Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-06

This leaves the majority Of the
progressives in the state convention
about i16, but there are other coun-
ties to hold conventions that will
change, and If sixty more delegates
change it will leave the standpatters
and the progressives about tie in
the state convention. Good, vigor-
Gus political work on the part of the
progressives in the counties yet to
hold conventions and the state con-
vention will be progressive. If there
is not vigorous work the standpatters
will control the convention. Thus far
there has been no work on the part
of the progressives. They have given
the standpatters a chance to show
consistency in their claims that they
wish to avoid division in the party.
The standpatters have shown incon-
sistency and have made a fight in
progressive counties and have carried
factionalism into a campaign that
concerns only presidential matters.
While it is entirely possible that
the progressives over the state may
wake up this week and next and carry
their counties for the Roosevelt poll
cies, it is more than possible that the
standpatters will control the state
convention on March 18. Every poll
tician in the state knows that Greene
county has an overwhelming major
ity Of progressives. The same thing
is true of Poweshiek county and yet
both of these counties have gone
standpat. The explanation is simple.
The standpatters are pastmasters at
the work of carrying counties by the
caucus and convention system. They
are maintaining state organization
Ca machine) and are getting every
county they can by means of political
activity. The progressives are maintain
ing no state organization to offset
their efforts and local politicians in
the various counties on the .protesta-
tions Of the standpatters for peace
and harmony make no fight and wake
up the next morning after their cau-
cuses are held to discover that their
county has gone standpat
Progressive leaders are not at all
surprised at the trend of events. They
expected it. They would like to have
seen the state show it's sentiment for
Roosevelt by sending a strong major
vention. They would have liked this
Furthermore because the delegates to
the national convention select the next
national committeeman and the pro-
gressives would have liked to have the
state represented on the national COM
mittee by some one representing the
sentiment of the majority of the peo-
pie for Roosevelt. Ernest Hart, the
present national committeeman is ask
ing for reelection. He is a stand
patter of the reactionary type.
There is not a bit Of doubt but that
Iowa is overwhelmingly progressive
and for Roosevelt and yet there is
grave danger that during the next two
weeks enough counties will go stand
pat to make the state convention Of
that complexion. If this does take
place the word will go out to the east
ern press that Iowa has gone standpat
and it is probable that the state con-
yention will endorse Allison.
The effect of such action on the pri-
maries to be held June . will probably
be very slight 1t will show to Iowa
people who see politics at close range
nothing but what they have already
known for years that the results of
caucuses and conventions more often
reflect the sentiment of the minority
than the majority. that except in cam
paigns where the people are thoroughly
aroused they represent the sentiment
of the professionals and the corporate