Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-14
Looker-On In Iowa

Parkersburg, Jan. 14.-When the
travelling men begin to talk politics
there is something doing. When the
travelling men can quit the subject OF
poor hotels long enough to discuss the
affairs of this country, one can be sure
of the uppermost subject in the public
mind. Today it is Taft and his poll
teal actions. In the hotel office here
today two knights of the grip had "a
heated discussion" with the defender
of the Taft policies decidedly
worsted both by argument and
the sympathy of the crowd present
Its SO wherever one goes. In every town
there is an expressed feeling against
Taft that would lead one to think he
was dem ocrat receiving criticism
from republicans. In a four-chair
barber shop the other day. the usual
roasting was going on and not a
voice was lifted in his defense. The
old soldier was present mad thru and
thru because of that affair with Taft
and the rebel so honored by the one
present president in his Swing around
the circle" An "anti- monop." had his
say because private car Lutron" was
made Judge of the supreme counrt. A
friend of Pinchots almost frothed at
the mouth as he mentioned Taft's ac-
tons and defense of Ballinger. A Cum
minis man Clipped in on downward
revision while a good church member
mad much to say concerning the alli-
ance that seems to exist between Taft
and that profane, vulgar old man,
speaker of the house" A prohibition
ist Joined in saying no man could have
real temperance sentiments and SYM
pathy ard work with a whiskyite of the
Joe Cannon stripe Even the Taft
smile came in for an objection. 1t can
be said no president elect, democrat or
republican. ever became so unpopular
during the first year of his administra-
ton. Roosevelt is credited with the
duplicity of pushing such man so
that he can come back and defeat him
in 1912.
Things are drifting along in the gov
ernorship with but little active work
on the part of anyone to defeat or re-
elect Mr.. Carroll. /, Unless the progress
sives have something up their sleeves"
he will be renominated. A general
feeling seems to be that to stir up
factional fight on the goVernorship just
now will imepril the chances of Byers,
Cosson and Prouty and among the
politicians the game is not worth the
candle" One member of the republic
can state central committee said few
weeks ago: WHATS the use, Carroll
amounts to nothing, one way or the
other. supposing he is renominated and
elected, what harm can he do?" On
the other hand If some man with a
following comes before the next state
convention he can have a walk away
| Carroll has neither active friends nor
very many positive enemies Our
friend the enemy, what is known and
left of the democratic party. take great
comfort from the present situation and
mention two or three democrats that
can easily be elected for governor. They
say if the progressives turn down Car
and elect democrat.
| When it comes TO railroad commits
sioners, there's trouble all along the
line. Party lines disappear. Some
thing has got to be done so say the
voters. Nearly every county has a
grievance in some town. There's a
general feeling that the board as at
present constituted is nothing more or
less than "a railroad aid society,"" The
present talk concerning "the hog rate
and the reported action of the board
makes a general feeling that some
thing ought to be done. In general
sort of way our board of railroad
commissioners are entitled to a certain
amount of sympathy. They can not
suit everybody, but the people say
either they have power and fail to use
it, or they stand in with corporations.
If there is need of additional legisla-
ton to give this board more power the
people are ready to give it, but not to
I this board as at present constituted.
/ The strange part of this whole bust
ness. is that no community feels under
obligation to the. This should be
| qualified. No community that the
writer visits regularly, say in forty
counties in northwestern Iowa. Even
When petitioners get relief it only comes
after months of agitation. Such a
thing as action, that is immediate re-
ilei from some corporation outrage, is
almost unknown. There's general
feeling OF abolishing the board of rail-
road commissioners, unless we can
have board with real power and made
UP OF men that are not afraid to use it.
Hardly any reflections are made per-
sonally on the members OF the present
board. They are not accused of crimes
graft or misdemeanors. But in five
words the feeling is, they don't amount
to anything"
! a~ MAz--~