Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-07-13
liquor laws, but with respect to
everything else in the constitution.

who now claim control of the con-
vention, is opposed to opening the
constitution for amendment by a
convention. 1t win be remembered
that several years ago when COVER
nor Mr. Cummins called a conven-
tion of other governors to take
some steps toward getting the con-
stitution of the United States
amended to provide for election of
the senators by direct vote of the
people. There were two courses
Dopen-to memoTialize congress to
pass law to that effect and sub
nit it to the various states, or to
ask constitutional convention.
Governor - Cummins drafted the
resolutions of that convention of
; vernors and the proposition of a
d titutional convention was con-
So unsafe. 1t is believed he
wihN. = the same attitude toward
the e|V 'ment constitution. He
may ma 'me reference to the
proposition. a constitutional con-
vention in h. dress as temporary
chairman OF y. state convention.
The democrats, it is understood
from leaders here, may also openly
oppose a constitutional convention
in their resolutions at their state
convention in Ottumwa July 27.
The name OF Charles Grffk of
Davenport, republican nominee for
congress in the Second district, is
being prominently mentioned as
possible permanent chairman of the
coming republican state convention.
He was considered for the place OF
temporary chairman by the state
central committee at the time Sen
ator A. B. Cummins was sele ct ed.
Iowa Prohibitionists have decided
to make determined protest to the
legislative assembly next winter
against the present primary law.
Leaders of this party in Des Moines
claim that while other parties may
find some defects in the law as II is
they have discovered that it is vir-
tually Acknowledgement of the
Prohibition party. An example OF
the injustice they claim it works is
shown in the Seventh congressional
district. While the Prohibitionists
have not sufficient votes to recog-
nize them as a party on the state
ballot they have enough in the Sew
enth district to entitle them to
party ticket at the primaries on
district and county officers. This
ticket they prepared and the county
auditors furnished copies to cleo
ton judges. Now Prohibitionist
leaders claim they have positive
proof of many prohibition ballots
cast in various precincts where
the judges made absolutely no
return of prohibition votes. But
a few returns were made Some
thing like five votes on con-
gresham were returned. j. A.
T. Hull, a republican nominee. was
given two Of these and the other |
three were scattered, but one going |
to ]. A. Mitchell of Valley Junction,
the recognized prohibition candi- |
date. OF course, Mr.. Hull would
not ask the nomination and anyway
he did not have the necessary 35
per cent of the total prohibition
vote to nominate. So the nomina-
tion under the primary law would
go to the congressional convention,
the delegates to which should be
named by the county conventions
But here is where the Prohibition
lists claim they have been sewed up.
The election judges, not reporting
the votes on prohibition delegates,
there are no delegates to any county
and accordingly the pro-
can hold no conventions.
They are effectually barred from
getting the name of a candidate on
the ticket under the caption of
Prohibition,
II Is possible they could go into
court and get an order to open the
election returns and canvass them. |
but this would be at an expense far
beyond the means of the party.
Accordingly prohibtionists are
opposed to the operation Of the
primary law as 1t now stands and
will make their feelings known to
the legislators.
Not being recognized as a party
in the statewide primaries the Pro-
hibitionists will get their nominees
on the ticket by petition. The
state central committee will meet
in the near future to complete the
proposed state ticket on which A.
MacAchren of Waterloo is to be
candidate for governor. Candidates
for Attorney General and Secretary
of State have not as vet been Sc