Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-08
REPRESENTATIVES. OF SEVERAL
ORGANIZATIONS IN coNvEN.
TON THIS WEEK.
THREsHERMEN OF STATE
START BIG MOVEMENT
Responsible for General Good Roads
Meeting Being Held in Des Moines-
Township Trustees, Supervisors and
Automobile Men Participating -
"Reminiscences Of Piatt.
.pecial to Times-Republican.

! Special to Times Republican.
! Des Moines, March S.-Another o.
those famous convention weeks" is or
! the hands of Des Moines, and a grea
collection OF people from upstate are
| filling the Des Moines hotels in manner
| gratifying to the hotel men The week
was given over TO the State Association
of Threshermen, who nearly three
| months ago fixed upon this as theil
week. 1t was upon their initiative thai
the governor was induced to ask for 9
general conference upon good road;
and thus II is that the highway meet.
ings and the threshermen's meeting:
are simultaneous.
In the last legislature the tflresher-
men caused TO be introduced, on the
very first day of the legislative session
bill to provide for road dragging and
general road Improvement and defining
more particularly the require ments as
to culverts and small bridges. One
thing to which they have objected is
the requirement that when they take
a traction engine over a culvert or a
bridge they shall stop and lay planks
across the same TO carry the wheels
What they had in mind was that
bridges should be so constructed that
they viii carry any kind of load with
ease. They pointed out the necessity
for making permanent bridges of stone
Or cement if we are to have good
roads. The bill fell into hands that
We're powerless to get results and it
was soon sent to the scrap heap. Now
,x-ilf ha
able TO get some action that will mean
permanent highways on which they
can run their traction engines without
fear of injury.
Another conspicuous class at the
convention here this week is the auto
mobile makers and owners. They are
going to play big part in the highway
conferences and their main object is to
have Iowa roads so that the auto
mobiles may run over them at decent
rate of speed. The automobile people
are becoming influential in state af-
fairs and when they get back of a
movement it will cut some figure.
Sprinkled among the crowds that
are here, including those that attend
the convention to boost for a prohibi-
tory amendment campaign, are great
many politicians of the state. It rs
expected that this week the com paign
for the denomination of Governor Car
roll will be placed Oh a sound basis
where it will not be attacked. This is
regarded by the good roads people as
a necessity if the legislature is to pass
needed laws on the subject.
The thresherrlen who are here, num-
bering several thousand, say that they
have now secured a much better organ
ization than ever before, that they have
a large membership and every county
is represented, that the rate of pay for
threshing grain is satisfactory and
there is much less of loss thru rate cut
ting than in former years.
A matter of small importance and yet
showing how easy it is to go wrong in
interpreting the laws came to the sec
rotary Of state this week. A county
auditor wrote calling attention TO the
fact that under the law it is necessary
to elect three township trustees in
every township of the state at the cleo
ton next November. But in the pri-
mary law where a sample ballot is
printed, it says as to trustees vote for
two" The auditor wrote to find out if
he should change this to three" The
attorney generals office so decided at
once, as that part of the primary law is
only inserted as a suggestion Of a
guide. But the little wrong word might
easily cause trouble in any township of
the state.
The death of Senator Thomas C.
PIatt recalled to a. number of prom
inent republicans some interesting
"reminiscences of the easy boss" who
50 long represented the New York end
Of the organization" at Washington.
One of his most conspicuous political
achievements, as related by his friends
in recent years. was that of directing
the campaign which resulted in putting
into the republican platform made at
St. Louis in 1896, the gold standard
plank. Senator Hanna has been cred
tied with having had great deal to
do with il, but on behalf Of Platt it |
is stated that the latter really took
the initiative and had most to do with
forcing the issue to a successful con-
clusion.
In this connection it IS also re-
called that Iowa took stand in op-
position. Iowa was in that case "in-
surgent" and incorrigible. Iowa sent |
twenty-six delegates to ST. Louis. The i
matter of what Iowa should do was
regarded as Of some Importance There |
had been a good deal of free silver |
sentiment in Iowa. A state candidate |
was in the field and being strongly |
supported by the delegation 1t was
desired that platform should be made |
in harmony with the record of the |
candidate, should Iowa be able to |
name the leader of the party So the |
Iowa delegation met and caucused. II |
was in that famous caucus that Pete
Hepburn arose and declared that un-
less the convention declared for silver
it would not be worth his while to run |