Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-08
sTAN,DPAT SCHEME TO BUY
vorss OF coLoRED MINERS
FOR HULL FAILED.
FELLOW WHO WAS TO GET $500
TALKED TO WRONG MAN
After Negro Club Was Organized
Whole Scheme is Exposed and Meet
ing Breaks Up In a Row and
Rough House-oId Machines Meth
ods of Campaigning Revealed.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. June Snow that the
primary election is over and the tell
ing OF the story will not raise a sus-
picion that 1t was for the purpose Of
influencing votes it is worth while TO
tell somewhat in detail Of an amusing
incident that will illustrate very we'll
how difficult It is to adapt old caucus
methods TO the primary system. It con-
tains the materials also for a negro
dialectnovel of high grade and would
be better for being told as told by the
colored men involved.
About ten days ago word came to
PTouty headquarters that scheme
had been laid to get number OF col
pred votes away from him. At Hawk
eye, in Marion county the coloreo
miners are nearly all progressives. \
coiored man from Oskaloosa had come
over and had invited the Hawkeye
miners over to Evans for a barbecue
Monday night. Evans was outside of
the Seventh district. 1t was evident
something was doing.
One day last week, as part Of the
same scheme. colored minister from
Oskaloosa or some other town, appear
ed in Knoxville He wanted TO see the
postmaster and he opened out the
scheme.
Now we've got It all fixed" he said.
were 20 have big meeting in
Hawkeye Friday night and were going
to organize to vote the whole camp for
the sandpatters. I'm 10 get $500 for
the stunt and we are going to pay IS
each for about a dozen others
Then ne indiscreetly permitted his
friend whom he supposed was the post
master to copy the names OF all OF
those who were TO get So each Tor
helping in the stunt"
Friday afternoon, Attorney ]. B.
Rush. colored. of Des Moines, appeared
on the street at Hawkeye. Presently
a big red auto hove in sight with a
pompous colored man in the rear seat
He circled round a few times ana MATT
ed in front of the lawyer.
Now, look here said the auto VS.
tor" you're a professional man, and
I'm a professional man. and about all
we get out of it is what we pick up
at election time. I've just been talking
over the phone with the main guy up
at Des Moines. I'm TO get $500 for
this stunt. and I've fixed it so that II
lAyou'll just leave my meeting alone
ersAGs1o0 waiting for you at Des
bines Hhen you get there tomorrow,
The stunt" was properly pulled of
Id by II o'clock SIS of the 70 colored
en- present were enrolled in a club 10
BITE for Hull and the whole standpat
cket. A secretary had been elected
nd everything was lovely Attorney
Rush, who had been present and SAID
nothing. asked for a few words. He
alked of issues for a time and then
exposed the whole plot. He read the
names of the fellows who were to get
So each and made them admit II was
30. He told of the $500 the Organizer
was to get and of the offer Of 800 for
him if he would keep still In part he
obtained confirmation Of his story thru
the presence of the pastor of the local
church in whom he had confided. He
convinced the men he knew what ne
was talking about.
Then the secretary got up and tore
I'D the list of members and vowed he
was not a party TO it.
Then the usual rough house" fol-
lowed, and everybody got mad at
everybody else. Il was a great time
il. the mining camp; and The Oskaloosa
man who rode in the big auton obile
was almost run out of town.
The exposure of the scheme also
Spoiled the barbecue plan for taking
the miners out of the district.
And that is one way which the old
organization has of attempting 20 main
tain control of affairs in Iowa 1t is
one OF the ways which the primary
was intended to drive out Of exist
ence.
Il seems probable that as the result
OF the report upon the Great Mountain
rail wreck by the railroad commission
there will be legislation in Iowa look
ing TO securing greater safety Of trave!
in this state The suggestion OF the
commission that the attention Of those
Interested has been given too much to
rates rather than to safety is one
which is not especially new but it has
not had any such an illustration be-
fore as this one. All the roads in Iowa
are inspected officially by the railroad
commission but power of compelling
improvements is limited There are few
regulations as TO making up trains or
other details which have ever been
suggested in Iowa Beyond question
the legislature will be asked 10 do
something along this line
Des Moines is preparing for a very
elaborate event at the laying of the
corner stone of the new city hall. There
will be a number OF speakers who will
tell how they helped to esta blish q new
system Of city government. The hall
itself is going to be an unusually fine
building. It viii be located on the east
c1I IF no SUI in, a
venient place as well could have been
selected for city building, but It will
be conspicuous in It's solitude. the
construction work is being done under
direction Of John MacVicar, which is
guaranty of its being well done.
PROGRESSIVE CONVENTION.