Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-29

1 establish himself in other ways, and
like so. many other men he felt he
could not afford to make fight that
might mean disaster to him.
In 1904, however, after four or five
years OF quiet effort to arouse enough
men to independent action to justify a
declaration of war against machine
rule, he came out into the open, de-
clared himself and began his fight He
met with the usual pressure. A bank
that had for years solicited his busi-
ness suddenly withdrew its credit But
Copeland was ready and resourceful
now; he soon cared for his extensive
business thru another channel. Then
another pressure was brought to bear,
but without result. Mr.. Copeland had
been forewarned OF all that, and he
was forearmed. One of his staunch
friends, a leading manufacturer Of
Burlington, was made to feel the pun
shment OF the machine. He also need
ed large credit at certain seasons of the
year, and thru this need an effort was
made to get him to abandon Copeland.
But this friend was a stubborn Scotch
man, and he announced that he would
stand by Copeland to the limit, and he
did. In spite of all that the machine
could do. Copeland stood firm, and in
1904 he made an aggressive fight for
the control Of the county convention.
Copeland lost this fight, but he
gained new courage and won host of
quiet support from men who were tired
of the old domination and glad of an
opportunity to hold up the hands of
man brave enough to take up the
struggle, Some of these men kept
low, but others came out in the open
in 1906 and that year is memorable In
the annals of Des Moines county poll
tics for the first real battle ever waged
against Blythe. Even Copeland him.
self was surprised by the strength
which rallied to support him. He lost
this fight again, but he came out of 1t
stronger than he went into it and with
the knowledge that the machine was
worried because of his stubborn strug-
gle. /.
This year. in 1908. Copeland went
forth again to do battle with Blythe.
From every district of Burlington re-
cruits came to light under his stand
ard Men could not help but admire
his logged determination to overthrow
the machine, and they fought with him
just as desperately as he himself.
When the >caucuses were over, Cope
land had won a majority of the wards
in Burlington-the only victory of its
kind ever recorded against the Blythe
interests. There was a split in the
county convention over the seating of
contested delegates from the city, and
the ,anti-Blythe republicans sent del
egation to the state convention with
Copeland at its head. They were not
seated, the convention refusing to do
so by a vote of 672 to $40, but they
were made to feel that their fight was
not in vain by the cordial greeting that
was given them by hundreds of re-
pub!icans who had watched their fight
against great odds, and their day of
glory was complete when they were
complimented by Governor Cummins
in a warm speech in the hotel lobby.
and presented with the Polk county
delegate badges.
Every man who fought with Cope
land in the last struggle with the
Blythe interests in Burlington enlisted
for a war, not merely for a simple
skirmish, and it is certain that they
will all be with him in his further
fight to end boss rule. The ranks of
the Independents are filing up with
men who have until now been with
Copeland in sympathy. and who have
given secret encouragement and aid,
but who are now ready to come fully
out into the open. These men are not
nondescripts; on the other hand. they
include some of Burlingtons most
prominent business and professional