Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-30
eTHE RESULT

sent. The returns OF three TO one In !
the Third ward where Is cast a large
share OF the Iowa Central vote and
of two to one In the packing house
precinct, speak in volumes on this
point. And no man who reads those
Darling franchises can believe that any
public utility operator with average
Intelligence would think that he had
offered the people OF this city a prop
osition sufficiently plausible to satisfy
majority of its voters. The explain
alton for asking a twenty-five year
lease on this community upon such
ridiculous terms which forces itself,
is that either the mayor or his at
torney probably assured the stranger
that they would deliver the vote and
the stranger taking them at their word
put as little into his offer for the pub
lie as he could and still call it a fran
chise. Approached from any direction
and judged from any standpoint this
conviction is forced. The franchises
beat themselves and the man who
brought them to Marshalltown is en-
titled to some exoneration for his SEEM
Ing bad judgment. The next franchise
that Is framed up will make the pub
lie party to the contract Twenty five
years is long time to sign up on
contract and a contract as long as that
would ordinarily contain something of
real value to both parties.
The election, for a special, was some
what fierce. Thru 1t all there stand
out three councilmen who are entitled
to more than ordinary credit for their
defense of the public interest. Messrs.
Gregory. McCarten and Herman with
stood no small amount of personal
abuse and temptation and in Mr. Her
mans case the fight which he made
for what he thought was right was
particularly creditable.
To the publisher of the Tlmes-Re-
publican there Is as much personal
satisfaction in the result as could pos
sihly have been conveyed in any one
election. Not that the newspaper can
claim very much credit, since the ex-
igencies of the campaign made it wise
for the newspaper to let others con-
duct the opposition The mayors
friends deliberately planned early in
the game to concentrate their attack
upon Mr.. Norris and by making all
the personal issue. One of their crowd
leaked and in order to avoid the UNI
| pleasantness OF such a campaign the
mes-Republican refrained from ac-
tive editorial opposition. However, the
mayor and his press manager made the
personal assault anyway. Handbills
newspapers, and public addresses were
used to misrepresent and vilify the
Times Republican editor as part of the
deliberate plan to create prejudice AT
first falsehoods were called by their
proper name and proof demanded but
the only reply was new string of false
and ridiculous charges published after
1t was too late to make rejoinder. The
vote must be read as a rebuke since
practically the whole argument for the
franchises was made in the form of
personal abuse Mr.. Ingledue forced
the personalities when he could see
that 1t was desired to avoid them and
as the executive head" he will count
the vote of 1000 citizens who ex-
pressed their opinion Of such cam
paigning. 1t is hoped now that the
Norris issue which has been frayed out
to FRAGILE in so many local campaigns
be of further political use.
The Times Republican, by the very
necessities of it's publishing business,
must take a. position upon these i'm
portant questions of public interest.
For ten years now ITS presen. pub
Usher has been directing its course and,
hard as been tried. not a single in
Ictor Nf
} dishonest practice has ever been dis
covered or even honestly suspected in
it's course. Why not. then. meet cleo
| tons upon their public issues. here
J after, and quit hammering Norris?
, In this case the Times Republican
had been we'll informed. when Mr.
Pratt came to Marshalltown two weeks
after the spring election to get fran
chise. that he represented Jones &
Hovey in an effort to get the new fran.
chse which had been demanded by
: certain banks before Jones Sc Hovey's
Q bonds could be renewed. The Times
0 Republican was sure that Mr.. Ingle
Y due, Mr.. Denmead and their intmates
knew of these things and for that rea-
\ son questioned the wisdom of theil
o support of Pratts scheme, When Mr.
9 Darling appeared. after a conference
: in Chicago with Mr. 1ngedue, with 8
: franchise replete with some phrases
n very familiar in the writings of Mr.
e Ingledue's personal counsel. Mr.. Board.
}. man, who had been retained by the
v city council to fight Jones & Hovey
and when the Times Republican knew
that, in Chicago Mr.. Pratt carried or
negotiations with the interurban crowd
:, presuming to speak for the Darlin,
It group, 1t was q very natural conclusion
5, that Darling was subterfuge for tn,
It original Pratt scheme to reorganize TO
a Jones & Hovey. Mr.. Denmead's nam
a on the bond, when he had stoot
p spokesman for Pratt in the spring con
II firmed the suspicion and q close read
a ing OF the franchises disclosed q direc
It net return to the present Jones & HOY
n ey status on nearly every salient con
!. dition OF the contract. For these rea
sons the Times Republican believe,
and believes still that those franchise
r. would not have given this communit,
: the relief and the reform to which /
y Is entitled, however. the campaign wa
e made by others and to them belong
r the full credit for defeating the plan
: which this newspaper held under sus
It picion. II, at any time, there had bee
II a desire to prove to the newspaper an
'e error in its suspicious, the thing t
d have done would have been to produc
: some evidence instead of seeking I
destroy the individual who marlboro
It.