat to Bolt
On Dec 2s. 1905. the Des Moines
Daily Capital published an editorial
in which 1t predicted bolt from the
republican party. The vinton Eagle