Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-07
MOON MAY Be
The CHAIRMAN
oTTUMWA OR WATERLOO MAN
MAY PRESIDE AT DEMOcATic
STATE CONVENTION.
sHANkLAND ON PRIMARY

SHANkLAND ON PRIMARY
Dss Moines Legislative Candidate in
Favor Of Amending State Law;
Coal Operators Stand on
Freight Rates.
Des Moines. July 6.-Edwin G. Moon
Of Ottumwa or S. H. Basho. of Water
loo will undoubtedly be permanent
chairman of the Democratic state
convention OF be held In Ottumwa July
r. These are the two defeated candi-
dates for the gubernatorial nomina.
ton and 1t is considered extremely
likely one of the two will be given this
honor. The fact Mr.. Moon lives in or
tumwa is looked upon by some as rea.
son for his selection while others be-
lieye that as host he should give wal
to Mr.. Bashor, who received second
highest vote at the primary.
Inspired by the belief there will be
an opportunity to win a strong foot
hold at the November election there is
places on the state central committee.
These members will be selected at the
eleven district caucuses to be held at
the state convention. In the seventh
district where Clint Price as chairman
Withdraws to make the race for con-
gress, there are four candidates. They
are ]. T. Jones, DR.. j. H. Duhigg VIM.
Hall and Henry Riegleman, all of Des
Moines. The first three are young
men.
Already Democrats are discussing
the nature of the resolutions to be
passed by the convention. Among 9th
er things the Democrats will condemn
the Payne Aldrich bill and also the
Postal Savings Bank bill, opposed in
the United States senate by A. B.
Cummins and J. p. Dolliver. They will
probably condemn the work of the
present national administration.
1t Is not considered likely that Iowa
Democrats viii take any official notice
of the Ohio quarrel resulting over the
nomination of Governor Harmon and
his endorsement for president. Bryan
ism will not be an issue in Iowa il the
Democrats can prevent it. The consen-
sus of opinion here now seems to be
that the liquor question will be entire,
ly ignored In the platform. 1t is known
an effort is being made to get Demo-
Gratis to endorse a local option law,
but with present prospects Democratic
leaders here are Of the opinion 1t is
judicious to let the liquor and tenn
perance people fight their own battle
outside of party politics.
Frank S. Shankland, progressive
candidate for the legislature from Polk
county, has taken decided stand for
radically amending the present prim-
airy law which Is proving SO objection
able because of inequity in many re-
spects. Mr.. sShankland says:
L. - To-. 10
primary laws and especially that fea-
ture Of the same which provides for the
nomination Of the district judges by
the convention. If the judicial dis
districts of the state which embrace
more than one county are opposed to
the nomination Of the district judges
by the direct primary, would favor a
law authorizing judicial districts en-
bracing but one county to nominate
the primaries. This would relieve Polk
county Of the unpleasant situation In
which she now finds herself in the
matter OF choosing candidates for dis
trict Judges.
THE date for holding the primaries
should also be changed. The primaries
are now held at a season Of the year
of the voters Of the state to be at the
polls. The primaries should also be
held on Monday instead of Tuesday as
1t would then give thousands of travel
ing men an opportunity to vote with
out remaining at home and losing one
day extra
Il believe that there should also be
some method Of selecting candidates
for delegates to the county convention
SO that the voters could have some
thing to say about who should repre-
sent them in the county conventions.
One plan would be to require the pre-
cinct committeeman to properly an
nounce the time and place of holding
caucus for the selection Of delegates
to the county convention Two sets Of
delegates might be selected at the
the primaries. There may be other and
better methods, but this would be one
way of accomplishing the purpose"
Mr.. Shankland is an aggressive
young man and he will undoubtedly
make fight in the lower house of the
legislature to secure amendments to
the primary law along the lines he has
Indicated He Is good talker. Is a
lawyer of ability and his Judgment in
to be good, so far as the operation Of
selection Of candidates and conducting
Of conventions is concerned.
Des Moines, July 6.-There Is an ar
gument among the coal operators Of
Iowa because OF the proceedings In
stituted before the Iowa railway COM
nissioners by operators in the first
district to have Iowa coal rates re-
duced. Just before the taking Of tes-
timony was closed coal operators in
Polk and Jasper counties and every
operator in Oskaloosa filed a protest
with the commission against disturb
ing local rates. The operators of dis
trict No. wanted the change to en-
able them to get better rate out of
remote territory. The reduced rates
however would not benefit other Iowa
operators and, as 1t was shown to the
commission, would at the same time
lower the rate for Illinois mine operat-
ors SO they could compete cheaper
against Iowa operators generally.
Because N. T. Guernsey, attorney for
the operators Of District No. ! is go
ing one six weeks trip through Eu-
rope, an adjournment Wes taken on the
case to October wheA both sides will
u - r. ,1r<,F rs