The Washington times., 1908-10-13
CANDIDATES FOR SENATE
AFRAID TO MENTION 1T
Iowa Candidates Forced to Evade Issue to Save the
National Ticket From Defeat Through
fractional War.
IOWA LETTER No. a-By IOHN sNuRF.

DIES MONIES, Iowa, Oct. 12.-Think
Of two men running for the United
States Senate and neither one of them
in a position where he dares open his
mouth about it.
This Is the unique situation presented
I'm Iowa today. where the struggle to
capture the shoes Of William Boyd Al
lison, who died the past summer, has
been going on ever since the word was
flashed that the venerable statesman
had been gathered to his fathers.
Gov. A. B. Cummins, the leader OF the
progressive faction. and Major John +.
Lacey. long member of the House from
the Sixth Iowa district, and chairman
Of the Committee on Public Lands. are
the contestants for the Office on the
Republican side. Claude r. Porter, ex-
member Of the State senate, and the
candidate for governor against Cum
minis two years ago. is the nominee
OF the Democratic primaries TO succeed
Allison
Senator Allison, IN a hard and ran
coroUs fight. won out in the primaries
OF last June and defeated Cummins by
a narrow tie. But his death made the
action In the primaries at that time OF
no effect. 50 far as the Republicans were
concerned, and recently a special ses-
sion Of the Legislature. called by Gov
ernor Cummins, enacted a special prim-
airy law whereby the Republican voters
will express their wishes as to the Sen
atorship at the time Of the regular
election in November.
Feared Disaster.
Realizing that. if the Senatorial con-
test became as heated and Incorporate
as the Allison-Cummins struggle Of last
spring, the State would probably be
pitched headlong into the Democratic
column, the leaders Of the two Repub-
hcan factions, at the recess OF the spe-
cial legislative session, entered into
truce Of a limited sort. The effect of
Il is 20 prevent Cummins and Lacey
from discussing the Senatorship on the
stump, 10 keep the chief Republican
speakers in either faction from talking
the SenatOrship In their public speeches,
and TO quiet the leading Republican
newspapers Of the State TO a large de-
gree. Cummins and Lacey viii stump
the State for the Republican State com
mittee. Each will talk Republicanism
from his standpoint and viii urge the
election of the Republican national and
State tickets. Other prominent speakers
on the Republican side will do the same
though some Of them have told the
on the stump they Will speak on he
SenatOrship- II the committee can pre-
vent II, gentlemen Of this state Of mind
viii not be employed. At the same
time. the Cummins forces and the
Lacey forces are quietly organizing for
the primaries. Cummins Headquarters
and Lacey headquarters have been
opened in Des NOines. literature Is be-
ing sent out and the strength of each
faction in every precinct in Iowa is be-
ing mustered.
Fear Cummins Bolt.
One phase Of the situation that is
making this Senatorial struggle the
more intense and acrimonious under
the surface is the feeling Of the Cum
Minis men that even If they carry the
primaries, should the vote be close. the
anti-Cummins men in the legislature
viii refuse 20 be bound, and will bolt
when it comes time to vote for Cum
minis in the legislature This feeling
arises from what happened when the
Legislature was called in special ses-
sion When Senator Allison died. Gov
ernOr CumminS did not choose to ap-
point a successor, but ConvOked the
General Assembly 10 pass a special pri-
mary law that would allow the Repub-
lCan voters to express themselves on
the SenatorShip In the regular cleo
ton. When this session met, the SUP
pOrJers of Governor Cummins tried 10
elect Senator TO succeed Allison. This
angered the standpatters. and their
forces in the Legislature bOlted the