Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-04
THE HISTORY OF THE FACTIONS.


ent recalls in his letter today politi-
cal lineup of eleven years ago which
| is significant indeed in view of the is
sues which have divided the republic
can party since then. 1t was in the
winter of 1867 that the famous board
of control bill became sensational in
the legislature. 1t was designed to
clean out a nest of political corrup-
ton by the substitution of a business
commission for the various boards OF
politicians then in control of our state
institutions. The effect promised was
to remove from the political machine
the hundreds Of Jobs on the institution
paw rolls and as might have been ex-
pected was fought by the ablest rep
resentatives the old machine had IN
the legislature.
Then men like Trewin, and Harri-
man and Dave Palmer and Carroll OPP
posed the board of control reform and
men like Funk and Garst and Healy
| and Cheshire and Gilbertson forced 1t
thru. The former have remained
steadfast enemies of the so-called
Cummins faction and the latter are all
Cummins men.
Again there was the Temple amend
ment. a bill in which the railroad COM
panies wanted one thing and the
rights and interests of the employees
demanded another. Trewin and Pal
mer and Carroll fought for the rail-
roads against the Temple amendment
and Garst and Funk and Healy and
Cheshire and Gilbertson fought for the
employes. This time the Cummins
men-to-be lost in the legislature but
then came Cummins, private citizen
and railway attorney, to their rescue
as 9. delegate in a republican state
convention fighting for a plank in the
platform endorsing the Temple amend
ment and the same crowd opposing 1t
as before. The amendment won and
subsequent legislature obeyed orders.
Here Mr.. Trewin's vote was recorded
for It. for which he will now claim
popularity.
Following this issue came that Of
raising the assessment of railroad
property for taxation. Cummins had
run for senator against Gear without
success, but had built up a following.
He threw his strength into a conven-
ton for Gilbertson and Martin for
state treasurer and secretary of state.
They were nominated and elected and
voted on the executive council to
raise railroad assessments but Cover
nor Shaw and the notorious Auditor
Merriam voted no. The result was a
tie.
Then Cummins ran for governor.
Trewin opposed him. Blythe and Hub
bard, the railroad bosses and their
Machiatelian Ed Hunter were for
elected and the railroads now pay
100000 per annum more taxes than
they did. Funk and Garst and Healy
and Cheshire and Gilbertson were for
Cummins.
Then came rate regulation at Wash
ington. The Molsberry bill and its veto
at Des Moines. The two cent fare law.
The anti-pass law. The law prohibit
ing railroads contributing to campaign
funds. The law preventing watered
stock. The statewide primary law. In
all these reforms Garst and Funk and
Gilbertson and Healy and Cheshire
have been for Cummins andCummins
for the right in reform. Talk about per-
sonal ambition! No man who can
read eleven years of political history
in Iowa can fail to trace the same men
on the same sides of the same kind of
issues back to the years when Cum
MINIS was unknown as the leader. To-
United States senate and Garst is a
candidate for governor. Gilbertson is
managing their campaign. Trewin is
a candidate for congress and a leader
In his district organization which
seeks to beat Cummins and Garst.
Blythe and the notorious Ed Hunter
are for Trewin and against Cummins
and Garst. The record is as clear as
bell and so are the issues.