Evening times-Republican., 1911-06-10
oSAGE MAN WAS PIONEER AMONG
LEADERS IN PROGRESSIVE
MOVEMENT.
HIS sPEAkERSHIP FIGHT
STARTING POINT OF CONTEST
Out Of That Contest Was Born Orsani-
zation Which First Made Issue Be-
tween Progressives and Reaetionaries
Worked Faithfully to Secure JUS
tiee For People.
oecial to Times-Republican.

future when the story is told of the be-
ginnings of the progressive republican
movement, which spread from Iowa to
the nation, it will be necessary to give
large space therein to the work Of the
late Willard L. Eaton. The clearness
of his vision, the frmness of his faith,
the courage Of his action, had much to
do with determining the course Of the
small band Of Iowa leaders who had
set out to restore more nearly to the
people the direct responsibility for
government.
Mr.. Eaton was speaker of the Twen-
ty-ninth general assembly, but as an
unsuccessful candidate for speaker in
the Twenty eighth he did perhaps more
to differentiate as between the two
schools of thought in regard to political
affairs. The Twenty shth general as
sembly had DR.. Bowen as speaker.
Up to the very day of the caucus there
was a majority for Eaton. and then 1t
}1appened-just as it had always hap
pened before. Hanging in the offices
of many of the members of that as
sembly is a group picture Of the thirty
eight fearless republican insurgents
stood for the election of Eaton as
speaker
In that legislature were H. w. Byers,
Thomas A. Way, T. E. McCurdy, B. L..
Eiker, George w. Clarke, George H.
Carr, John Hughes, Mahlon Head,
George Hilsinger, Mark Furry. Paul
o. Koto, Frank Payne, P. L. Prentis, A.
]. Wilson and others. There, also, was
Gardner Cowles, j. NJ. Anderson. George
Dunham, W. c. Stuckslager, Charles A.
Wise and others.
Beginning Of State Fight.
Out of the fight for speakership in
that session was born the organization
which carried the campaign of 1900
and made Senator Gilbertson state
trea surer and Representative Martin
secretary of state. Out Of that grew
the movement which eliminated in the
Cedar Rapids convention of 1901 where
Cmmins was nominated for governor
The house which met in January
1902 promptly elected Willard Eaton
speaker. He had been defeated by
narrow margin, and some consldera-
tions allowed by the old school. and ne
was the logical man for the place. The
house had become, for the first tlme'
thoroughly progressive, tho the senate
was still as for several following ses-
sions evenly divided
Strong Body Of Men.
The Twenty-ninth general assembly
had among it's members. in the house,
as strong a body of men as ever met
+o1ether in Iowa In the opinion OF
many it was the strongest house Iowa
has ever had. In addition to the lead
era mentioned as in the 2Sth 1t IN
cluded in its personnel B. F. Cummings
\ E Kendall, William Larrabee. Jr.'
Emory H. English J. P. Lyman, ). I.
Neservey. S. A. Moore. Tim Donahue'
NJ z Bailey, E. J. G. Bealer, J. I.
Flenniken, Joseph Mates, j. l.. war
rem. NJ. L. Temple, Burton Sweet. NJ. ).
Sweelev, Eugene Secor, and b. r. fop-
inson.
The Judiciary committee Of the house
annointed by Speaker Eaton was mead
a. nv George W. Clarke and it included
such able lawyers as Temple, Cum
1nings Lyman, Sweeley, Kendall ana
sweet That committee set a hlgh
mark by virtually cleaning everything
ND and making 1t unnecessary 10 nave
sitting committee. and the entire
committee passing on each and every
bill before it.
Splendid RECORD AZ SPsdHS''
Mr. Eaton made a splendid record as
sneaker. The house did its work we'll
and there never was any wrangling ana
no harsh feeling anywhere. Like Byers
who had preceded him and Clarke ana
Kendall who followed he had the con-
fidence and respect of the minority.
IT was the fight made by and 1or
Eaton for speaker In the Twenty
eighth and his subsequent election IN
the Twenty-ninth that gave impetus to
tho progressive movement in Iowa so
that later when the senate also was
captured the legislation needed was
n,aced upon the statute books and the
progressive movement attracted ma
tional attention.
No man was ever more loyal to the
cause of good government than MI
Eaton He believed thoroughly IN the
progressive movement. He never cared
for office for the sake Of office but al
ways for the good he might do. lie
consented to stand for speaker because
he realized that someone must make
+he fight and be a sacrifice to good
canse In his work as member OF the
railroad commission he carried out the
ideas he had long entertained and his
decisions show that he believed that
government should be devoted to estab-
finishing Justice for all the people.
Commander Dyer Improving.