Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-17
THE LESSON of WISCONSIN
IRepister and I,eaaerl

The disturbance in Wisconsin over
the senatorial primary Is cited in
New York to condemn the primary
election of United States senator's.
when, II 1t is rightly considered, 1t
Is the strongest vindication of the
primary system.
Senator Stephenson Is shown by
his own agents to have spent s1o7,-
1913 in carrying the primaries. I'm
der the old legislative system he
might have spent that amount, every
dollar of 1t corruptly, and nobody
been any the wiser. How does il
happen that now the whole country
is informed of his campaign?
And how does it happen that the ex-
penditure of this money is bringing his
seat into question? The moment that
question is answered the progressive
of recent politics is vindi-
Gated. 1t is the spirit and purpose of
popular direct nominations to force
politics into the open and to clear the
political decks of the political buc-
cancers.
Senator Stephenson, II he is beaten.
will be beaten because the corrupt use
Of money that could not have been de-
tected under the caucus system is
easily detected under the primary sys-
tenn. He will be beaten because the
people now have a means of knowing
what Is being done.
And when few men, who can not
get over the habits of the old poll
tics, are beaten there will come a
great renovation in our politics, a
to1, q
take hold Of the voter who has not
yet gotten far enough into the spirit
Of the new era to feel that it Is not
proper to take a few dollars for his
vote.
MORE FOLLY FROM DIES MONIES.
[Cedar Rapids Republican,
A member from Muscatine has in
troduced a bill awarding women 81
for every baby they bring into The
world. This is the bounty the state
will be asked to bestow on moth ers.
Think Of the folly Of such a proceed
ing Are children to be bred like an
imals? Is there to be no consideration
except numbers? While such a bill Is
intended to promote population, isn't
erhood, to put up prize? The Won
der is that the member from Musca-
tine did not include a bottle of sooth-
ing syrup for the baby and pack
age of chewing gum for the mother
and why not something for the father
of the baby?
Oh the folly of the fools! The whole
movement is based on false grounds.
The problem Of this world does not
concern the bringing of more children
into the world. but concerns better
children, better brought UP. better
fed. better educated, better fitted to
cope with the struggles Of the world.
We should not be so foolish as to believe
that the more children they bring into
the world, the better citizens they
are. That is not SO in this country In
the great cities, much misery results
from over population in certain dis
tricts. Parents who are not able to
support more than one or two chill
dren, if so many. thoughtlessly bring
children into the world by the half
dozen, all bred to misery, to poverty,
to sickness, to suffering. Yet we talk
as if those fathers and mothers are
blessing the world.
What is called a Rooseveltism is
grossly misrepresented. When Mr..
Roosevelt delivered his famous utter
ance he had in mind not all classes,
but certain classes especially, the idle
and the frivolous rich, the men who
hang about clubs and the women who
hang about clubs and fondle dogs in
stead Of babie$-these are the classes
he had especially in mind.