The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-08-18
GOVERNOR cARRoLL's TRIAL.

The present governor of Iowa and
republican nominee for governor is to
be tried for libel. 1t is much too serl-
Gus affair to be made the shuttlecock
of partisan or factional advantage.
The high position of the man, his in
innate connection with the state and
with the ruling political party of the
state invest the coming trial with a
serious and universal interest whic
rises beyond party and factional sue
cess and touches the honor and dig
nifty of the commonwealth.
Cownie and Carroll are prominent
men in the government of Iowa, Car
roll as its chief executive. Cownie has
been for many years part of it. Car.
roll has been indicted by a grand jury
on charge of libeling Cownie. That
the Indictment was found by a jury
of Carroll's political friends and sup
porters and against the wish of the
county attorney suggests that the
Z evidence was conclusive to the grand
jury and is prophetic of future con-
clusion in open court. But Carroll, as
J every other person under indictment
for crime, is entitled to the verdict of
jury and is not to be condemned in
advance. This man under criminal
Indictment is the governor of Iowa.
The case rises above the common
mark. 1t should be approached with
uncommon elaboration.
In this there is no advantage for
the alleged criminal; on the contrary
his superior political station aggra-
Yates the charges that he has deliber-
ately sought to build his political sue
cess on the corpse of murdered repu-
tation and advance his political for
tunes by the theft of private char
acter, if the charge be sustained. In
the trial of the case politics has no
place. Cownie has the right to a pub
lie generation in the courts. Carroll
has that right of every accused man
to fair trial. And that is his only
right and a sufficient right.
There is however another and i'm
portant side to this case. 1t has gone
beyond Carroll and Cownie. Governor
Carroll is the nominee of the republi-
can party and the day of election is,
compared to the movement of court
trials, close at hand. His acquittal or
conviction means much to the party.
1t is likely that should Carroll be
convicted upon the charges for which
he has been indicted that he would
be overwhelmingly defeated at the
polls. And if he is convicted he should
be defeated. Acquittal should make
his election sure. The people of Iowa
are not inclined to vote for man
who has been convicted of outrageous
defamation of private character for
political purposes. On the other
hand they are mulch inclined to sup
port a republican nominee with a
certificate of good character.
The nominee is in a bad box and
an embarrassment to his party Many
believe he should withdraw and that
4 the stigma of an indictment forced
out of his own friends by the evil
dence is sufficient reason for with
drawal. The least he should do is to
ask for an immediate trial and use
every right means to get his case be-
fore the courts and bring about a
verdict before the state convention
is convened. If the verdict is adverse
he should get out of the way by with
drawal and let the convention name
man who may be presented to the
voters with confidence and the hope
of success. If the verdict is in his
favor he will be much stronger than
he has been. If against him he is
simply impossible. He ought to know
this and act accordingly.
But keep politics and factionalism
out of the trial pro or con. This is a
4 serious matter for Beryl NJ Carroll
and likewise for the state of Iowa.
Marshalltown Times-Republican