The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23
t. !. P IS ALMOST CON [ UP IN IOWA Pary Gall Sent Out for Har-
 monV taucus At Once FACT CANNOT UNITE The Harmony Convention Will Prove Farce, Accofding to the Well h.
 formed, ard the Split Will
 Be Wora Than Before.
FACTIONS CANNOT UNITE

Washington, August 22.-(Special )-Iowa republicans have jailed a great harmony caucus to be held at Des Moines August 20. It will be remarkable gathering, al- most without parallel In the politics of the country. Its purpose will be to get the party leaders togfther and seek a way out of the complication which threatens the republican control of the state legislature and state ticket in the coming election, and which mears even the electoral tick ct. Present indications are that in- stead of producing harmony the confer ence more likely will widen the breach between the two factions Both in and out of the st4te great concern is felt among party leaders about the results of the gathering.
 Briefly the Iowa situation may be stated thus: The republicans primary in June named Allison for senator over Cummins by close vote. All concede that against any other than Allison. Cummins would have won. Allison died two months after he was nominated. Consequently the in- structions wsich the primary had given to
  were nullihed Unless some other nominee is named by the party the legislators will be free to support whom them choose.
 Ready for Treachery.
 Cummins is a candidate There will be several others. The Cummins parti- sans all over the state are ready to knife anti -Cummins legislative candidates and the anti -Cummins people propose to de- feat Cummins candidates. Either side seems fully willing to let the democrats have the senator rather than to allow the victory to go to the opposing republican faction.
 With Allison gone there is a vacancy. Governor Cuminlns hsF the pow D ap- point for the remainder of the Allison term or until the legislature, which meets In January, shall elect. Whether he will do this or call the legislature in session to elect or allow the vacancy to continue ad interim has not been decided.
 Some of Cummins friends want him to resign as governor, and at once be appointed senator by his successor, the present Lieutenant Governor Garst, who Is a strong Cummns supporter. Others want him to leave the vacancy. Others urge that he call the legislature to elect. Still others insist that he call the 1egis- lature together and get it to adopt an amendment to the present primary law, under which provision shall be made for a second primary, when a vacancy occurs as in the present case. Then they would have the legislature to fill the pres- ent vacancy and adjourn. The governor could announce his candidacy for the nomination at the second primary, and there is considered little doubt that he would be named.
 Idea Opposed.
 But the anti -Cummins element op- poses this idea. It urges that the expense of a second primary should not be sad dled on the state More than this, and much more forcibly, it urges that if a primary be held the nominee of that pri- mary, whether he be of one faction or the other, will be knifed at the polls by his ancient enemies of the other crowd, the legislature will go democratic and Claude R. Porter, whom the democrats have nominated to receive their support for senator, will get the seat vacated by AL lison.
 The situation is a complex and difficult one. As possible way out the big har- mony conference has been called. All the republican members of the legislature, nominees for the next legislature state officers and nominees for state offices, editors of republican newspapers and va rious classes of party leaders have been invited to attend.