Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-14
Democratic Conventions,

Democratic Conventions.
Des Moines.-The democratic state
central committee on the 7th decided
to call two conventions, to hold the
first at Cedar Rapids on March 26
and the second at Sioux City on July
2, and to fix a ratio of representation
in the conventions which will give
the counties about LOO delegates.
Des Moines was candidate for one
of the conventions. but received only
three votes-Miller of the First dis
trict, Price of the Seventh and Nc
Ginty of the Eight.
Mr.. Miller, the chairman of the
committee, freely criticized Des
Moines to members of the business
mems committee asking him to give
this city one of the conventions. He
objected to the way the newspapers
had treated him and the committee.
Claude R. Porter of Centerville, late
democratic candidate for governor,
was selected for temporary chairman
of the first convention. Tim G. Clary
of New Hampton, representative from
Chickasaw county, was chosen for
temporary chairman of the second
convention.
The representation in the conven.
ton was fixed as formerly, except In
1906, by giving each county two dele.
gates at large and one delegate for
each 200 votes and majority fraction
thereof cast for Claude r. Porter for
governor.
While the republicans had warm
contest over the basis for representa-
ton the democrats had no trouble,
whatever, choosing the vote of Mr..
Porter as the basis. He received
about 10000, votes, SO that it is
figured that the democratic conven-
lions will have from 1000 to. 1900
delegates. Chairman Miller has not
yet figured out the ratio but will do
so when he returns to his home.
The committee voted to recommend
Harry Nash, of Perry, as assistant
secretary of the national convention
s. w. Mercer. of Iowa City, and J. F.
McGfnty of Knowlton as doorkeepers
and S. A. Douglas of Adel as spe.
cial officer for that great gathering in
Denver, July Z.
The committee, as Its Introduction
to the business of the meeting,
i oOSpIC0 rIu0 Usual ISSOlullOu luUOIS'
ing Mr.. Bryan. 1t was offered by
district and was adopted without dis.
sent. 1t was then wired to Mr..
Bryan. It's text follows:
Believing that the Waterloo con.
vention correctly reflected the seHti.
ment of the Iowa democracy by unani.
mously indorsing William j. Bryan
II IN hn
cratic state central committee of Iowa
hereby unqualifiedly re-indorse the
great Nebraskan for the same high
and honorable Office"
Primary Ballot Problems Puzzle.
The state authorities are up against
an interesting problem with respect
to the primary ballot
State Chairman Miller has called
their attention to the fact that II the
same size type is used which is used
in the Australian ballot the ballot is
likely to be so big that it cannot be
printed on the ordinary county seat
printing presses.
Section 6 of the primary election
law provides that "the Australian
ballot system as now used in this
state, except as hereinafter provided
shall be used at said primary election
in all precincts" This, it was thought
left the authorities no discretion but
tthat the law as to form and style Of
ballot, and all the other provisions
of the ballot law not specifically
changed by the primary act, must BIZ
adopted.
Mr.. Miller suggested that the ballo,
be condensed by the use Of smaller
type and smaller squares before the
names and that the number Of col
umns be increased from three tt
whatever number is required to make
the ballot shapely. It had been the
plan of the authorities to have ballot
of three columns in width, the first
being devoted to the state and cleo
toral ticket, the second to the county
and the third to the township tickets
Mr.. Miller proposed that the ballot be
made as shapely as possible and that
the offices and names be run along
without artificial division into col
umns, but from one to the other just
as a newspaper article runs, without q
special heading on the second, third
fourth and other columns.
Temperance Workers Seek Pledges.
AS the first step in the big temper
ance campaign which has Just beer
started, steering committees are beins
appointed in the various counties tt
look after the work. It will be the
duty of the steering committees tc
see that their representatives and sen
ators pledge themselves to support the
re-submission Of the constitutions
amendment. The ministers of the var
ious counties are being called to meet
in the county seat where the steering
committee is elected. Cass, Floyd anl
Louisa counties have been organized
Next week Supt Barber of the Anti
Saloon league expects to go into Clay
ton county, where he will labor ter
days organizing the temperance
forces.
Typhoid Fever Among Poor.
| Typhoid fever in its most seriou!
form has broken out among the ex
tremely poor of the city and particu
larry among those who live in tn,
river bottoms or near the city dunn,
heaps. Physicians attribute the caus,
to the freezing and thawing of TIL,
refuse thrown on these dumps. s,
prevalent has this disease becom,
y, I, 80