Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-27
Surprise Announcement Made at
Democratic Convention Con-
cerning Candidates
WEAVER pEFIEs RIVER COUNTIES
Porter Withdraws in Favor of Old War
Horse and Will Enter Primaries for
Senator-Dennison and Sullivan May
Oppose Them-Platform Lengthy and
Ambiguous.
Special to Times-Republican.

Cedar Rapids. March 27.-ln many
/ respects the democratic state conNen-
! ton here yesterday was disappoint-
ment A more tiresome or long drawn
out affair. for the amount of business
accomplished, would be hard to imag-
| inc. After wrestling with the resolu-
tons all day the committee was un-
able to report until 6:1O. and the!
were not read until many of the dele
gates had left the convention hall, and
| the galleries had been emptied
| Weaver Springs Surprise.
Late last night General Weaver did
! spring a surprise. 1t was not IN or OF
the convention, but direct result
Weaver announced that he would ac-
I cept the defy of the river delegates
and saloon sympathiZers. as held out
to him in the convention, and would
be a candidate for governor before
the primaries. The Weaver men claim
that Claude r. Porter, who has been
considered as probable candidate, had
Withdrawn in his, Weavers favor, and
that Porter would instead be candi-
date for the nomination as senator.
This will complicate the situation IN
the state campaign. for 1t is generally
understood that John d. Dennison, OIL
Dubuque. is going to be candidate
for governor, and Jerry" Sullivan for
senator.
Weaver's Statement.
General Weaver gave out the follow
ing interview concerning his position:
"rhe Hon. Claude r. Porter stated to
me this evening that he would not
enter the June democratic primary as
candidate for governor as had
hoped he would do. This being the
case, at the solicitation of my friends,
have concluded to enter the pr1-
maries myself for said office.
General Weaver was asked: VIII
not YOUR candidacy raise the prohibl-
ton question at once thruout the
state?' He replied: "Not necessarily.
1t is not necessary. nor do ! favor say
ing anything whatever upon that ques-
tion in either the state or national
platform, but if anything is to be said
the party should take the high moral
ground"
Platform is Lengthy.
That there was not much interest
manifested in the Rinehart resolutions
wan evidenced by the fact that so many
left. c. O. Holly, chairman Of the
committee. read the long -winded doc
ument. and some good Iowa democrats
made this comment when he had con-
cluded: "They couldn't have said
less if they had tried" Another re-
marked that they could have said as
much in one-third the space. and
third said they We're SO long he could
not make head nor tail out of them.
Really the resolutions were disap-
pointment to many. and from a stand
point of rhetoric they were dismal
failure. One clause was stricken out
in its entirety. after Chairman Denni-
son declared it to be poorly worded.
altho he excused it on the ground of
being "hurredly written" If there
was anything hurried about the reso-
lutions. a casual glance failed to dis
close it.
Disappointment to Press.
From the standpoint of the press
the convention was failure. Little or
no good stuff" developed. Aside from
the show of their hand in the morn
ing, when the radicals sat down so
hard on Chairman Miller surprises or
features were lacking. Altho the eau
Gus of the Third district the preceding
night was supposed to be closed. it
leaked out that Miller did really want
to be a district delegate. He was re-
fused even this honor, and was liter
all clicked out" OF course. to the pub
lie. he respectfully declined the honor
before the Third district open caucus.
The Bryan men were in such complete
control of this caucus that they were
in a position to dictate without re-
striction They had resolution en-
dorsing Henry c. Duffy. of Dubuque, to
succeed Miller as member from the
Third. This would have been humiliat-
ing. to say the least, and all Miller
could do was to withdraw. His friends
of course. under those conditions, were
able to have the resolution buried, and
it never saw the light of the caucus.
General Weaver Turned Down..
Altho it was no surprise, the most
sensational thing of the afternoon, If
it could be termed, was the
turning down of Gen. James B. Weaver
of Colfax. an old war horse Of the par
tx. by the river counties. The river men
did not like Weaver's past inclinations
toward prohibition. and aitho Weaver
secured to nominate him Fred White.
of Keokuku county, once prominent
candidate for
nor. and thrice candidate for congress-
man and once elected, he failed to
overcome the prejudice arising from
the river quarters.
Two Ballots to Elect
1t required two ballots to elect the
delegates -at-large. The nominees. by
districts. were AS follows: First. .Iohn
Z. Craig, Lee; Third, Maj e. NJ. Carr,